Farley Junior Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Farley Junior Academy is a happy and thriving learning community. Pupils feel safe and confident to be themselves. Staff are aspirational for pupils' achievement.

Staff teach pupils to develop highly effective learning behaviours. This helps pupils to succeed in all areas of the well-developed curriculum. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve very well.

Pupils behave impeccably well, embracing the one school rule of 'be kind'. High levels of respect, kindness and understanding permeate through everything pupils do. Pupils recognise and celebrate diversity within the school community.

They are proud to be pa...rt of the 'Farley family'.

Pupils actively make their school an amazing place to learn. They know that staff value their opinion and voice.

They share ideas for improving the school with regular visits to the 'moon room' (headteacher's office) and requests to staff. Pupil ambassadors make changes, such as scooter challenges at lunchtime or the hula hoop dancing challenge, so that pupils have a more active lunchtime.

Pupils attend a range of trips and clubs that give them a rich set of experiences.

They enjoy having lunch at the Farley restaurant where they learn important social skills and about healthy eating.

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

The school has created a highly ambitious curriculum. It precisely defines the knowledge and skills pupils will learn.

Rich experiences allow pupils to make connections with their learning. The school has prioritised language and communication. The development of vocabulary allows pupils to explain their thinking clearly and accurately.

The school's reading curriculum is well established. High-quality delivery by teachers means pupils learn, quickly, the explicit skills of reading. Pupils read a wide range of texts.

This develops their understanding of different genres, styles and authors. They become confident, fluent readers. Pupils enjoy debating texts, and this filters into other areas of the curriculum.

The love of reading is well developed in the school. Pupils enjoy the book clubs and featured authors of the month. Pupils lead assemblies to celebrate reading, which includes performance poetry.

Pupils who are at the early stages of reading receive effective support to learn phonics. They develop their fluency and understanding quickly.

Staff have high levels of expertise across the curriculum.

They are skilled in meeting the needs of pupils with SEND. Pupils with SEND are supported very effectively. They achieve highly.

The school provides comprehensive training and support for all staff. Staff use their knowledge to teach learning in small steps. This helps all pupils to feel confident to attempt challenging tasks.

Staff rigorously check what pupils know and can do. They use this to revisit learning and build on what pupils already know very effectively.

Pupils cooperate exceptionally well with one another, both in and outside the classroom.

They learn in highly organised, well-managed learning spaces that are free from disruption. Pupils learn how to manage their behaviour. They know that their behaviour impacts others.

Relationships between pupils and staff are strong. Pupils feel safe and well cared for.

The school has created a comprehensive curriculum to teach pupils about healthy relationships, physical and mental health and local and world issues.

Pupils develop social experiences within the curriculum and through thoughtfully planned opportunities such as a lunchtime café and a board game boulevard. They develop tolerance and respect for others. Pupils learn how they can make a difference in their community and the wider world, for example by fundraising for victims of an earthquake.

The school carefully identifies pupils' needs and uses a range of external agencies and internal support so that pupils are supported exceptionally well cared for.

Trustees know what is working well and what they want to make even better. They work in partnership with the staff to keep them informed and make decisions that improve the learning and experiences of the pupils.

Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the many opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.