Foxborough Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Leaders have achieved significant improvements in the quality of education since the last inspection.

The multi-academy trust has been very instrumental in securing strong leadership and improving the school. Several governors are new to their roles and are coming to know the school well. They monitor the school's work diligently, holding leaders to account for improvements.

However, their monitoring of pupils' progress needs to be strengthened. Leaders ensure that staff are supported to improve their teaching effectively. Teachers value the opportunities they have to develop professionally.

Teaching and learning are continually ...improving as a result. While, overall, teaching is good, there remain a few pockets of less effective teaching. Teachers know their pupils well and plan well for their differing needs.

Leaders are taking appropriate action to improve weaker teaching. The use of assessment to monitor pupils' progress is well developed. The school provides the right level of learning support and challenge for all its pupils as a result.

Pupils learn well and make good progress from their starting points. They enjoy their learning. Pupils' attainment is improving consistently.

An atmosphere of tolerance, mutual respect and collaboration permeates the school. Pupils enjoy positive relationships, feel safe and are happy. They trust the adults at the school and feel well supported.

Staff have enabled pupils to be confident and self-assured. Behaviour has improved significantly since the last inspection. Pupils behave well in lessons and during breaktimes.

They value the school's behaviour policy and respond well to its system of rewards and sanctions. Pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties are effectively supported. The quality of provision in the early years is good.

Children make good progress, particularly in their development of early reading, writing and mathematics. The use of assessment is becoming more fine-tuned to individual children. The curriculum is well planned and implemented.

Leaders have clear aims for the development of pupils' knowledge and skills. The curriculum effectively develops pupils' understanding of the school's values and prepares them well for life in modern Britain.

information about the progress of each pupil.

They know the pupils well. This enables

leaders and teachers to target teaching precisely to meet pupils' needs and overcome difficulties. As a result, pupils make strong progress.

This is not yet as fully developed in the early years as in the rest of the school. A small number of parents and carers expressed concerns about homework, some aspects of behaviour and the level of challenge for pupils. However, most parents spoke highly of the school, saying their children were happy, safe and making good progress.

One parent said: 'The staff and headteacher are doing a great job.' The headteacher has created a culture of collaborative professional development among staff. All have a clear focus on continual improvement.

At the same time, the well-being of staff is taken seriously so that teachers can be as effective as possible. Staff greatly value the professional development opportunities that leaders provide. They feel respected, empowered and well motivated to achieve a high standard of education for pupils.

Staff say their expertise has developed as a result of the supportive culture of improvement that the school promotes. The vision and values of the multi-academy trust (MAT) underpin the ethos and culture of the school. Staff said: 'The school is a much happier place to be.'

Their expectations of pupils are appropriately high. The MAT has played an instrumental role in supporting the school's improvement. The MAT has also wisely given the well-being and professional development of staff a high priority.

This has helped to stabilise staffing after a period of some turbulence. Collaborative working with other schools within the MAT, and the provision of high-quality professional training and support, have led to sustained improvement. Middle leaders have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and priorities for further improvement.

They have played a significant part in improving teaching through coaching and training. They understand the needs of pupils well, particularly the most vulnerable. This has enabled them to work alongside teachers and teaching assistants to provide well-focused support for pupils.

Intervention strategies are effectively used to support disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils make strong progress. Pupil premium funding is effectively used.

The primary physical education and sport premium is also used well to increase pupils' physical activity and participation in sport. The uptake of extra-curricular sport has risen significantly. Currently, 74% of pupils participate in such activities, a rise of 64% since last year.

The wider curriculum, including subjects such as history, geography, science and religious education, is well planned. Leaders have a clear vision and aim in their design of the curriculum. Pupils develop subject-specific skills, knowledge and understanding.

They are excited by the topics they study. Writing is well developed across the curriculum. Religious education enables pupils to develop detailed knowledge of world religions.

This is often linked to their geographical study and supports their cultural development. It also serves to engender a spirit of tolerance and mutual respect within an ethnically diverse community. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is a strength of the school.

Pupils understand, and can articulate, the school's values, which link closely to fundamental British values. They understand the meaning of democracy, for example through the election of pupils to key roles, such as head boy and girl. They have members of a trust-wide parliament.

