Fagley Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Leaders and managers should:
  • refine how teachers use the science curriculum so that pupils have regular opportunities to build up their knowledge, understanding and skills
  • utilise the outstanding practice in teaching, learning and assessment to further promote learning at greater depth so that more pupils, including most-able pupils, attain the highest standards
  • continue the relentless drive for improved attendance.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The headteacher has set an inspirational vision for the school. Her determination that all pupils will succeed and take their place in the future as an effective citizen is well understood by staff and pupils. No stone is left unturned in the quest for pupils’ success and in the care of families. As a result, the school is a hub which supports and challenges pupils and parents to be the best they can be. Despite very low prior attainment, and circumstances which make many pupils vulnerable, the vast majority of pupils make excellent progress. The school’s ethos is exceptional.
• Senior leaders understand the drive for improvement and the high expectations for pupils and staff. Leaders have led improvements in the teaching, learning and assessment of English, mathematics and phonics which have resulted in improvements across the school, both in the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes.
• Professional development opportunities include weekly staff training, training at the local mathematics hub and one-to-one coaching. The headteacher’s vision for pupils’ success is extended to staff. For example, teaching assistants are being provided with the opportunity to train as teachers. The impact of professional development is the improved teaching, learning and assessment.
• Teachers are held to account for pupils’ progress at half-termly progress meetings and as a result of robust performance management objectives. Pupils’ outcomes are carefully tracked. Teachers know well how each pupil in their class is performing. Extra help is quickly provided for those pupils who need it. For example, a group of pupils in Year 6 are receiving daily mathematics lessons from the subject leader to ensure that the strong progress in 2016 is mirrored by this year’s cohort at key stage 2.
• The curriculum is highly imaginative. Pupils have a wide range of opportunities to study specific topics. For example, this term all pupils are studying an aspect of life in Bradford. In Year 3, pupils are learning about Bradford in the war. Pupils had exceptional recall of the historical facts around the bombing of Bradford when writing a newspaper article. The pupils had a deep understating of what had happened, where it had happened and why it had happened. Visits and visitors enhance the learning and provide real-life opportunities for writing. Consequently, pupils’ writing is of good quality. Progress for pupils at key stage 2 in writing was in the top 10% of schools nationally in 2016. At times, the quality of the science curriculum does not mirror the outstanding learning opportunities provided by the rest of the curriculum. As a result, the learning opportunities in science in the classroom are inconsistent.
• Pupils say they enjoy studying English and mathematics. Creative use of staff and timetabling provides opportunities for pupils to study a wider curriculum in small groups of about 10 pupils. For example, pupils all learn to cook with great confidence, learn French successfully and enjoy rich experiences of learning in the local woodland. Pupils are encouraged to choose their own activities when working in the woods. Such activities include building dens, tracking animals, climbing trees, making and cooking over fires, and foraging for food. As a result, pupils have opportunities to learn about science, technology and the environment at first-hand. Pupils’ self-confidence and self-esteem are improved when they successfully assess and take risks. The walk to the woodland and the activities undertaken support pupils’ fitness levels.
• Spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is threaded through the daily life of the school. All pupils learn to play the drums and do so with great enthusiasm. The very wide range of extra-curricular clubs, which are highly valued by parents and pupils, include art, music and choir. Termly faith days encourage pupils’ understanding of different religions and cultures.
• The preparation of pupils for life in modern Britain is central to the ethos of the school. The ‘my place in the world’ lessons encourage pupils to reflect on their own qualities. An annual British values week includes work on the law and democracy. Pupils take on elected leadership roles on the school council. Their responsibilities include joining senior leaders in lesson observations and reporting back to teachers and the governing body. Pupils are very well prepared for life in British society.
• The special educational needs coordinator, who is also the deputy headteacher, provides highly effective leadership. The progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is regularly monitored and an imaginative range of interventions provided to help them catch up. Consequently, in 2016, the progress of pupils who receive support for special educational needs was significantly above that of other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics at key stage 2. The additional funding for special educational needs is used very effectively.
