Fringford Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Fringford Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy coming to school.

They get on well with each other and have strong relationships with the staff. This helps them to feel safe.

Staff are aspirational for all pupils, both academically and personally.

Pupils rise to these expectations by working hard. They act on guidance about how to be responsible and play a full part in the life of the school.

Leaders have set high expectations for pupils' behaviour.

Consequently, no learning time is lost due to poor behaviour. Pupils know whom to go to if things go wrong and say tha...t they get help to put things right, including bullying. If an incident does happen, leaders and the wider staff team deal with it effectively.

Parents and carers value the school's efforts to develop pupils as individuals as well as responsible and active members of the school and local community. Pupils have many opportunities to take part in a variety of sporting activities. They are well supported by staff to be mindful of their emotional as well as their physical well-being.

The curriculum for personal, social and health education develops pupils' understanding of themselves and healthy relationships.

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

Leaders have structured the curriculum carefully, specifying what pupils should learn and when. This starts from early years and ensures that new knowledge builds on what pupils already know.

Leaders organise the right support and resources for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This helps pupils with SEND to access and be successful across the full breadth of the curriculum. Staff have a good understanding of how to deliver the curriculum.

They plan time during lessons to go over previous learning thoroughly. This helps pupils to remember what they have already learned. As a result, pupils mostly achieve well.

However, there are times when teachers do not deepen pupils' learning sufficiently well. This is because the work set for pupils is not ambitious or demanding enough.

Leaders have made teaching pupils to read a top priority.

The youngest children get off to a good start in their reading because phonics is taught well. They start learning phonics as soon as they begin school, quickly learning the sounds that letters represent. Pupils use this knowledge to help them read words that they do not know.

Teachers ensure that pupils read books that match the sounds they are learning. This means that pupils become confident and fluent readers. Teachers check pupils' reading skills regularly.

Staff identify any pupil who is falling behind and provide extra support to help them catch up.

Leaders ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are identified early on and accurately. They make sure that specialists and wider partners support teachers to plan and implement the most appropriate strategies to help pupils with SEND to be successful.

Teaching assistants also offer effective support in class when needed. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

Pupils behave well.

In all classes, they work hard and have positive attitudes to their learning in different subjects. In Reception, children play and learn together happily. Children help each other to complete the activities that are provided for them.

Older pupils show a good understanding of the importance of being resilient in their learning. Across the school, pupils reflect on their learning and work during lessons.

Teachers supplement learning in classrooms with school trips.

For example, teachers enhance pupils' knowledge of different religions by visiting a mosque, a church and a gurdwara in Bedford. Staff develop pupils' wider skills and talents. Pupils enjoy the extra times in the school day to hone their drama, dance and sports skills.

Pupils develop a keen sense of responsibility. They can join the school council and the eco-council. This develops their leadership skills because they take on important roles such as those of chair, treasurer and secretary.

One pupil, summing up the thoughts of the group, rightly sees these contributions as 'special'. Pupils sharpen their organisational skills. For example, they plan events such as assemblies to promote the importance of looking after the environment.

Staff enjoy working at the school. They feel well supported by leaders, including governors, because of the actions that they take to support their well-being and workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that safeguarding is a high priority in the school. They have developed a staff team whose members are vigilant. Leaders provide training that helps all staff to take the right actions when required to keep pupils safe.

Staff report any concerns quickly and appropriately. Leaders act decisively and work very well with external agencies and families to support pupils who need help.

Leaders, including governors, understand their safeguarding responsibilities.

They check that any new staff are safe to work with pupils before they start in their role at the school. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teachers sometimes set work that is not ambitious enough.

This means that pupils do not always learn as well as they could. Leaders need to make sure that teachers have stronger subject knowledge to deliver the planned curriculum to a consistently high standard.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2012.

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