Freshfield Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Freshfield Primary school is a special place.

Pupils delight in coming to this happy school each day. They are greeted by staff every morning with a warm and welcoming smile. Pupils including those in the special education needs (SEN) unit benefit from strong and supportive relationships with staff and each other.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), both in the mainstream and in the SEN unit, enjoy their learning and strive to meet the exceptionally high standards that the school has set for their achievement. As a result, pupils achieve remarkably well.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary.

From the minute th...ey come into Nursery they are taught to be 'ready, respectful and safe.' Routines are well established and this makes school a calm and purposeful place. This enables pupils to focus clearly on their learning.

The school provides a vast array of opportunities that extend pupils' wider development. These opportunities are available to all pupils. This includes a range of after school activities such as dance, choir, art and sports clubs.

The school ensures there is something for everyone to enjoy. Pupils spoke proudly about their involvement in local events, performances and sporting competitions.

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

The school has developed a rich and ambitious curriculum which is underpinned by a commitment to excellence.

The same high ambition is also evident in the highly personalised curriculum designed to meet the needs of pupils within the SEN unit. The important knowledge that pupils need to know and when it is to be taught has been carefully sequenced. This ensures that pupils' learning builds on what they already know.

The school has highly effective processes to identify and support pupils with additional needs. Staff expertly adapt the delivery of the curriculum. As a result, pupils with SEND, across school and within the unit, achieve exceptionally well.

The school ensures that staff benefit from carefully considered and high-quality training. It has used educational research to inform its practice. Staff value this training and the way in which it improves their teaching.

It supports them to deliver the curriculum with expertise and design activities which enables pupils, including children in the early years, to learn exceptionally well. Teachers use the school's assessment information effectively to identify and address where pupils may have gaps in their knowledge. Over time, pupils develop a deep body of knowledge and make connections across subjects.

Reading sits at the heart of the curriculum. Throughout school and within the SEN unit, texts are carefully chosen to inform, inspire and challenge pupils' thinking. From the time children enter the early years, they are exposed to a range of rhymes and stories which foster their love of reading and promote their language development.

Staff deliver the phonics programme with confidence and precision. Any pupils who find reading difficult keep up with their learning because of highly effective support. The books which pupils read are well matched to the sounds that they have learned.

Consequently, most pupils are confident and fluent readers by the end of Year 2. Older pupils spoke enthusiastically about the books that they have read and their favourite authors. They particularly enjoyed the visits from poets and authors who told them about their inspiration for writing.

Children in the early years quickly learn behaviour routines and expectations. Adults support children extremely well to develop strong social and emotional skills. Pupils behave impeccably.

They are respectful to each other and articulate their thoughts and feelings exceptionally well. Pupils' exemplary attitudes ensure that everyone can learn without disruption. The school is unwavering in its efforts to ensure high attendance among its pupils.

The wider curriculum is exceptionally well-thought-out and considered. It supports pupils to develop their character, interests and talents to an impressive level. Pupils are extremely knowledgeable about fundamental British values.

They talk in depth about how these impact on life in school and society. Visits and visitors are arranged to support pupils' understanding of different faiths and cultures. As a result, pupils are highly considerate of the views and beliefs of different groups of people.

The school offers a plethora of sporting clubs and activities. This encourages pupils to pursue these interests outside school. Pupils know how to keep themselves physically healthy and mentally well.

They also know how to act appropriately in order to keep themselves safe online. Pupils enjoy taking part in the choir and representing their school by singing at local events.

Governors ensure that leaders are accountable for providing a high quality of education for all pupils.

They carefully monitor the developments within school. They provide exceptional support and challenge to the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.