Farsley Springbank Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Farsley Springbank Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a joyful school. When the inspector visited, pupils were enthusiastically preparing for a regional singing event.

They were engaged in street dance and flamenco dancing. There are trips to local mills as part of the history curriculum and several trips took place during the inspection. Pupils were very enthusiastic about these clubs and trips.

The extra-curricular offer is a strength of the school. Leaders ensure that these opportunities are open to all pupils.

The 'No Outsiders' programme helps pupils to respect each other and feel comfortable being the...mselves.

This means that bullying is very rare. When it does happen, pupils are confident that an adult will help them. Pupils love lessons.

They try hard and are committed to doing well. This is because adults have consistently clear expectations of behaviour.

Older pupils support children in early years at social times.

They help them in the dining hall and enjoy the sense of responsibility. This happens in other areas of the school as well. For example, many pupils want to become librarians.

Pupils told the inspector that their teachers are very kind and make them welcome at school. There are very respectful relationships between adults and pupils.

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

Leaders plan an ambitious curriculum, which begins in early years.

All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), study this curriculum. Subject leaders have been given time to develop curriculum plans. They are also given time to check on how teachers deliver the curriculum.

Planning makes clear to teachers the essential knowledge that pupils should have. In history, for example, there is a clear focus on the vocabulary pupils will need at different stages of their education. Pupils in Year 4 spoke to the inspector about the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods.

Trips related to the history curriculum helped pupils to understand the experiences of soldiers in the First World War. Children in Reception develop a good understanding of their personal history to prepare them for Year 1.

Teachers regularly check what pupils have learned.

In mathematics lessons, for example, they ensure that there are regular opportunities for pupils to recall previous learning. Many pupils take part in the 'morning work' before school starts, where they practise mathematical calculations. This helps pupils to remember what they learn.

They use terms such as 'fraction' and 'decimal' with understanding. Pupils in Year 6 explained the difference between long and short division with confidence. Sometimes, in mathematics lessons, teachers do not ensure that pupils show their understanding clearly using the written methods they have been taught.

Pupils are enthusiastic readers. This is because of leaders' strong focus on reading. Pupils in older years enjoy books from the 'challenge library'.

Staff teaching those at the early stages of reading have received training in the phonics system the school uses. Routines around reading are therefore incredibly strong. This means that pupils quickly become confident readers.

The inspector saw pupils in Year 1 reading with great expression. This is because teachers expertly support pupils. Pupils who need extra help receive targeted support so that they can keep up.

Almost all children in Reception have already developed a good pen grip because reading activities move seamlessly into writing activities.

The atmosphere in school is very respectful. Pupils follow teachers' instructions quickly and trust teachers to keep them safe.

Pupils help each other with learning and enjoy talking to one another about the activities that teachers plan. They show independence. Teachers know pupils well and adaptations in lessons help pupils with SEND.

Almost all parents and carers who answered Ofsted's survey had very positive views of the school. The inspector agrees. Leaders have established a school environment where morale is high.

Staff are very proud to work at this school. Leaders listen to staff and take action to help them meet the demands of the job. For example, subject leadership is often shared so that staff can work together on developing the curriculum.

This helps to build a supportive atmosphere. Governors ensure that they collect the views of pupils and staff in a variety of ways, for example through surveys, school visits and discussions with pupils and teachers. As a result, governors understand the school well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders keep clear records in relation to safeguarding. These show that actions to help children are timely.

Communication with parents is clear. There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Leaders make appropriate checks on adults working with children and keep their records under regular review to ensure that these are up to date.

Governors challenge leaders about the systems used to keep children safe.

Staff are confident about the systems for reporting concerns. Leaders provide regular safeguarding scenarios to staff to ensure that they understand how to respond to different situations.

This means that safeguarding is high on the agenda of adults in the school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, teachers do not make it clear to pupils when they should apply the methods they have been taught in mathematics. This means that there can be variation in the way in which pupils apply these methods.

Some pupils miss opportunities to practise using these methods. Leaders should ensure that there are consistently applied policies so that staff make it clear to pupils when to apply written methods to their work in mathematics.

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 July 2017.

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