Fiddlers Lane Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this school. They are generally well mannered and kind. Pupils learn to celebrate differences between people.

In the main, most pupils understand the importance of being respectful towards others.

The curriculum for children in the early years is ineffective. Children are ill prepared for the demands of key stage 1.

As a result of a poorly planned curriculum, children in the early years display poor behaviours, which routinely disrupt learning.

Conversely, in key stages 1 and 2, teachers set clear expectations for pupils' behaviour in lessons. This means that pupils can get on with their work without distraction.

However,... in key stages 1 and 2, the curriculum does not enable some pupils to understand and remember what they have been taught. Teachers do not have high enough expectations of pupils' learning. Consequently, pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

Pupils do not benefit from a broad range of extra-curricular activities. They participate in different sporting activities and regularly represent the school at events and competitions. However, there are few opportunities for pupils to develop other interests and talents.

This limits their wider personal development.

While pupils feel safe overall, some pupils' behaviour at social times is disorderly. Nevertheless, pupils talked positively about their teachers and how well they sort out problems, such as bullying.

When incidents of bullying occur, leaders deal with these quickly and effectively.

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

In the early years, the curriculum does not meet children's learning and development needs. It does not take account of children's starting points.

This means that children in the early years get off to a poor start. Teachers do not ensure that children acquire the knowledge and skills that they need to be successful in Year 1.

Leaders are in the process of designing a broad and ambitious curriculum in key stages 1 and 2.

In some subjects, leaders have determined the most important knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which this content should be taught. However, this is not the case in all subjects. In a few subjects, leaders have not finalised their curriculum thinking.

Consequently, in these remaining subjects, teachers are unclear about the topics and concepts that must be delivered and in which order they should be taught.

Where the curriculum has been well thought out, teachers devise lessons that help pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to learn well. However, in those subjects where leaders have not thought carefully about what should be taught and when, teachers struggle to design activities that focus on the most important knowledge and concepts.

To compound the weaknesses in curriculum design, a number of curriculum leaders are new to their roles. They have not had the training and support needed to lead their subjects well.

In some subjects, teachers use leaders' assessment systems well.

This helps teachers to identify and correct pupils' errors and misconceptions quickly. In other subjects, teachers do not check pupils' understanding of content carefully enough. Consequently, pupils are not as well prepared for future learning as they should be.

Leaders have made reading a priority across school. Older pupils enjoy a range of reading activities, such as listening to their teachers read to them. Leaders have provided teachers with the training and resources that they need to deliver the early reading and phonics curriculum well.

This means that teachers know which sounds to teach and when to teach them. Pupils who need to catch up with their reading knowledge get the right support. However, sometimes, teachers do not make sure that the books are well matched to the sounds that pupils have learned.

This slows children's and pupils' progress in learning to read.

In the early years, staff have not established effective routines. As a result, some children's behaviours and attitudes prevent them from learning.

Pupils in key stages 1 and 2 behave well in class. These classrooms are calm and orderly. That said, during unstructured times of the day, such as breaktimes, adults do not have consistently high expectations of pupils' behaviour.

At these times, some pupils' behaviour can become loud and disorderly.

Leaders have acted to improve their systems for identifying the needs of pupils with SEND. This is because, until more recently, leaders did not ensure that staff provided appropriate support for these pupils.

While some pupils with SEND continue to underachieve, leaders are beginning to ensure that their additional learning needs are met.

Leaders provide some opportunities for pupils to participate in extra-curricular clubs. However, pupils do not benefit from a wide range of enrichment activities which capitalise on their passions and interests.

Pupils learn to respect other people's views and opinions. They show respect for people's differences, for example other cultures and religions. However, pupils' depth of understanding of other British values, such as democracy, is not as secure.

As a result, pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they should be.

Governors are aware of the challenges faced by the school, for example in the early years. They are now taking urgent action to address these challenges.

For example, they have acted appropriately to strengthen senior leadership.

Leaders ensure that they are considerate of staff's workload and well-being. For instance, leaders carry out regular well-being checks and offer support to staff as required.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff undertake regular and appropriate safeguarding training.

They know how to identify signs that a pupil may be at risk of physical or emotional harm. Staff report and record welfare concerns diligently.

Leaders follow up on any safeguarding concerns appropriately.

They work well with outside agencies to provide pupils and their families with extra support, when needed.

Staff teach pupils about the risks that they may face in the local community and how to keep themselves safe, including when using the internet.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum in the early years is designed well or considers children's starting points.

As a result, children in the early years are not prepared for the demands of Year 1 and do not learn how to behave well. Leaders must take immediate action to design a curriculum that engages children in their learning. Leaders must ensure that the early years builds the foundations that children need to access future learning.

• In some subjects in key stages 1 and 2, the curriculum is under-developed. Leaders have not made the essential knowledge that pupils must learn clear enough to teachers. This hinders how well pupils, including those with SEND, achieve.

It also prevents teachers from making checks on how well pupils are learning. Leaders should finalise their curriculum thinking across all subjects so that teachers know exactly what they are teaching pupils and when. Leaders should also ensure that teachers know how well pupils are learning new knowledge.

• In some subjects, teachers do not choose the most appropriate activities to help pupils learn the intended curriculum. This prevents some pupils from developing a deep body of subject knowledge. As leaders finalise their curriculum, they should ensure that teachers have the training to make the most appropriate pedagogical choices to teach new content.

• Sometimes, teachers do not choose books for pupils to read that match the sounds pupils have learned. This hinders how well pupils learn to read. Leaders should ensure that teachers choose the books that closely match the sounds that pupils are learning.

• At social times, some pupils do not regulate their behaviour as well as they should. This results in boisterous behaviour from these pupils during unstructured times. Leaders should ensure that staff have consistently high expectations of pupils' behaviour so that pupils' misbehaviour outside the classroom improves.

• Pupils do not benefit from a well-organised wider personal development programme. This results in some pupils not being fully prepared for life in modern Britain. Leaders should ensure that pupils have access to a suitable enrichment programme which develops their talents and interests, and which fully prepares them for life in modern Britain.

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