Henry Fawcett Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has equally high expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils are polite, courteous and respectful. Staff regularly encourage pupils to discuss their own ideas and opinions in class, and to expand their knowledge. Pupils are safe.

Since the previous inspection, the school has reviewed and developed its curriculum thinking. As a result, the quality and depth of pupils' subject content knowledge and their writing skills across the curriculum has improved. The impact of improvements is not reflected in the school's published academic outcomes.

The school has also worked hard to reduce th...e proportion of pupils who are persistently absent from school and raise attendance rates.

Pupils are encouraged to be proud of their accomplishments and to contribute to the school community. For example, the eco-group helps pupils and staff to recycle and to use energy efficiently.

Pupils in the food steering-group provide regular feedback on the school menu. The playground steering-group fundraised to buy new playground equipment.

Many pupils participate in extra-curricular clubs.

These include karate, roller-skating, boxing and chess club. Pupils' mental and physical health is treated as a priority and the school's personal development programme curriculum focuses on topics including healthy eating. Leaders organise several educational outings each year including visits to museums, libraries and monuments.

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

The school has designed a broad and balanced curriculum for pupils. Leaders ensure that all subjects in the curriculum are prioritised equally. In the early years, the learning environment supports children to embed key skills including language development and physical coordination.

Senior leaders have an accurate view of the school's strengths and areas for further improvement. Those responsible for governance gather the views of parents and carers, pupils and staff regularly. They use this information to support the school's leaders to implement necessary changes while also taking into account the workload and wellbeing of staff.

Staff also appreciate the useful and quality professional development that the school provides.

Since the previous inspection, leaders have developed the curriculum and have identified precisely the key knowledge that pupils need to know and remember, and how this builds cumulatively over time. For example, in science and mathematics, the school has listed all the key vocabulary that pupils need to learn and remember.

Teaching ensures that pupils learn this terminology and use it regularly in class to explain their ideas and thinking clearly. In a few areas of the curriculum, where the school's work to refine curriculum thinking is ongoing, the sequence in which knowledge and skills build up is not as well ordered as in the rest of the curriculum.

Typically, teaching explains new ideas and information to pupils plainly and checks pupils' understanding.

Often, pupils have plenty of practise in using new knowledge they have been taught, so that this knowledge is embedded and understood fully before more complex ideas are introduced. Occasionally, teaching does not support all pupils to practise new knowledge and skills as securely before moving on to new content.

Pupils are taught systematically to read.

Any pupils who require support to improve their reading fluency and confidence are quickly identified and receive extra sessions so that they can keep up with their peers. The school has worked extensively and successfully to develop pupils' love of reading. As a result, throughout the school pupils read regularly for pleasure.

Leaders have worked intensively with pupils, families and the community to improve attendance rates. The school knows its community, pupils and families well. Through building strong professional relationships with parents and providing them with carefully tailored support, the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent has decreased this year.

Pupils work hard and focus on learning in the classroom. They follow teachers' instructions readily and respect one another. Across the school, including in the early years, pupils share, take turns and play happily together.

On the rare occasions that pupils fail to meet the school's high expectations of their conduct, staff work effectively with pupils to help them understand the consequences of their actions and help them to improve their behaviour in future.

Any pupils with SEND who are new to the school, including in Nursery and Reception, are quickly identified and provided with the support that they need in order to access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. When required, the school provides specialist support for pupils with SEND.

This support enables pupils with SEND to access the mainstream curriculum wherever possible. Where necessary, pupils with SEND follow detailed, appropriate and personalised curriculums.

The school's personal development curriculum is carefully designed and relevant.

For example, within the topics of personal finance pupils are taught to keep their money safe, where money comes from, the function of a bank account, and rationalising 'wants' and 'needs'.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few areas of the curriculum, where the school's work to refine curriculum thinking is ongoing, the sequence in which knowledge and skills build up is not as well ordered as in the rest of the curriculum.

On occasion, teaching moves on to new content before pupils' knowledge of previous learning is cemented. Where this is the case, pupils' understanding and recall is not as secure. The school should ensure that the order in which key content is taught is equally carefully thought through in all subjects and that pupils' learning is secure before moving on to new content.

• Persistent absence rates are falling but attendance rates are not as high as they should be. This means that a few pupils miss too much school and fall behind with their learning. The school should ensure that they continue the work that they do to improve overall attendance rates.