Foxborough Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that the school's work may have improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

The headteacher of this school is Jessica Theisinger.

This school is part of Pioneer Educational Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Antonia Spinks, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mark Jervis.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are full of enthusiasm for learning at this school.

Staff help them to develo...p their confidence and aspirations for their futures. Pupils rightly trust staff and know that they can turn to adults to ask for help or share a worry. As a result, pupils, parents, and carers alike feel that the school is a positive and welcoming community.

Pupils' achievement is far stronger than current published outcomes data shows. The school is ambitious for pupils to achieve their best, including the substantial cohort of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The number of pupils who join the school later than is typical, and at the early stages of learning English, is high.

The school provides a secure programme of learning to fill their gaps in knowledge, so that they are ready for the next stage in their education.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. Routines for learning quickly become established, as soon as pupils start school.

Pupils are engrossed in lessons. They concentrate and work hard to live up to the school's high expectations.

Pupils know that they are valued members of the school community.

They take on extra responsibilities such as organising games for younger pupils and caring for the school farm animals with great pride.

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

The school's curriculum is meticulously well structured and logically ordered. It includes detailed guidance on what to teach and when.

Staff have expert subject knowledge. They break learning down into clear steps which supports pupils to learn new knowledge securely. Staff consistently and skilfully check pupils' understanding and address misconceptions immediately.

This means that pupils learn securely. Children in the early years are extremely well prepared for Year 1. Pupils across the school discuss their learning in great detail and they achieve exceptionally well in all subjects.

Reading is consistently, exceptionally well taught. Pupils learn to love reading through the school's rich curriculum of inviting 'challenge' texts. Children begin learning the phonics programme as soon as they start school.

Staff check, regularly and precisely, what pupils know and make sure that they understand it before moving learning on. Staff pick up on pupils who struggle to read, knowing exactly what they need to keep up. Although the percentage of pupils passing the phonics screening check in Year 1 is below the national average, many pupils catch up rapidly by the end of Year 2 and develop into confident, fluent readers.

Pupils joining the school in key stage 2, at the early stages of learning English, receive intensive support to learn phonics and they make rapid progress.

The school provides outstanding support for pupils with SEND. Staff identify pupils' needs early on and teach in ways which provide effective support.

Pupils new to English are particularly well served by the consistent way that speaking and listening activities are used. Staff explicitly teach the meaning of ambitious new vocabulary, which pupils practise regularly through scaffolded discussions in lessons. In Reception, new words are skilfully woven into discussions.

In older years, pupils debate, for example, on human rights and the ethics of decisions taken by people of historical significance.

The school has developed an impressive programme to develop pupils' characters. Pupils develop their understanding of the school values through a rich range of enrichment activities and roles they can take on.

Pupils receive specific training for roles such as house captains and junior leaders. They learn how to work together and support other pupils. The school prepares pupils exceptionally well for transitions, so that they are ready, and no time is wasted as they move on to the next stage of their education.

The school's work to improve attendance is successful in reducing pupils' absence. The school has highly positive relationships with families and works with them to overcome potential barriers to attendance. Behaviour is calm and purposeful.

Children are taught how to get along well, from Reception. They play cooperatively at social times and explain learning to each other through 'talk partner' activities in lessons.

Leaders and governors have a highly ambitious, coherent strategy to sustain the quality of education pupils receive.

As part of this, they ensure that staff benefit from exceptionally high-quality staff development, which is a central pillar of the trust's ethos. They are unanimously proud to be part of the school and of the difference it makes to pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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.