Freshfield Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. The overwhelming majority of pupils, including pupils with disabilities and special educational needs, pupils with a statement of educational needs educated in the school's resource unit and pupils entitled to additional support through pupil-premium funding, achieve exceptionally well and enjoy their learning.

Teaching is exemplary in all subjects and in all year groups. Teachers have very high expectations of all pupils and plan lessons which are exciting and challenging and help pupils to foster outstanding attitudes to learning. Pupils' attitudes towards their teachers, school responsibilities, learning and their fellow class-mates ar...e exceptional.

All pupils are highly articulate. They are proud of their school and take great pride in helping each other. Pupils have a highly developed understanding of how to keep themselves safe and say that poor behaviour is extremely rare.

The headteacher is well respected within the school, local authority and beyond. Together with a highly skilled and experienced senior leadership team and a highly committed and involved governing body, he has ensured that the quality of teaching and the standards achieved by pupils are continually improving. Parents are highly supportive of the school.

They are particularly happy with pupils' behaviour and safety, the quality of teaching and pupils' achievement. Parents value the opportunities that they have to be involved in the life of the school, especially through supporting in reading, writing and the development of mathematical skills. School leaders continuously explore opportunities and actively promote greater parental involvement in the school.

Information about this school

This is a slightly larger than average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs is just below average.

The school offers specialist resource provision for up to 10 pupils with moderate learning difficulties. All have a statement of special educational needs. The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives additional funding through the pupil premium is well below average.

The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children that are looked after by the local authority. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well below the national average, and very few pupils speak English as an additional language. A children's centre managed by the governing body is accommodated on the school site.

This offers a range of services, including pre-school provision, and is subject to a separate inspection. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics. Since the last inspection the school has become a National Support School and is currently supporting three primary schools in the Sefton local authority.

Various members of staff have shared their experience and practices with a number of schools. The headteacher is a national leader in education. Several new teachers have been appointed by the governing body and the school has undergone refurbishments.