Fairlawn Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management by developing the skills of middle leaders so that they make a fuller contribution to monitoring and developing the quality of teaching and learning in their areas of responsibility.
• Improve the quality of teaching and learning across the school by:
  • enhancing the school’s work to ensure that teaching develops pupils’ problem-solving and reasoning skills
  • strengthening and extending pupils’ writing skills, including their use of grammatical features, punctuation and handwriting
  • ensuring that pupils use their skills and knowledge of phonics to spell with increasing accuracy.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The principal and other school leaders have established in this new school strong values and a culture of high expectations for all pupils, staff and the wider school community. Leaders and governors are very proud of the school and ensure that everyone works closely as a team.
• School leaders and governors have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. This is helping them to set ambitious targets and develop effective plans for improvement within the school.
• There is not yet, however, a sufficient focus on monitoring teaching and learning by middle leaders to secure further improvements in English, mathematics and the early years.
• The principal is well supported by the members of the local board of governors. School staff engage with many different external groups to enable them to develop the school’s practice in teaching, learning and leadership.
• The leader for SEN and/or disabilities has an excellent overview of the needs of and provision for these pupils. Consequently, the pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are making good progress.
• Leaders have developed rich and positive relationships with staff, pupils, parents and the wider school community. The school has a strong partnership with parents, who are involved in their child’s education and the school. Parents are active in a wide range of activities alongside their children, such as stay-and-play sessions, visits to Forest Schools and talks about future occupations.
• Leaders make effective use of the pupil premium funding to support disadvantaged pupils. Funding is used to support pupils’ social and emotional needs, as well as their academic outcomes. These pupils make good progress.
• Leaders use the sport premium effectively. Funding has been used to develop the provision for all pupils to ensure that they have greater access to a range of experiences, such as a badminton club. As a result, pupils’ participation in clubs and activities has increased. Leaders have been successful in ensuring that pupils have a good understanding of healthy lifestyles, including the value of a balanced diet and exercise.
• Leaders have implemented an interesting and creative curriculum. The pupils are enthused and eager to learn the skills and knowledge being taught. They are developing their skills of how to be, for example, a historian, an engineer and an artist. Regular visitors from local industry and higher educational settings are raising the aspirations of all pupils.
• The school engages well with the wider community and participates in local cultural events such as St Paul’s carnival. This provides pupils with an opportunity to develop their creative skills, as well as developing their understanding of local events and their contribution to society.
• The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils talk confidently about democracy, respect and tolerance of each other. They are able to apply these principles to their everyday lives and interactions with others. Older pupils engage in debates about current affairs.
• Parents are overwhelming positive about the school. A very large majority of parents responded to the online questionnaire and provided positive comments about the school. They feel their children are well cared for and the school is well led and managed. Parents spoken to during the inspection praised the way the school is inclusive and manages their children’s needs well.
• Leaders monitor pupils’ attendance carefully. As a result, absence has decreased and persistent absence for all pupils is well below the national average.