This is empowered to make significant decisions, for example about the sports clubs on offer. The trust's parliament also facilitates pupils' enterprise skills, which often aim to raise funds for charities. A visit to the Houses of Parliament has helped pupils to understand the significance of their role as trust MPs.

Governance of the school Several governors are new to their role. They are coming to know the school well. They are well supported by the MAT to develop their expertise and effectiveness in providing the right balance of support and challenge.

The MAT routinely trains governors to ensure that leaders are held appropriately to account. Governors also work closely with the MAT's board of directors. Governors regularly monitor the progress of the school towards its improvement objectives.

They receive detailed reports from the headteacher about the progress of pupils and the impact of pupil premium funding. They have not yet sufficiently developed their skills in evaluating and challenging this information. Governors are making effective use of their regular visits to the school to deepen their understanding of new initiatives.

Some take part in the biannual reviews of the school by the MAT. This enables them to deepen their knowledge of the school's performance and improvement priorities. Governors take their responsibilities for ensuring the safety of pupils seriously.

The governor specifically responsible for safeguarding is well trained and regularly reviews the school's procedures. Safeguarding The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding.

All staff are well trained and fully aware of their safeguarding responsibilities. They understand and follow the procedures for referring concerns if they notice a change in a pupil's mood or demeanour, which may indicate they are at risk of harm. The designated safeguarding leader takes prompt action in response to such referrals, working closely with Slough Children's Services when necessary.

All staff are regularly kept up to date with developments surrounding safeguarding. It is given a high priority by leaders, which makes sure that staff remain vigilant in ensuring pupils' well-being and safety. Staff have a clear understanding of the signs that may indicate that a pupil is at risk of harm.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved significantly since the last inspection. Teachers have established good relationships with pupils and know them well. This enables them to tailor teaching precisely to the specific needs of individuals.

Teachers make effective use of assessment to target teaching to pupils' next steps in learning. They carefully provide the right amount of challenge and support to drive learning forward. Teachers communicate clear expectations, so that pupils know what they are aiming to achieve.

Pupils understand and value the feedback they receive. It enables them to recognise their own progress and know what they need to do to improve. Opportunities are routinely provided for pupils to make improvements to their work in response to feedback.

The regular use of DIRT (directed independent reflection time) enables pupils to review and consolidate their learning before moving on. Teachers skilfully use examples of misconceptions to develop pupils' ability to explain concepts and deepen understanding. All these strategies have led to sustained progress.

Sequences of teaching are generally well planned and carefully build on pupils' learning. For example, in mathematics, pupils experience concepts in several different ways, such as using physical apparatus, and through visual representations and problem solving. Pupils are regularly encouraged to explain their thinking and reason mathematically.

These approaches ensure fluency and deepen understanding. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and make astute use of questioning to probe and develop pupils' understanding. Teaching assistants also have well-developed subject knowledge and support pupils well.

Lower-attaining pupils and those with SEND are generally well supported. There are times, however, when the level of support is less effective because tasks are not well matched to their needs. In general, additional support and intervention are appropriately provided when pupils do not grasp new concepts or are not making enough progress.

Over time, these pupils make good progress. There are small pockets of less effective teaching, where tasks are not well devised to meet the needs of pupils. Where teaching is weaker, the use of resources is not well matched to the abilities of pupils.

For example, they may not be able to see pictures from a distance because the pictures are too small. Sometimes, pupils' reading skills are not sufficiently developed to enable them to access a task. Sometimes, teachers' subject knowledge is not secure enough and leads to misconceptions.

Learning slows down in these situations. Leaders are acting to improve these pockets of weaker teaching. Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Personal development and welfare The school's work to promote pupils' personal development and welfare is good.

Pupils are confident and self-assured. They say they feel safe and happy at school. They say that adults support them well and that this helps them to become more confident and independent.

As a result of the well-developed use of assessment and feedback, pupils know how they are doing at school. They develop the maturity to become responsible learners and are well motivated. They comment positively about their enjoyment of learning.

One pupil said: 'Learning is the best thing about school.' Throughout the school there is an atmosphere of tolerance, mutual respect and collaboration. Pupils help each other with tasks and are used to working together in pairs and small groups.

They learn well from each other in this way. Junior leaders enjoy taking responsibilities and supporting other pupils at lunchtimes, both in the dining hall and outside. Pupils have a clear understanding of the school's values and this influences their attitudes towards each other.

