Fossebrook Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

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

The headteacher of this school is Nicky Ball.

This school is part of Discovery Schools Academies Trust Ltd, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Paul Stone, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Richard Bettsworth.

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and pupils are very happy at Fossebrook Primary.

The school's vision, 'Together we rise,' is a sentiment shared by all. Staff feel valued, pupils feel safe and the trust offers strong s...upport. A suite of ambitious values underpins day-to-day work.

Values include encouraging pupils to be creative, curious and have courage.

All staff have high expectations of pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils rise to these high expectations and achieve well.

By the end of Year 6, pupils' attainment is above average. Pupils' outcomes at the end of key stage 2 have improved year on year.

Pupils' behaviour is excellent.

Pupils rightly say that they feel well supported by staff. They know that there are lots of adults who will support them if they have a problem. From early years to Year 6, pupils are taught to cooperate and support one another.

Parents typically describe Fossebrook as a 'wonderful school'. They appreciate the excellent relationships that staff form with children. The school has a strong family feel.

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

The school teaches reading in a highly effective way. A range of high-quality literature, including technology-based resources, helps to promote a love of reading. No time is wasted in teaching the foundations of reading in the Reception Year.

As a result, children make rapid progress through the phonics programme and form good reading habits. Any children who need a little extra support, including children with SEND, are quickly identified. Older pupils speak confidently about the books that they read at home.

Children receive a great start to school life in the Reception Year. Staff establish exceptionally strong routines from the moment children start. As a result, children settle quickly and are attentive and engaged in their learning.

Children use a range of resources independently to help them learn. For example, they use rubber bands and clay imaginatively to represent fireworks. Children also tackle tricky puzzles and use a range of ambitious words in their speech.

With the support of the trust, the school has further improved the teaching of English and mathematics over recent years. Pupils are developing strong writing skills. They apply these skills across the curriculum.

For example, Year 6 pupils imagine they are evacuees during World War 2. Their writing imaginatively captures the emotions of leaving home and settling somewhere new. The mathematics curriculum is also strong.

Children in the Reception Year quickly get to grips with early number work, including finding different ways to make seven. They proudly demonstrate how they have applied their knowledge of number to their teacher. Further up the school, pupils in Year 4 can rapidly retrieve multiplication facts.

Staff have been developing their approach to teaching other subjects. Leaders have been thinking carefully about the exact knowledge that is taught in subjects such as history and geography. This has brought about improvements, and pupils talk with confidence about some of their learning.

However, in some aspects of the wider curriculum, pupils struggle to recall the most important knowledge or use this to answer more complex questions.

Pupils behave well. They enjoy the activities on offer at lunchtime and are very attentive in class.

Staff keep a close eye on behaviour and offer pupils strong support. Any incidents are carefully analysed and acted on effectively by leaders. Pupils are supported to make the right choices.

Staff use the school's communal spaces effectively to provide extra support to any pupils who need it. Staff are rightly proud of the school's positive culture and the overall spirit of inclusion. Attendance has improved for all pupils over the last year.

Leaders spot any issues around attendance quickly. They offer effective support to promote good attendance habits.

Pupils are very proud of their work to support charities.

Older pupils can volunteer to be 'hope' charity ambassadors. They raise money selling badges and cakes to support the education of children in different parts of the world. Year 5 pupils also enjoy supporting their 'buddies' in Year 3 with reading on Fridays.

Pupils develop their confidence and independence as a result of these opportunities and rich experiences.

Leaders have a very positive impact on the school. Staff say that they are well supported by leaders.

Staff appreciate the support and extra 'teacher development time' they receive. This time is often used to read the latest educational research and share effective practice, which leads to ongoing improvements to the school.

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 in the wider curriculum the knowledge that pupils need to learn is not defined clearly enough. As a result, sometimes the most important knowledge is not emphasised fully, and pupils are not able to readily recall or use it to answer more complex questions. Leaders should work further with staff to help them identify and prioritise the most important knowledge so that this can be sufficiently emphasised in these 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2019.