Fairmeadows Foundation Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Fairmeadows Foundation Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Fairmeadows Foundation Primary School is a nurturing and joyful school, which is welcoming to everyone.

Pupils are happy. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm. Pupils consistently show each other and staff courtesy and respect.

Pupils feel safe and well cared for. They are proud of their school and each other. As one pupil commented, 'We have great teachers here.

We all get treated fairly. Some of us have special educational needs, and we are never treated any differently.'

The... school has high expectations for all pupils to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Pupils show a commitment to their learning. They aspire to meet the school's expectations. As a result, pupils achieve very well.

The provision for pupils' wider development is well considered. Pupils show great pride in the range of leadership opportunities they can put themselves forward for such as being a house captain or school councillor. Pupils take these roles very seriously.

They enjoy being 'role models' for others. Pupils access a wide range of clubs and enjoy representing their school at sporting fixtures.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has created an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum.

Teachers present information to pupils clearly and demonstrate secure subject knowledge. Published outcomes for pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are high. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Children get off to a secure start in the early years. They learn through play, explore and take risks. There is a clear focus on the development of children's early language and communication.

Adults model new vocabulary and encourage children to use full sentences in conversation. In the Reception Year, children are supported to learn the school's routines and expectations. This helps to prepare them for their transition to key stage 1.

Early reading is prioritised. The school promotes a love of reading. Pupils can talk about their favourite books and authors with confidence.

They enjoy reading. Phonics lessons support pupils to blend sounds together and read unfamiliar words. Effective additional intervention is in place for some pupils.

This helps these pupils to further develop their reading fluency and to keep up with the phonics programme.

Classrooms are consistently calm and purposeful. Pupils talk about their learning with maturity.

They approach tasks with determination and curiosity. Some pupils require additional support to manage their emotions, both in and outside the classroom. This support is highly effective.

It helps pupils develop their own strategies to manage their emotions in a variety of situations.

In the wider curriculum, pupils record their learning in a variety of ways, including the use of technology. This develops pupils' independence and supports pupils to take ownership of their own learning.

At the start of lessons, teachers recap prior learning, and this helps pupils link their new learning to what they already know. There are inconsistencies in the delivery of some of the foundation subjects. Some subjects are not implemented in line with leaders' expectations.

Learning is not focused enough on the knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn. As a result, pupils are not able to build on what they already know as effectively as they could.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve very well.

Wherever possible, through a range of carefully selected adaptations, pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Pupils understand that not everyone is the same. They learn to respect and celebrate their differences, including their academic differences.

This is reflected in one pupil's comment: 'Everyone is different in some way. Everyone is their own person. We can each do different things.

Nobody in the world is just like you and that is absolutely okay.'

Pupils demonstrate an age-appropriate understanding of different types of families and relationships. They know how to keep themselves safe, including online.

Pupils learn about fundamental British values and how they relate to their everyday lives. Consequently, pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. All pupils have the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument and perform to an audience.

Pupils access a range of clubs. In some cases, specific clubs are introduced in response to pupils' interests and/or talents.

Leaders are mindful of staff workload.

Staff have the time and resources they need to plan their lessons. Staff feel that their well-being is a genuine consideration. They are happy and proud to work at the school.

Those with responsibility for governance provide leaders with appropriate support and challenge. They know the school's priorities well and fulfil their statutory duties.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The implementation of some of the foundation subjects is not aligned with leaders' expectations. As a result, some pupils do not learn and remember the intended substantive and disciplinary knowledge as well as they could. The school must support staff to ensure that there is no variability in the implementation of subjects.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged school to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2019.