They have been taught about equalities and understand the harmful impacts of racism and sexism. They say they are safe from bullying and that if it does occur, they are confident that adults will deal with it. While pupils feel safe and generally know how to keep themselves safe, they are less aware of the importance of staying safe online.

Not enough has been done to ensure that pupils have a good understanding of e-safety. Behaviour The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are generally well behaved throughout the school day, both during lessons and at breaktimes.

They understand and value the behaviour policy. They have responded well to the stepped approach to sanctions for poor behaviour and enjoy the rewards for good behaviour. The school's clear and consistent approach to behaviour has had a positive impact.

Behaviour has improved significantly since the last inspection. Pupils exhibit very positive attitudes to learning and are well motivated. The minority of weaker teaching sometimes leads to pupils becoming restless.

There are a few instances of low-level disruption. In general, however, pupils understand that their behaviour is a matter of their personal choice and they take responsibility. The school's strategies for supporting good behaviour enable them to make the right choices.

Attendance rates have improved significantly in the past year and are now in line with national averages. The number of pupils affected by persistent absence has fallen dramatically since 2017/18. Only a very small minority of pupils are now affected by persistent absence.

The school is proactively supporting these pupils and their families. Exclusion rates have also fallen since last year and fewer pupils are affected. Outcomes for pupils Good Pupils make good progress as a result of precisely tuned teaching strategies.

The proportions of pupils achieving standards appropriate to their age is growing year on year. Outcomes in mathematics at key stage 2 have lagged behind reading and writing. However, new initiatives in mathematics teaching are leading to improvement.

The proportion of current Year 6 pupils achieving the national expectations in reading, writing and mathematics is significantly higher than in 2018. They have made strong progress. Pupils also make good progress in key stage 1.

Attainment has risen over the past three years to exceed national averages. Support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND is effective. Additional teaching and interventions are carefully and sensitively planned to enable these pupils to make strong progress.

In many cases they are successfully catching up with other pupils nationally. Astute use of assessment and fine tuning of teaching to the specific needs and gaps in pupils' learning are having a positive impact. A strength of the school is that staff know their pupils so well and cater effectively for their differing needs.

Work with families has also strengthened pupils' engagement and attitudes to learning. Higher-attaining pupils across the school are well supported through appropriate levels of challenge. The proportions of current Year 6 pupils achieving higher standards is greater than in 2018, particularly in mathematics.

Pupils acquire early reading skills well and phonics is effectively taught. However, pupils require more practice in segmenting sounds in order to develop their early spelling skills. Pupils enjoy reading and quickly acquire the blending skills needed to be able to read independently.

The proportion of pupils achieving the required standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check is in line with the national average. Early years provision Good The quality of teaching in the early years is generally good, though it is not equally strong throughout the provision. Where teaching is strongest, routines have been well established, enabling children to be independent.

The use of the outdoor areas is not as well developed as within classrooms. The early years provision is effectively led and managed by a knowledgeable teacher. The use of assessment information is not as well developed as in the rest of the school.

New initiatives in the use of assessment are at an early stage of development. Assessment is not yet sufficiently personalised and does not enable staff to plan next steps in learning for individual children well enough. Leaders are aware of this and are taking action to improve this aspect of teaching.

Adults relate well to the children and interactions are effective. Adults facilitate children's development well through their use of questioning. Their interventions in play activities maximise learning.

Phonics is taught effectively, and children make strong progress. They acquire phonics skills quickly, enabling good progress in early reading and writing. Teachers' strong focus on the development of early reading and mathematics skills is having a positive impact.

Children are confident in the well-organised environment, particularly in the Reception class. As a result, they sustain activities and develop skills. They play and learn well collaboratively.

For example, a group of children were independently able to sustain role play in a bus. They sold and bought tickets, had a driver, and pressed the bell when they wanted to get off. A range of transport-related vocabulary was being successfully developed through this activity.

Children's personal and social skills are also developed well. Children behave well in the early years. Safeguarding procedures are effective.

School details Unique reference number 139943 Local authority Slough Inspection number 10088164 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 3 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 285 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Mahesh Yanambakkam Headteacher Pauline Sweetman Telephone number 01753 546376 Website www.foxboroughprimary.

co.uk Email address [email protected].

uk Date of previous inspection 6–7 December 2016