• The pupil premium funding is also spent well on appropriate experiences and extra help for disadvantaged pupils. As a result, disadvantaged pupils make broadly the same progress as their peers and in some cases are making better progress than their peers. For example, the progress of disadvantaged pupils currently in the Reception class is more rapid than their non-disadvantaged classmates. In 2016, disadvantaged pupils made progress at least in line with other pupils nationally in reading and mathematics and significantly better progress than others in writing.
• The primary school physical education (PE) and sport premium provides pupils with a very wide range of free after-school sports clubs and access to team sports and competitions. A sports coach leads the teaching of PE in the curriculum. Pupils’ fitness is improved as a result.
• The school belongs to a local partnership of Bradford primary schools. The expertise of the headteacher and subject leaders is being used to support a local primary school. The chair of the local partnership is a regular visitor to the school and has had a positive impact on developing the leadership skills of senior leaders.

Governance

• The governing body is highly experienced. Many governors have expertise from working at senior levels in education. As a result, the governing body challenges leaders effectively. Governors monitor the impact of additional spending and the budget to ensure that pupils have the best possible experiences.
• Governors are regular visitors to the school. They use their expertise to assure themselves of the impact of leaders’ judgements. Governors talk to staff and pupils and join leaders on visits to lessons. The governor for safeguarding checks policies and procedures stringently. Governors know well what the strengths of the school are and where improvements are needed. The governing body has played an integral part in the school’s improvement.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are highly effective. Safeguarding procedures are embedded into school life. All staff see safeguarding as a top priority. Actions taken to address concerns are timely and well documented. The school works with a range of other agencies, including social services and the police. The school is proactive in helping parents whose circumstances make them vulnerable for example, by helping them complete forms or acquire vouchers for the food bank. Consequently, families trust the school and relationships are built up which safeguard children’s welfare.
• The single central record and recruitment checks are thorough and well organised.
• Staff have regular training and updates. As a result, staff know the signs of abuse and how to recognise the impact of issues such as female genital mutilation, hate crime, forced marriage, and radicalisation and extremism. Staff understanding of `Keeping children safe in education 2016’ has been checked using a questionnaire. Pupils are kept safe as a result.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• Teaching, learning and assessment have improved since the last inspection as a result of training for staff and specific support for individual teachers to develop their subject knowledge. The impact of these improvements is seen in the outcomes for pupils. Although pupils often enjoy challenging activities, sometimes learning does not stretch the most able pupils.
• Behaviour for learning is exceptional. Pupils listen with interest and make every effort to do their best, even when the subject matter is difficult. Pupils’ attitudes to their work are mature. For example, Year 5 pupils were observed in a religious education lesson debating the wearing of religious symbols and dress at work. Their responses demonstrated pupils’ mature understanding of each other’s views and cultures.
• The teaching of writing is a particular strength. Pupils are given opportunities to write at length about ‘real subjects’ in a range of genres as a result of the school’s approach to the curriculum. Consequently, pupils make good progress with handwriting, punctuation, vocabulary, spelling and sentence structure. For example, a group of the most able and most able disadvantaged pupils in Year 3 confidently constructed complex sentences including subordinate clauses when writing about the war. They displayed an excellent understanding of the structure of a newspaper article.
• The leader for phonics is driving improvements in phonics across the school. Pupils’ phonics levels are tracked half termly. Consequently, the proportion of pupils who reach the expected standard in the phonics screening check has improved. Pupils who need to catch up in key stage 2 have extra phonics lessons and are provided with keyword boxes and a special reading record. As a result, pupils are extending their vocabulary and read at home and school more frequently. Pupils enjoy reading and the rewards for the reading challenge.
• The teaching of mathematics has improved as a result of training and one-to-one coaching. Typically, pupils are provided with challenging activities which meet the different needs of pupils and enable them to make strong progress. Sometimes pupils do not get to the challenging activities because they are completing other work.
• The teaching in science includes examples of practical investigations, such as making batteries from lemons, testing circuits and looking at the reflective properties of light. Some of the science curriculum is taught in timetabled lessons and some as part of the topic-based curriculum. Faith-based days and the lessons in the woodlands also make a contribution to the science curriculum. As a result, the way teaching in the science curriculum is organised means that pupils do not have regular enough opportunities to build their scientific skills, knowledge and understanding.
