Fir Ends Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Fir Ends Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this welcoming and friendly school.

The staff have created a strong culture so that all pupils feel a secure part of the community.

Pupils work hard to live up to the school's high expectations for their achievement. They show commitment in lessons and take pride in their work.

Most pupils achieve well.

Children in the early years learn in a happy and vibrant environment. They benefit from clear routines and expectations, which help them to make a positive start to their education....

Older pupils behave very well in classrooms and around the school.

The school strives to ensure pupils are well prepared for life beyond school and their immediate small and rural community. The school provides opportunities for pupils to visit places such as the Lake District and to experience residential visits to cities such as Newcastle and York.

The school welcomes visitors into the school to widen pupils' knowledge of other cultures. Pupils learn how to lead safe and healthy lifestyles.

Older pupils enjoy undertaking roles and responsibilities in and around the school.

This includes being on the school council or acting as 'Official Helpers' for their peers, including younger pupils. The school provides a variety of clubs, such as sports and music, as well as a thriving before- and after-school club.

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

The school provides pupils with a broad and ambitious curriculum that is carefully designed to meet the needs of its pupils.

In most subjects, the important knowledge that pupils need to learn has been identified. In these subjects, staff provide clear explanations that support pupils in knowing and remembering more. Most pupils achieve well in these subjects.

However, this is not the same for all curriculum areas. This means that staff do not prioritise the most important knowledge so that pupils' learning is secure. Staff's checks on learning are less effective in assuring themselves that pupils have understood all that has been taught.

The published data does not reflect the quality of education that pupils typically enjoy. In 2024, the proportion of pupils who met the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 was below the national average. As a result, the school has revised both the English and mathematics curriculums.

Currently, most pupils achieve well across a range of subjects.

The school has recently introduced a new approach to developing pupils' writing. However, the impact of this work is inconsistent across the curriculum.

In some subjects, pupils apply their writing skills well and take pride in their handwriting and presentation. In other subjects, teachers do not capitalise on what pupils have learned. Here, errors in pupils' writing are not picked up quickly enough.

This hinders the quality of some pupils' written communication.

The school quickly identifies pupils who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils are supported well to access learning alongside their peers so that they achieve well.

Children in the Nursery class become familiar with the letter sounds through songs and rhymes. Staff deliver the phonics programme consistently well so that pupils quickly become competent, fluent readers. Staff identify any pupils who struggle to keep up with the phonics programme.

These pupils receive swift support to help them catch up. Older pupils read a wide range of books at home and from the school's library. They enjoy reading and see its value in helping them to deepen knowledge as they move through the school.

The school has benefited from partnerships with the local authority and other settings to develop the curriculum. There are suitable systems in place to ensure that the steps taken by the school to improve its effectiveness have the desired impact.

Pupils securely understand the school's expectations for behaviour.

They know that if they make the wrong choice, staff will support them to put this right. Relationships between staff and pupils are very positive.

Attendance rates are high.

The school tackles any attendance concerns quickly and effectively. As a result, the attendance of those pupils who missed out on school regularly has improved sharply.

The school provides a range of experiences to support pupils' personal development.

For example, pupils participate in a school council and offer help to others. This develops pupils' confidence to express their opinions, even when they differ from those of other people. There is a clear programme for teaching personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

Pupils have an understanding of British values. They know key people in history who influenced change for the better in their countries. They know about the key religions of the world.

Staff are proud to work at this school. Governors fulfil their roles well. They carefully consider the fine balance between monitoring the improvements the school is currently working on while considering staff's workload and well-being.

This enables them to hold the school to account effectively.

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, the school has not identified the most important knowledge that pupils across the school need to know.

This means that, in lessons, staff do not routinely prioritise this key knowledge or check how well this has been understood. The school should identify the most important knowledge that pupils should learn so that teachers know what to emphasise in their teaching and what to check when they assess pupils' learning. ? The impact of the new approach to writing is variable in some subjects.

Errors in pupils' writing sometimes go unchecked. This hinders some pupils from becoming fluent and accurate writers. The school should ensure that staff have the same high expectations for pupils' writing across all subjects.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in November 2014.