Fellgate Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Key school values, such as 'respect, inclusion and challenge,' are lived out by the whole school community at Fellgate Primary School.

It is a school where everyone is truly welcome. Pupils are safe, happy and proud to be pupils here. A caring ethos weaves through all parts of the school.

Pupils are caring, kind and supportive of each other. They celebrate everyone's differences.

Leaders, including governors, have high expectations for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils meet these high ambitions in the progress they make as they move through school. Dedicated and caring staff look after pupi...ls well.

Pupils are proud to be role models.

Their mutual respect for each other and towards staff make classrooms friendly and supportive places to learn. Leaders carefully plan how pupils from across the school work together. This helps pupils to learn from one another in different ways, such as when learning Makaton and competing in sports events.

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

Leaders have implemented a clearly defined curriculum. This enables all pupils, including pupils with SEND, to build knowledge and skills over time. Carefully chosen resources help bring the curriculum to life.

Starting in early years, the curriculum includes small steps of success in each subject area. Leaders evaluate accurately the impact their curriculum is having on pupils' progress.

Pupils recall knowledge effectively.

They are beginning to make purposeful links between the knowledge they learn in different topics. In mathematics, daily retrieval tasks help pupils to revisit and remember key knowledge. In early years, well-considered activities support children to revisit their previous learning well.

For example, pupils use their colour-mixing knowledge when doing large-scale paintings outside. Assessment is purposeful. It captures what pupils have learned and remembered.

During lessons, teachers use questions carefully to pick up any misconceptions pupils have. They address these misconceptions quickly. This helps pupils to move on with their learning effectively.

The school has recently moved to some mixed-age classes. In some subjects in the wider curriculum, like art and design and geography, the curriculum does not provide enough challenge to some pupils in mixed-age classes.

Pupils benefit from daily precise phonics teaching.

The school carefully tracks the progress pupils are making. This ensures that they stay on track with their phonics knowledge. When pupils need support to catch up, they receive it promptly.

Children in early years enjoy stories and rhymes. This enjoyment extends throughout the school. Older pupils talk about their class novels and personal reading books with enthusiasm and knowledge.

The school understands the importance of regular attendance. Leaders provide support to ensure that pupils attend school regularly. However, some pupils do not attend school as often as they should.

Leaders and staff focus on understanding the individual needs of all pupils effectively. Pupils with SEND receive precise support to meet their personal targets. The on-site specialist provision enables pupils to be supported effectively.

Pupils who attend this provision access the same mainstream curriculum as their peers. Across the whole school, teachers use adaptations skilfully. These help pupils with SEND to succeed alongside their peers.

The school plans effective integration between pupils in both parts of the school. Older pupils from both settings articulate clearly how they benefit from this joint working.

Equality is ever present in this school.

Pupils are treated fairly. School rules, rewards and consequences are understood by all. Familiar routines and expectations benefit everyone in school.

Leaders carefully consider enrichment opportunities for all pupils to participate in. Pupils enjoy and benefit from joint residential visits. All pupils talk about the challenges they overcome through such experiences.

Pupils are proud to hold leadership responsibilities. Pupil leaders talk about the impact their roles have in the school and beyond. Leaders in sport have changed games at lunchtime.

School councillors suggest ways to raise money. Pupils are being well prepared for life in modern Britain. They understand, and are respectful about, diversity.

Pupils know what skills are needed to be successful in some different occupations.

Training for leaders, including governors, and staff is closely aligned to the ambitions of the school. Leaders ensure training supports the impact of the curriculum and meets the needs of the pupils in school.

Staff are proud to work at Fellgate Primary School. A sense of teamwork is ever present across school. Governors have the same high expectations as leaders.

They provide effective challenge and support to leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, like geography and art and design, the curriculum does not clearly set out the progression, in disciplinary aspects of the curriculum, in mixed-age classes.

This results in some pupils not being sufficiently challenged in these subjects. These pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable. The school must refine the curriculum further so that the progression in disciplinary learning is clearer for all pupils.

• Despite support from the school, some pupils do not attend as regularly as they should. As a result, these pupils fall behind their peers and have gaps in their learning. The school must continue to work with families to improve pupils' attendance further.