• Teachers have high expectations for the quality and quantity of work pupils complete. Pupils take pride in their work and present it neatly.
• As a result of highly effective teaching, pupils have a deep understanding and significant recall of what they have learned about history. For example, pupils in Year 2 could recall detailed facts about the Great Fire of London and the most able compared that with a fire in Bradford during the war, when writing poetry. Year 4 shared their empathy for, and understanding of, the workhouses in Bradford when writing their poetry.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• The drive to enable every pupil to succeed and enjoy that success is woven throughout the life of the school. Parents are regular visitors to the school and are involved in training activities so that they can better understand what their children are learning in reading and writing and mathematics. As a result, parents are better equipped to help their children with their learning.
• Pupils and families are supported tirelessly to ensure that pupils are safe. Parents speak very highly of the support they have received to help them cope with circumstances which make their children vulnerable. Consequently, relationships between the school and families are very strong. The school is a force for good in the community.
• Pupils say that bullying is rare and that there is no racist or homophobic bullying. They describe a range of ways they can report and seek support if they have concerns. Each pupil has a key worker whom they can talk to if they are worried. Pupils understand how to keep safe online. Pupils feel safe as a result.
• Exceptional opportunities are provided for pupils and parents to learn about the opportunities for the future, including visits to universities and job fairs. A special project for Year 6 pupils and their parents covers citizenship, careers, improving confidence and communication, global communities and cross-cultural understanding. Consequently, pupils are very well prepared for the transition to secondary school. Aspirations of pupils and parents are raised.
• Pupils are encouraged to take on responsibilities, for example as school councillors and reading buddies. Older reading buddies listen to younger pupils read. The buddies are trained to plan and ask their younger peers questions about their reading based on their levels of ability. As a result, older pupils are developing skills in teaching and younger pupils are improving their reading and understanding of the text.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Relationships between pupils and between staff and pupils are respectful. Pupils want to work hard in lessons and do so. As a result, pupils make outstanding progress from very low starting points.
• Pupils behave in a friendly and mature fashion. Pupils of all ages play and work well together. The school is a place of harmony. For example, in the breakfast club, pupils share resources and include others kindly in their activities so that nobody is left out. On the playground, pupils enjoy using scooters, hoops, dressing up and water play together.
• No stone is left unturned to monitor and improve the attendance of pupils. Phone calls and texts are made to parents of absent children every day. Pupils are collected from home. Other agencies are involved in encouraging the attendance of particular groups of pupils. Holidays are not authorised. Pupils enjoy the rewards given for good attendance. During the inspection, the impact of this work was seen because attendance of some year groups was 100%. However, attendance is still affected by extended leave taken by a few families and the lower attendance of a small number of boys.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• In Year 6 in 2016, pupils made significantly better progress than the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The progress of pupils in writing and mathematics was in the top 10% of schools nationally. Despite the prior attainment of this group of pupils being significantly below the national average, attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was above the national average. Information provided by the school suggests that the current Year 6 pupils are on track to make similarly strong progress.
• In 2016, from low starting points, all pupils in Year 2 who reached the expected level of development in the early learning goals attained the expected level in reading, writing and mathematics, which is higher than the national average. Similarly, in writing and mathematics, a greater proportion of least-able pupils attained the expected level than the national average. This represents a considerable improvement on the attainment at key stage 1 in previous years where attainment has been well below the national average. Information from pupils’ books suggests that the current Year 2 pupils are making strong progress in English and mathematics.
• The proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in phonics has risen for the last three years and was in line with the national average in 2016, despite the low starting points of pupils. The school’s progress information demonstrates the outstanding progress that the current Year 1 and Year 2 pupils have made from the end of the Nursery Year.
• In 2016, disadvantaged pupils made similar progress to other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics at key stage 2. Attainment of disadvantaged pupils at key stage 1 was in line with other pupils nationally. Highly effective tracking systems allow leaders and class teachers to track the progress of all pupils in detail. Consequently, extra help is provided quickly to enable pupils to catch up. As a result, in most year groups, disadvantaged pupils are making similarly strong and sometimes better progress than their peers.
