Fishwick Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for what pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), should achieve. However, these ambitions are not fully realised. In part, this is because some curriculums are not designed or delivered well.

This sometimes causes pupils to become disengaged in their learning. It also prevents pupils from achieving consistently well across the curriculum.

Pupils are happy and safe at school.

They value the positive relationships that they have with their teachers. They are cared for and looked after. Pupils get along well with one another.

They enjoy using the range of equipment available at breaktime...s and lunchtimes, such as the outdoor gym and ball games.

Pupils enjoy the extra-curricular clubs available to them. These range from sports clubs to science, arts and crafts, and homework club.

Pupils also enjoy the school trips that take place each year. These experiences include a trip to a nearby castle and a trip to a nature reserve. Pupils value being part of the school council.

However, pupils do not develop a well-rounded understanding of the differences between themselves and others. This is because the curriculum content linked to this aspect of learning is not delivered well.

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

The school has a balanced curriculum in place.

It has specified what it broadly expects pupils to learn by the end of each year. However, the school's curriculum thinking in some subjects, including the curriculum used in the class that some pupils with SEND use, is not precise enough. Furthermore, the school has not considered how curriculum content and delivery should be further adapted for pupils in mixed-aged classes.

Consequently, teachers do not have the curriculum guidance that they need to craft appropriate learning activities that help pupils to build a secure body of knowledge over time. Pupils' knowledge in these subjects is often superficial.

Teachers use appropriate strategies to check if pupils need help with their learning in lessons.

However, in subjects that are not well designed, teachers are limited in being able to pinpoint pupils' gaps and misconceptions. In some subjects, the school has a clear insight into how curriculums are designed and delivered, and the impact that these curriculums are having on pupils' learning. However, this is not true in other subjects.

Consequently, the school has not responded to some instances where curriculum content has not been designed or delivered well enough. This has led to pupils developing some gaps in their knowledge.

Children in the early years get off to a positive start.

They benefit from a curriculum that is more thought through than in other parts of the school. Staff generally design suitable activities that are effective in helping children to acquire the fundamental building blocks of knowledge for future learning.

The school has a clearly structured phonics programme in place.

Currently, this programme is not delivered consistently well. At times, pupils do not practise new sounds or develop their fluency skills in an effective manner. Pupils read books that are not consistently well matched to the sounds that they know.

Ultimately, pupils do not close the gaps in their phonics knowledge or become confident, fluent readers as quickly as they could.

The school is effective at identifying SEND early. The school is committed to catering for pupils' additional needs, regardless of how complex.

The school ensures that pupils have appropriate support and adaptations in place to access their learning.

The school caters well for some aspects of pupils' personal development. For example, it provides pupils with individualised emotional well-being support that pupils appreciate.

Pupils develop a secure knowledge of how to keep safe and how to maintain their physical health. However, other aspects of the school's personal development offer are not as strong. For example, the school does not effectively support pupils to develop much understanding of fundamental British values.

Pupils also have a superficial knowledge of the diverse world around them. In part, this is because the school does not deliver related curriculum content well.

Pupils conduct themselves sensibly around school and at social times.

However, some pupils become distracted in lessons when learning activities are not well suited to their academic needs. Pupils' attendance rates are slightly below national averages. While the school has appropriate day-to-day attendance procedures in place, it does not do all that it reasonably can to improve attendance further.

The school, including governors, do not have a secure insight into absence patterns and trends. It has not set out a clear strategy for raising attendance.

Overall, governors fulfil their statutory duties.

However, in some aspects of the school's work, governors do not have the knowledge or expertise needed to provide robust oversight, strategic direction and challenge to leaders about the impact of their actions. Staff's workload and well-being is fully considered by leaders. Staff appreciate that they are given dedicated time to carry out additional tasks.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not designed some subject curriculums well enough, including the curriculum used in the SEND provision class. Also, the school has not thought sufficiently about adapting content for pupils in mixed-age classes.

As a result, staff lack the guidance that they need to design suitable lessons that help pupils acquire the intended knowledge and skills. The school should guide staff on delivering curriculums and assessing learning effectively. The phonics programme is not delivered consistently well.

This means that pupils do not develop fluency in their reading as quickly as they should. The school should ensure that it introduces new sounds to pupils in an effective way and ensure that pupils routinely read books that are suitably matched to the sounds they know and need to learn next. ? The school does not do all that it reasonably can to improve attendance.

The school, including governors, does not have a secure analysis of the school's attendance rates. There is no clear strategy for raising the profile of attendance further. Consequently, pupils' attendance is not as high as it could be.

The school should analyse any patterns in punctuality and attendance. It should also have a robust strategy to make attendance a priority for all. ? The school does not cater for some aspects of pupils' personal development well.

This means that pupils develop a superficial understanding of the differences and beliefs of others. It also means that they have a limited understanding of fundamental British values. The school should improve how it supports pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and how it promotes fundamental British values.

• The school does not have sufficient oversight of how well curriculums are designed or delivered. Furthermore, it does not have a robust evaluation of the impact of the curriculum. The school is not alert to the curriculum deficiencies that hamper pupils from developing a rich body of knowledge in several subjects.

The school should improve how it evaluates the quality of its curriculums. It should also ensure that curriculums are delivered as intended and have the intended positive impact on pupils' learning. ? Some governors do not have the knowledge or expertise to fulfil their roles effectively.

In some cases, they do not provide robust challenge or support. They are not sufficiently assured about the impact of the school's work on pupils' quality of education. Governors should ensure they gather the necessary information and develop the required knowledge to carry out their strategic work and challenge leaders effectively.

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