Fairfield Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Leaders and governors have established an inclusive culture, where every effort is made to ensure that all pupils do as well as they can.

Everyone at Fairfield feels valued. The long-serving headteacher provides strong leadership. She is well supported by a skilled senior leadership team and effective governing body.

As a result, after a dip in the school's results at the end of key stage 1 in 2016, they have risen this year in reading, writing and mathematics. Senior leaders keep a sharp eye on pupils' progress using an effective assessment system. This is not always the case for subject leaders.

The information all leaders coll...ect is sometimes not used well enough to inform their self-evaluation and future planning for improvement. Individual pupils' records are not all kept in one place. Leaders cannot always, therefore, spot patterns, swiftly respond and plan appropriate action.

Leaders have ensured that the quality of teaching and learning is good. Teachers are dedicated and very enthusiastic. As a result, the vast majority of groups of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress.

Pupils respond very positively to teachers' high expectations of behaviour and learning. They take pride in sharing their work and their successes. They try their best in lessons.

They are not afraid to make mistakes, believing that this helps them to learn better. Some most-able pupils are not as challenged as they could be in their writing. They do not always draw on ideas gained from their reading when they are writing.

Some teachers do not routinely insist upon high expectations of presentation, handwriting and spelling in writing in subjects other than English. Regular opportunities for pupils to practise their basic English skills in some subjects are not consistently provided by some teachers. The development of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and emotional welfare is promoted exceptionally well.

Pupils treat others with respect and are supportive of each other. Children in the early years get off to a flying start and thoroughly enjoy their learning. They make strong progress in this outstanding, highly stimulating setting.

Procedures to safeguard pupils are effective. Pupils say they feel safe and parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. Adults will leave no stone unturned to ensure that pupils and their families are supported.

In

Information about this school

The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website. Most pupils are of White British heritage. The vast majority of pupils speak English as their first language.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those who have a statement of special educational needs and those who have an education, health and care plan, is below the national average. The school has a 26-place nursery which offers two daily sessions.

Children are admitted to the nursery in the academic year in which their fourth birthday falls. There is only one intake per year, with all children starting in September. The school runs its own breakfast club.

The infant school is federated with the Colneis Junior School. The headteacher leads both schools and there is one governing body. Some staff and senior leaders work across both schools.

Having been in post for many years and seen the school through the federation process, both the headteacher and one of the deputy headteachers, who is also the special educational needs coordinator, retire at the end of the summer term 2017. The remaining deputy headteacher has been appointed as the acting headteacher across the federation until the recruitment process for the substantive post is completed. This is expected to be by the very latest September 2018.

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