Fairfield Spencer Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. All groups of pupils make good progress.

As a result, they leave Year 6 with standards in English and mathematics which are above average. Pupils' achievement has improved well since the last inspection. This is a result of the increasingly good quality of teaching and learning.

Children make a strong start to their learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They benefit from well-planned and stimulating activities. Teachers and teaching assistants ask skilful questions to deepen pupils' understanding of their own learning and accelerate their progress.

This is a consequence of good procedures to manage and improve teachers' ...performance. Good links between different subjects, such as geography, history and English, help to make learning relevant and exciting. Pupils play and work well together and support each other.

Their behaviour is good and they feel safe. Leaders and managers at all levels contribute well to the school's development through good systems to measure and improve its effectiveness. The new, but experienced headteacher provides a clear direction to build further on these strengths.

The governing body is well informed and provides good support and challenge to the leadership. It is not yet an outstanding school because : the activities pupils undertake during lessons do not always fully promote their thinking and reasoning skills. This means that pupils are not always challenged to make the best possible progress.

pupils do not always have the opportunity to use information and communication technology (ICT) as a tool for their learning.

Information about this school

Fairfield is larger than the average primary school. The large majority of pupils are from White British families.

The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and for whom the school receives additional income (the pupil premium) is average. The proportion of pupils supported by school action is average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.

The proportion of pupils who do not complete all their primary education at this school is much higher than usual. Approximately one-third of children join the school in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Two-thirds of pupils join the school in Year 3, transferring from a local infant school.

A small proportion transfer to the school in Year 5. The school meets the current 'floor standards', which set the Government's minimum expectations for attainment and progress. The headteacher took up the post at the start of the term during which the inspection took place.

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