• In 2016 in Year 6, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities made outstanding progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Overall, their progress was in the top 10% of schools nationally. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are on track to make similar progress this year in key stage 2. Across the school, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported very well and, as a result, make excellent progress.
• The school has very few pupils with high prior attainment. However, the most able pupils in the school are often, although not consistently, provided with appropriate challenge in lessons. As a result, a greater proportion of pupils are on track to attain the highest standards this year at key stages 1 and 2.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Leaders in the early years have high expectations which are reflected in the quality of teaching, learning and assessments observed during the inspection. From very low starting points, children make excellent progress. Historically, all the children entering the Nursery had skills and abilities much lower than those generally typical for their age. By the end of Reception in 2015 and 2016, more than half the children reached the good level of development typical for children of that age.
• Since the last inspection, the school has added provision for two-year-olds. As a result of the effective teaching and social development taking place in the two-year-old provision, more children enter the Nursery with skills and abilities typical for their age. Consequently, a greater proportion of children currently in Reception are on track to reach a good level of development in 2017.
• Disadvantaged children are making particularly strong progress. Differences in progress which existed between boys and girls have diminished. Extra support and challenge are provided for the most able children which is accelerating their progress, for example in language and numeracy. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive highly effective one-to-one support which enables them to make rapid progress from their starting points.
• Relationships with parents are very positive. Strong links between home and school enable parents to engage with their children’s learning. A new electronic recording system is being established which is set to improve the record of parental contributions and the next steps in learning for individual children.
• In the two-year-old provision, leaders accurately measure the skills and abilities of children on entry. Regular assessment of children’s progress helps to identify next steps. Key workers were able to explain next steps for the learning of individual children to the inspector in detail. Consequently, appropriate activities are planned for children’s interests as well as their stage of development.
• Two-year-olds play confidently indoors and outside on their own, alongside others and in small groups. They sustain their interest in activities as a result of skilful adult modelling and questioning.
• In the Nursery and Reception, the atmosphere is calm and purposeful. The environment is lively with number and language. There are rich opportunities for role play both inside and outside. There is a mixture of self-initiated activities and direct teaching. Staff provide effective role models through use of language and questioning. As a result, children make strong progress.
• The welfare requirements for children in the early years are met. Safeguarding is effective. Children are safe and secure.

School details

Unique reference number 107249 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 10000951 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 2 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 302 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rachel Curtis Headteacher Chris Parfitt Telephone number 01274 771 124 Website www.fagley.bradford.sch.uk Email address office@fagley.bradford.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 8 9 February 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Since the last inspection, the school has added provision for two-year-olds.
• Fagley Primary School is slightly larger than an average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium is much higher than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well above the national average. The majority of pupils are Pakistani and White British.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.
• The school met the government’s floor standards in 2016 which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• The school runs a popular breakfast club.
• The school is part of the Bradford East 1 partnership of schools. Fagley Primary School receives support and challenge from the chair of the partnership. Leaders provide support to other schools in the partnership.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited a number of part-lessons, some of which were visited jointly with school leaders. Inspectors also made shorter visits to lessons and attended an assembly. The inspection team looked at pupils’ work in their books.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher and other senior and middle leaders, and a group of staff. Discussions were also held with members of the governing body and the chair of the Bradford East 1 partnership.
• Inspectors spoke formally to pupils in meetings and informally at break and lunchtime.
• The inspection team looked at documents provided by the school, including the school’s self-evaluation and its improvement plans, safeguarding documents and those relating to attendance. Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ progress data, records of performance management and minutes of the governing body.
• Four responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, were considered and parents were spoken to during the inspection. The school’s own questionnaires of pupils and parents were looked at. There were 29 responses to the staff questionnaire which were taken into account.

Inspection team

Helen Lane, lead inspector Senior Her Majesty’s Inspector Chris Cook Ofsted Inspector Linda Clay Ofsted Inspector Lynne Selkirk Ofsted Inspector