Farne Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

This is a good school where pupils' outstanding behaviour and attitudes play a substantial part in their successful learning. The school's work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils feel very safe at school and they promote safety very well for others.

Good teaching, with some that is outstanding, results in all groups of pupils making good progress. Pupils leave at the end of Year 6 with standards of attainment that are consistently above those found nationally. The overall effectiveness of the early years provision is good.

Children get off to a good start to their time in school. Pupils' behaviour is outstandi...ng. Pupils are courteous and respectful.

They greatly enjoy their learning and are keen to improve their work when they are given the opportunity to do so. The new headteacher is a very effective leader. Although he is relatively new in post, he knows the school very well and has a firm grasp of what the school needs to do to improve further.

Members of staff are overwhelmingly positive about all aspects of the school and parents are very appreciative of the school's work. Since the previous inspection, pupils' achievement has improved in many areas. The quality of teaching has also improved and there has been a steady rise in attendance rates, which are now above average.

The governing body supports the school very well. Governors have close and regular contact with the school and offer a good degree of challenge. The school promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well.

Pupils appreciate the many opportunities they have to enrich their learning through visits and clubs. They say that they like their school just the way it is. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Too few pupils make outstanding progress across the school.

Occasionally teachers do not make the best use of information about what pupils can and cannot do to plan work that stretches pupils sufficiently. The quality of teachers' marking does not always help pupils to improve their work. The role of subject leaders is relatively new to the school and requires further development.

Systems for checking pupils' progress are not refined enough to identify as quickly as possible any individual pupils who may be in danger of underachieving. In consequence, the learning and progress of all pupils are not always fully maximised.

Information about this school

Farne is an average-sized primary school.

Almost all pupils are of White British heritage and speak English as their first language. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is well above average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.

) The proportion of pupils who are disabled or who have statements of special educational needs is above average. The school meets the government's current floor standard, which are the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in English and mathematics. The school has early years provision in a Reception class and a part-time Nursery.

There is a part-time facility, Pufflings, for children aged three. This is inspected separately by Ofsted. Since the previous inspection there have been significant changes in staffing.

This includes the headteacher who took up his post in September 2014. With effect from September 2013, Farne Primary School became one of the eight schools forming the Newcastle North West Learning Trust, who have various local business partners. The governing body has undergone significant changes, including the appointment of a Chair of Governors and the addition of experienced members from other local schools, through the school's Trust membership.