Fielding Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Fielding Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including children in the early years, flourish in this school. They love coming to school and being with their friends.

Pupils thrive in this exceptional school. Relationships throughout the school are excellent. Pupils are happy and safe, and they behave sensibly.

They demonstrate superb manners to both adults and other pupils. Bullying is rare, but were it to happen, adults would sort it out quickly.

Teachers encourage pupils to succeed and take pride in their learning.

Children in early years also work hard and behave extremely well. Leaders h...ave carefully crafted a rich and ambitious curriculum. They have ensured that all pupils access a wealth of opportunities that enhance learning.

For example, opportunities include carefully planned outings and many visitors to the school. Pupils have opportunities to take part in musical performances. These all help to bring pupils' learning to life.

Leaders develop pupils' characters with great care and consideration. Teachers encourage pupils to be respectful and care about others. For example, pupils strive to complete the school's 'values baccalaureate'.

They are proud to take on responsibilities such as anti-bullying ambassadors. Leaders have high expectations for all pupils and support pupils to achieve exceptionally well. The school is a welcoming place for all.

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

Leaders and staff have designed a highly effective curriculum from the early years to Year 6. The curriculum is broad and vibrant. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from the same rich experiences as their peers.

This includes pupils from the recently established additional resource provision (ARP). Leaders make sure that they identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND as early as possible. Staff provide appropriate, tailored support to ensure that pupils with SEND achieve highly.

Teachers have considerable subject expertise. Together with leaders, they have thought carefully about the key knowledge they want pupils to learn in all subjects. They think in detail about when this content should be taught.

Teachers check regularly that pupils remember this essential knowledge. Based on these checks, teachers introduce new learning at just the right time. This enables pupils to build a deep body of subject knowledge across the curriculum.

Teachers help pupils to take a keen interest in their lessons and look forward to future challenges.

Leaders make sure that staff are well trained so that they teach early reading effectively. Children learn phonics successfully from the moment they enter the Reception Year.

They build on strong communication skills built up in Nursey. The books that early readers take home are carefully matched to the sounds they know. This helps pupils to gain the phonics knowledge they need to be successful readers.

Pupils across the school delight in the books that their teachers share with them. This includes the top forty 'must reads' identified by leaders. Teachers read books that explore the rich diversity among people and families.

Pupils enjoy the way their teachers skilfully engage them in plot twists and turns.

Children in the early years settle into school routines quickly. They listen carefully to adults and follow instructions closely.

Children develop secure social and emotional skills. Older pupils build on this positive start successfully. Pupils leave the school highly equipped to embrace the challenges of secondary schooling.

They are highly respectful of each other and of adults. Pupils' exemplary attitudes mean that everyone can learn without disruption.

Leaders provide pupils with wide-ranging and exciting opportunities to learn and develop personally.

These include carefully designed experiences in the school's expansive outdoor environment. Pupils thrive on these experiences. Staff encourage them to develop new talents and be adventurous.

This contributes strongly to pupils becoming independent and resilient learners.

Pupils learn about the lives and achievements of people from a range of backgrounds. They develop a strong understanding and respect for differences between people.

Pupils show considerable sensitivity when discussing issues such as racism and disability. They are well prepared to grow up in modern Britain.

There is a clear sense of teamwork among staff.

They are overwhelmingly positive about the support, training and consideration they receive from all leaders. Leaders manage staff workload and well-being well. The governing body brings a rich array of expertise and experience to their roles.

They have strong associations with the school and its community and a keen sense of pride in their work. Members of the governing body provide leaders with well-informed support and challenge.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding that runs through the school. All staff are well trained and vigilant for signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm. Staff report concerns promptly.

Leaders ensure that pupils and families get the help and support they need. They make referrals to external agencies when needed.

Pupils talked confidently about how the school teaches them to keep safe, including online.

Pupils feel safe in school and know that they can talk to any adult if they are worried. Parents and carers echo this view.

Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding.

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 outstanding in February 2017.