Governance of the school

• The local board of governors is very committed to the school and supports leaders well. Governors are generous with their time and visit the school regularly. They engage well with members of the wider trust board and other leaders within the trust. They have a wide range of skills that are enabling the school to develop as it introduces new initiatives, such as activities linked to science, technology and engineering.
• Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Leaders provide them with pertinent and relevant information to enable them to check progress on actions specified in the school’s improvement plans. They ask challenging questions and hold leaders to account for their actions. They have an honest and open relationship with the school’s leaders.
• Governors have an accurate picture of the current attainment and progress of all groups of pupils across the school, including those who are disadvantaged and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. They are aware of the needs of all the pupils in school and how the school is helping pupils develop further.
• Governors exercise effective oversight of the pupil premium funding, the additional funding for SEN and/or disabilities provision and the primary school physical education and sport premium. As a result, pupils’ needs are catered for well.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The school’s systems enable leaders to ensure that pupils are safe. There is a vigilant culture of safeguarding and all leaders, staff and governors place a high priority on making sure that pupils are happy and safe in school. Leaders have positive relationships with outside agencies and have previously sought further guidance to provide pupils with additional support when it has been required.
• Staff are well trained and knowledgeable about their responsibilities for keeping pupils safe from harm. They have a good understanding of the school’s procedures. Leaders are diligent in ensuring that staff safeguarding training is up to date. Staff know the procedures in school and are familiar with guidance in areas such as child protection and radicalisation and extremism.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers demonstrate a secure knowledge of the subjects they are teaching and have high expectations of pupils. They use current assessments of pupils’ attainment to plan interesting and engaging learning activities. Consequently, pupils enjoy school and generally have positive attitudes towards learning. They take pride in their work.
• Leaders and teachers check pupils’ progress accurately. This information is helping to identify and target pupils who may be at risk of underachieving. Leaders plan timely interventions and additional challenge and support to help these pupils accelerate their progress.
• Teachers tackle pupils’ misconceptions well so that pupils further develop their understanding and knowledge of the task being undertaken. Teachers provide pupils with precise feedback which helps them to recognise how they could improve their work. Pupils stated that they understood that making mistakes is part of the learning process and this enables them to ‘get better’ in a particular area of learning.
• Phonics teaching has improved over the past year. The school has reorganised how staff teach phonics and it provides focused and high-quality phonics teaching. As a result, the proportion of pupils on track to achieve well at the end of Year 1 is higher than the previous year.
• Pupils’ writing demonstrates that they are developing their vocabulary and grammar skills. However, pupils are not consistently using clear and well-developed sentence construction or extending their range of punctuation. Teachers are not consistent in encouraging pupils to write at length. Although teachers have focused on correct letter formation, pupils’ handwriting in books is too inconsistent. A whole-school approach to cursive handwriting is planned to ensure that improvements are made.
• Teaching in mathematics ensures that pupils have a good understanding of calculation. Teachers have recently started to provide additional tasks that will assist pupils to use calculation skills to help them solve problems and develop reasoning skills. However, teaching does not consistently move pupils swiftly enough to use their understanding, especially those who are most able.
• The curriculum develops pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the world around them very well. Pupils are inquisitive and are improving their skills of being a geographer, scientist, artist and musician. They enjoy the visits from outside speakers and parents who share their expertise with the pupils.
• Teachers set regular homework. Pupils stated that they receive homework linked to the aspects of mathematics, reading and spelling covered in class. They reported that this helps them develop further their understanding of areas such as calculation and time in mathematics.
• Good relationships between adults and pupils are evident across the school. Leaders and teachers ensure that there is equality of opportunity for pupils to engage in all aspects of the school’s curriculum.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Leaders have fostered a strong emphasis on the school’s values of respect, responsibility, resilience and curiosity. The pupils can articulate these values and how they can apply them to their time in school, as well as to their lives outside of school and beyond.
• Pupils appreciate the care and guidance adults in school give them. Relationships are positive and demonstrate how well the adults know the pupils in their care. Leaders have provided specific interventions to support pupils’ social and emotional development.
• Pupils feel safe and secure in school. Pupils of all ages have a good understanding of the potential risks when using the internet and use it safely and with confidence. For example, they know the importance of protecting their personal information and let their teachers or parents know if they are worried.
• The teaching of safety in the curriculum ensures that pupils know how to keep themselves safe. Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe online and know what they would do if they were concerned about something. Pupils are also provided with opportunities to develop their alertness to road safety through scooter training, and to other real-life dangers. Pupils are aware of bullying and the school has been proactive in engaging pupils in how to deal with bullying should it occur.
• Staff have a good understanding of the different cultures and heritages of the pupils. As a result, they are able to support all pupils in developing their knowledge of life in modern Britain.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• The school is calm and orderly. Pupils move around sensibly and follow their teachers’ guidance. Through their actions, pupils demonstrate their understanding of and belief in the school’s values and ethos.
• General behaviour and attitudes to learning are good. Where teaching is stronger, pupils are particularly motivated to work hard. They do not disturb others and settle well to their learning for the majority of the time. However, at times, some pupils lose concentration, although teachers are quick to help them refocus on their learning.
• Pupils play energetically and harmoniously in the playground. They feel safe and say that other pupils are kind. School leaders and teachers have worked with pupils on their understanding of bullying.
• Leaders track any incidents of poor behaviour carefully and take swift action, involving parents when necessary. Pupils are very aware of leaders’ higher expectations. They say that teachers apply rewards and consequences fairly.
• Leaders track carefully pupils’ attendance and address issues swiftly and with sensitivity. They have worked well with parents to ensure that pupils’ absence and persistent absence have decreased.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• As this is a relatively new school, there are few published outcomes for pupils.
• Early years outcomes for children have risen since the first set of published information. This is due to consistently good teaching and learning in the Reception classes, which help children make strong progress from their starting points.
• Reading is a strength of the school. Pupils read often and report that they enjoy reading for pleasure and are developing the range of texts they read. Pupils are able to answer questions of a literal nature and are developing their ability to interpret the text. Their stronger comprehension skills are improving their reading attainment.
• Outcomes in phonics at the end of Year 1 were below the national average in 2017. These results prompted leaders to reorganise the way phonics is taught. Therefore, the pupils currently in Year 1 have a stronger knowledge of phonics and are using the skills they have been taught in their reading. The proportion of pupils currently on track to achieve the phonics threshold is greater than last year’s proportion.
• The school has no published outcomes, as yet, for the end of key stage 1. The proportion of pupils currently in Year 2 who are on track to achieve expected standards for their age is at or above that seen nationally in previous years.
• Progress for current pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is improving. This is a result of focused and targeted support provided by the SEN leader and teachers.
• A scrutiny of pupils’ books, including those of pupils who are disadvantaged and of the most able, alongside the school’s assessment information for pupils, shows that the vast majority of pupils make good progress.
• Disadvantaged pupils for whom the school is in receipt of additional funding are making strong progress from their starting points. They have dedicated additional support, which is enabling them to begin to catch up to their peers.

