Firthmoor Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

The headteacher provides purposeful and clear leadership. She is well supported by an effective senior leadership team and good governing body. As a result, teaching and pupils' achievement are good and the school is well placed to improve further.

Pupils of all abilities, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make good progress throughout school in reading, writing, mathematics and many other subjects. Children make a good start to learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The building blocks for reading and writing are well established.

The quality of teaching is good. It is sometimes outstand...ing. Lessons are well planned and often inspiring.

The commitment and effective deployment of teaching assistants and other adults make a good contribution to pupils' learning and progress. Pupils are well behaved and feel safe. They take a pride in caring for each other and helping to make the school a good place to be.

Imaginative themes and a wide range of clubs and activities promote pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. It is not yet an outstanding school because : While teaching is at least good, it is not always of the highest quality to make sure pupils' achievement is outstanding overall. Teachers do not consistently develop pupils' independent learning skills.

Teachers do not always ensure that pupils act on guidance they receive through marking and feedback in order to improve their own work. Teachers do not pursue every opportunity for pupils to articulate their thoughts and ideas in order to develop speaking and thinking skills.

Information about this school

The school is larger than the average primary school.

The large majority of pupils are from White British families. The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and receive the pupil premium is well above average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children that are looked after by the local authority.

The proportion of pupils supported by school action is well above average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also well above average. The school meets the government's current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

Firthmoor Primary converted to become an academy on 1 May 2012. When its predecessor school, also known as Firthmoor Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good. The headteacher and deputy headteacher were appointed to their posts after the predecessor school was last inspected.