Fenstanton Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well looked after here. Pupils trust staff and know that they can go to them with any problems.

Staff encourage pupils to be kind and respectful. Pupils who are 'peer mediators', for example, help to sort out any disagreements. Pupils understand the school rules and behave well.

Pupils are happy in school and they enjoy learning. They are keen to take part in lessons. Pupils have various opportunities to develop new interests and talents, including in music and sports.

Pupils in the school choir loved performing at the Royal Festival Hall recently, for example. The school sports teams regularly take part in local competitions, such as in dodgeball....

Leaders organise a rich set of experiences for all year groups.

Pupils love the wide range of educational outings, such as annual theatre visits. Pupils in Year 6 look forward to the summer camping journey in particular.

Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum is routinely as well delivered as intended.

As a result, pupils often do not develop the key knowledge they need. Pupils who struggle with reading at times are not helped to catch up quickly.

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

Leaders ensure that all pupils have the same opportunities to learn a broad range of subjects.

Leaders have recently adopted a new curriculum for subjects such as history, science and art. While they have high ambition for their pupils, the curriculum in many subjects is not being delivered as leaders have planned. There are inconsistencies in how subjects are taught.

Subjects such as computing and Spanish are taught sporadically. In some subjects, pupils have not been taught the prior knowledge that they need to help them to learn new subject content. Staff have varying levels of subject expertise to address gaps in pupils' knowledge effectively.

This affects pupils' understanding.

The new curriculum is not coherently sequenced from early years to Year 6. Leaders have not worked out exactly what pupils need to know and remember in each year group.

As a result, teachers are not clear about what learning content they need to check that pupils have learned. Pupils do not build up knowledge and skills across a range of subjects.

In some subjects, the curriculum is well developed and taught effectively.

In mathematics, for example, teachers follow a clear sequence of learning. They check that pupils are secure in the essential knowledge that they need. Teachers think carefully about the mathematical language that they use and they model key vocabulary to pupils.

In early years, children develop their knowledge of number well.

Teachers adapt learning to help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to access the curriculum. Leaders identify the different needs of pupils with SEND in the school accurately.

They work closely with SEND specialists and act on advice given.

Children in Nursery enjoy listening to a range of stories, rhymes and books. Leaders' focus on helping children to learn to read continues into Reception and beyond.

Teachers follow a consistent structure for teaching phonics. Leaders promote a love of reading across the school. Pupils are keen to use the new school library and talk enthusiastically about books they have read in class.

Staff use careful assessment to check pupils' learning in early reading. Leaders identify weaker readers and put in place additional support. However, leaders do not follow a consistent approach to supporting these pupils.

Pupils are often prompted to use pictures and to remember words they have seen. This results in pupils guessing at words rather than using their decoding skills. The books that pupils are given do not closely match the phonic sounds that pupils know.

This means that pupils do not catch up as quickly as they should.

Pupils are usually attentive in lessons. Teachers deal with any low-level disruption effectively.

Leaders have worked hard to improve pupils' attendance at school. They face considerable challenges that impact pupils' attendance. Leaders work closely with parents and carers and use a range of strategies to break down barriers to attendance.

Leaders arrange various after-school activities, such as Portuguese club for first-language speakers, comic club and gymnastics. Leaders make sure that most pupils take part in at least one club. Staff encourage pupils to take on responsibilities, such as in the role of house captains and as members of the school council.

Pupils are taught to think of others. For example, some pupils took on roles as 'food-poverty heroes' to help organise food-bank collections.

Staff feel well supported by leaders.

They said that leaders are considerate of workload and well-being. Many subject leaders are new in post this year. Leaders and governors have plans to continue supporting this group of staff.

Staff value the strong sense of community in the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The members of the safeguarding team work well together to keep pupils safe.

Regular training and updates for staff help to ensure that safeguarding is a high priority. Staff are vigilant and record any concerns about pupils, including any changes in behaviour. Leaders take appropriate and timely action to follow up any concerns.

They liaise with the local authority and external agencies to ensure that pupils and families get the right help.

Pupils are taught to stay safe. For example, they are encouraged not to give out personal information online and taught how to raise concerns with adults.

Leaders offer targeted support for some pupils, including mentoring programmes and 'nurture group'.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum is not implemented consistently well. Pupils do not have secure foundational knowledge in many subjects.

Leaders have not identified or addressed gaps in knowledge with sufficient rigour. Pupils struggle to understand new learning as a result. Subjects such as computing and Spanish are taught sporadically.

Pupils have limited knowledge in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is delivered consistently well across all subjects. ? The curriculum does not build coherently from early years to Year 6.

In some subjects, leaders have not considered precisely what pupils need to learn and in what order they should learn it. Teachers are not clear about the essential component knowledge they need to teach and assess. Pupils' knowledge in some subjects is not secure as a result.

Leaders should ensure that learning is planned and sequenced coherently across the school. They should identify the specific knowledge and skills that pupils need to know and ensure that teachers check that pupils understand and remember key subject content. ? Leaders do not follow a consistent approach to supporting weaker readers.

Staff do not systematically encourage pupils to decode words. Sometimes, pupils are given books that are not closely matched to the phonic sounds they know. This means that the weaker readers are not being helped to catch up quickly.

Leaders should make sure that they have a consistent approach to supporting weaker readers. They should ensure that pupils are given books to practise reading that are matched precisely to pupils' knowledge. ? Many subject leaders are relatively new in post.

They need further support to help them to develop the curriculum in their subject areas, including to support teachers with subject-specific knowledge. Senior leaders should continue to develop the leadership skills of this group of staff. They should ensure that these subject leaders have suitable subject-specific training and time to carry out their roles effectively.

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