Early years provision

• Leaders and teachers plan well for the needs of the children. Teachers have high expectations of children. They use ongoing assessments effectively to plan activities, especially for those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. Leaders and teachers provide additional support and interventions which enable children to make rapid progress.

Good

• Phonics teaching in Reception classes is strong and enables these children to be fully prepared for the next stages of learning. However, children do not always use their good knowledge of phonics to help them with spelling.
• There has been a strong emphasis on developing reading strategies to enable children to understand language. Teachers are also developing children’s mathematical skills and aspects of personal, social and physical development. As a result, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development – the expected standard by the end of the Reception Year – has risen above the national average. Consequently, children are well prepared for Year 1.
• Teachers in the early years have established a positive, calm and productive learning environment in which children are able to develop their skills through well-planned and thoughtful teaching and learning.
• Relationships are a real strength within the Reception classes. Teachers and additional adults interact well with children to foster children’s personal and social development. Children cooperate well with each other and develop positive learning behaviours. They are confident and independent learners.
• Children feel safe and are very well cared for. Teachers have high expectations of behaviour and implement consistent and fair strategies to ensure that children show respect and respond well to praise and also sanctions.
• Children are well motivated and interested in their learning. They sustain their involvement in activities and talk together about their interests and the tasks in hand. For example, a group of children spent some time independently collecting rainfall and measuring its capacity using cubes.
• Teachers have developed an outside learning environment which is rich. The many different and interesting structures and areas enable the children to explore and engage with the world around them.
• All statutory safeguarding and welfare requirements are met. Staff are well qualified and have the necessary experience and expertise to deliver good teaching and sustain improving outcomes for children and their families.
• Parents make a positive contribution towards their child’s learning. They work well with the teachers and provide assistance on a regular basis. This ensures that the school can extend the children’s learning. One example is the visits to the local farm area to engage in Forest School activities, which have broadened children’s knowledge of the natural world.
• Children are well prepared for their transition to Year 1. They develop the skills and attributes they need for the next stage of their education.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 140269 Bristol City 10045111 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy sponsor-led 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 95 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Principal Telephone number Website Email address Lesley Freed Julie Molesworth 01179 553 914 www.fairlawnschoolbristol.org admin@fairlawn.bristol.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school is smaller than the average primary school.
• The school opened in September 2015 and is growing in size from Reception and key stage 1 upwards. The principal was instrumental in setting up the school along with the local board of governors.
• The school was formerly part of the Colston’s Girls’ School Trust, which merged with Venturers Trust in September 2017.
• The majority of pupils attending the school are of White British heritage, with an increasingly diverse community.
• The proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium funding is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below the national average. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is well below the national average.

Information about this inspection

• The lead inspector observed pupils’ learning across the school. All observations were undertaken alongside the principal.
• The lead inspector looked at pupils’ current work in books across the curriculum and carried out learning walks across the school.
• The lead inspector listened to pupils read in Year 1 and Year 2 and spoke with them to find out about their attitudes to reading.
• Meetings were held with governors, middle leaders and pupils. The lead inspector met with the challenge and support partner from Venturers Trust.
• The lead inspector took account of 82 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and informal discussions with parents when they brought their children to school. The lead inspector talked to pupils at break and lunchtime, as well as during lessons.
• The lead inspector looked at a wide range of school documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, school improvement plan, school policies, governors’ minutes of meetings and the school’s own assessment systems and monitoring records.
• The lead inspector reviewed a wide range of safeguarding evidence, including the school’s single central record, details of training, behaviour and incident logs and risk assessments.

Inspection team

Paul Smith, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector