Fairway Primary School and Children’s Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Fairway Primary School and Children's Centre continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders work hard to build a united community. They help parents and carers to support their children's learning. Relationships between school staff and parents are strong.

Pupils are kept safe and feel safe because there are clear systems in place to support them if any problems arise. Bullying is rare and leaders deal with any such incidents effectively.

Staff expect pupils to do well.

Leaders work hard to identify the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an add...itional language. Leaders adapt subjects appropriately. As a result, pupils learn well and produce work of good quality in a range of subjects.

Pupils are happy, polite, and caring. They conduct themselves well in class and at breaktimes. They enjoy learning and try hard in lessons.

Pupils appreciate opportunities to take on leadership roles within the school, such as being subject ambassadors. Some pupils told the inspector that they like having responsibilities because it prepares them for life as an adult. Pupils in the early years to Year 6 have opportunities to learn outside the classroom.

This includes having access to a wide range of clubs.

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

Pupils learn to read fluently. This is because leaders have carefully planned the reading curriculum.

Teachers are trained to teach phonics well. They check the letters and sounds pupils know and remember. Pupils who struggle to keep up with phonics and reading receive extra support.

Pupils read books which are well matched to the sounds they learn. Leaders prioritise pupils' language and communication from the age of two in the Nursery to Year 6. This is because they know that pupils need a broad vocabulary to become fluent readers and to learn well in other subjects.

Leaders make sure that subjects match the breadth of the national curriculum. Teachers and early years practitioners are knowledgeable about what they teach. They organise subjects so that pupils build knowledge and understanding from the early years.

Staff give children lots of opportunities to play, explore and explain their learning. Teachers and leaders use assessment information effectively to find out what pupils know about subjects. Typically, pupils learn well.

However, occasionally, they are given work which is too difficult or does not make it clear what they need to know.

Pupils interact well together. They enjoy a taking part in different activities in the playground.

Pupils take turns and invite others to join their games. Teachers expect them to behave well and reward them when they do. Teachers take quick and effective action to ensure low-level disruption does not prevent learning.

If a pupil is struggling, staff put extra support in place to ensure they are calm and ready to learn. Pupils with SEND are well supported. This is because staff understand their needs and what helps them to learn.

Leaders have a clear focus on pupils' personal development. Pupils learn to respect, value and celebrate a diverse range of faiths and cultures. They enjoy working collaboratively and regularly support each other in their learning.

Leaders plan experiences for pupils that develop their understanding of the wider world, for example in the newly developed Forest School

The school is well led. Leaders, including those responsible for governance, know the strengths of the school and have prioritised the right things to prioritise. Teachers and other staff feel well supported by leaders.

They have lots of help to manage their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are well trained to spot signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm.

They know what to do if they have concerns. Where concerns arise, leaders refer them to the appropriate agencies swiftly.

Staff know children and their families well.

They make sure that families access any early help that may be needed. Leaders work closely with pupils on the issue of online safety to make sure pupils know how to use using electronic devices safely.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some of the work pupils are given is too difficult or not focused on what pupils need to know.

As a result, pupils do not develop their understanding in different areas as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that work provided is matched precisely to what they want pupils to know and remember.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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 the school to be good in January and February 2017.

Also at this postcode