The Ferns Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The principal and other leaders, including governors, are passionate in the pursuit of excellence for their pupils and staff. They give an extremely clear lead on school improvement. Leaders and managers have worked effectively to improve teaching and learning, which are now good.

A calm and purposeful atmosphere permeates the school, allowing learning to flourish. Governors consistently challenge the school and hold senior leaders to account to ensure improvement for pupils. They know the school very well.

Staff know the pupils well. Teaching assistants are highly skilled and give good, effective support to ensure that all pupils can thr...ive. Children get off to a good start in the early years, make good progress and are increasingly well prepared for when they start in Year 1.

Pupils in key stage 1 this year made accelerated progress and as a result, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are expected to be in line with national expectations in 2016. Pupils' personal development, behaviour and welfare are excellent. Pupils are extremely polite and courteous to each other and to adults.

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and appreciation of British values are promoted very well. This is shown by their exceptionally keen attitudes to learning, respect and consideration for others and a willingness to accept responsibility, such as on the school newspaper, eco committee or school council. The curriculum is vibrant and well planned and the use of specialist teachers in music and sports contributes well to pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

The use of the pupil premium funding is effective and strengthens disadvantaged pupils' academic achievement, personal development and well-being. Pupils' safety is paramount. Systems in place are rigorous and regularly checked to keep pupils as safe as possible.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : While outcomes for pupils are at least good, occasionally the most able do not have work which is sufficiently challenging. Opportunities are not always provided for pupils to use the skills they are learning in ways that challenge their thinking further, thus enabling them to achieve their highest potential. Tasks and activities in subjects other than reading, writing and mathematics do not enable pupils to draw on and apply all the different skills they have.

Recent school systems to track the progress of pupils are not fully understood and used reliably by all staff.

Information about this school

This is a larger than average primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is above average.

The pupil premium is additional government funding given to the school for disadvantaged pupils who qualify for free school meals or for children who are looked after by the local authority. Two-thirds of pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils from multi-ethnic groups is above average.

The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is above average. The school meets the government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

The Ferns Academy opened in September 2012. It is a sponsored academy and is part of the Northern Education Academy Trust The school provides a breakfast club and after-school facilities. The school website does not fully meet requirements on the publication of statutory information on pupils' attainment at key stage 2, including the percentages of pupils attaining the higher level 5 in reading, writing and mathematics, links to the school and college performance tables and some out-of-date policies that do not reflect the current practice of the school.