St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School

Fairfield Endowed CofE (C) Junior School Boarstone Lane, Fairfield, Buxton, SK17 7NA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Almost all pupils make good progress throughout the school, including in reading, writing and mathematics.  In the very large majority of lessons teaching is good, and it is occasionally outstanding. This is having a positive impact on pupils’ attainment and progress.  Pupils are polite and well mannered. They are well cared for and feel very safe in school. This view is supported by parents and carers.  The behaviour of pupils and their attitudes to learning are good.  Attendance has improved steadily over recent years and is above the national average.  The curriculum is well planned to meet pupils’ individual needs and prepares them well for the next stage of their education.  The music provision is a strength of the school and together with the range of other opportunities available, effectively supports their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The quality of leadership and management

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

from senior leaders and governors is good. There is a clear focus on improving teaching and raising achievement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils are not given enough opportunities to take an active part in their lessons.  There are too few opportunities for pupils to develop their independent learning skills and take responsibility for their own learning.  Pupils, especially more-able pupils, are not always given challenging enough work in mathematics that will help them to make more rapid progress.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 16 lessons taught by 8 teachers. Two lessons were observed jointly with members of the senior leadership team.  The inspectors held meetings with two groups of pupils, staff, three members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors observed the school’s work, including documents relating to behaviour and safeguarding, the school’s analysis of how well it is doing and its improvement plan, minutes of meetings of the governing body, the school’s data on pupils’ progress and pupils’ work.  The inspectors took account of the 20 responses from parents and carers recorded in Parent View, together with 86 replies to a parental survey carried out by the school in January 2012, three letters received from parents and two informal conversations with parents.

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Inspection team

Alan Parkinson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Verna Plummer Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Fairfield is an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is above the national average.  The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language are below the national average.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is broadly the same as the national average. The proportion of these pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above the national average.  The school meets the current floor standards, which are the minimum standards for attainment and progress expected by the government.  The school makes use of a privately run off-site gymnasium for pupils in Years 4 to 6.  The school has achieved the Activemark Award and awards for participation in the Get Set

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Information about this school

Network and the Wider Opportunities music programme.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching so as to raise achievement further by:  providing more opportunities for pupils to take responsibility for their learning and develop their independent learning skills  creating further opportunities for pupils to participate actively in their lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Provide more challenging work in mathematics, especially for more-able pupils, so that progress is more rapid and more pupils are able to achieve the higher level 5 at the end of Year 6.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 From their above-average starting points in Year 3, pupils’ make good progress through Key Stage 2. By the end of the Year 6 pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics is well above national averages. However, the progress made by more-able pupils in mathematics is slightly below the national average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ progress in all year groups in reading and writing is good. Pupils read a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books, which support learning across the curriculum. All pupils are aware of the school’s drive to get them ‘reading widely and often’ to improve their reading skills. Some Year 3 pupils were observed making good use of phonics (the letters and the sounds they make) to read difficult words.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school is currently focusing on developing pupils’ basic skills in mathematics. As a result, pupils’ attainment in mathematics has improved.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school’s colourful displays throughout the school celebrate pupils’ work and achievements, and create a very positive learning environment. As a result pupils enjoy their lessons, are very keen to do well and learn a lot. Parents and carers are accurate in their positive views that their children are making good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school has rigorous and robust processes in place to monitor the progress of groups and individual pupils. The gaps in progress between different groups of pupils, including those supported by funding from the pupil premium, vary from year to year. Recent schemes to support learning with these groups mean that the gaps are closing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 All groups of pupils, including those known to be eligible for pupil premium funding, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, now achieve as well as their peers because work in lessons is well planned and meets their specific needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school uses a well-organised external gymnasium for pupils in Years 4 to 6 to help their physical development. This provision is enjoyed by the pupils and because they use a wide range of equipment and apparatus to help them improve their coordination, balance and general physical ability.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is very well organised and planned. Teachers use questioning effectively to challenge and check understanding and the pace of learning is good. Resources are well chosen to meet individual pupils’ needs. Teachers know their subjects well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are fully engaged in their learning and work on individual tasks that develop their reading, writing or mathematical skills. However, in many lessons teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to become actively involved in discussions in lessons. This means they have too few opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school adopts some very good practice for meeting individual needs and promoting very effective learning. For example, in a numeracy lesson pupils in Year 3 were organised effectively by ability groups and worked on a range of tasks that match their needs. The pupils knew what was expected of them, they worked well together and received good support from their teacher and teaching assistants.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the vast majority of lessons teachers’ standards are being met well. The systems and processes used to check and improve the quality of teaching and learning are effective and contribute to training opportunities for staff.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In an extremely well-planned music lesson, led by a teacher from the music service, pupils in Year 5 were fully involved in the range of activities and made outstanding progress. The pupils were very excited when told they could take their clarinet home and listened carefully to instructions about how to use, store and care for their instrument.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In a few lessons where teaching was less effective, teachers do not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to contribute to their own learning to enable them to develop their independent learning skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and provide pupils with clear targets on what they need to do to improve their work. The majority of written comments use praise effectively to encourage pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning, particularly for lower- ability pupils, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. This enables them to make progress that is consistent with all other pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The vast majority of pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They understand and value the rewards and sanctions system in which they gain points for their attitudes to work and their behaviour. As a result, pupils say behaviour throughout the school is getting better.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school pays due regard to safeguarding and the school site is secure. Pupils say they feel very safe in school because they are well cared for by teachers and other adults. They understand how to keep themselves safe. For example, they learn about internet safety and pupils in Year 5 learn about swimming safety and how to swim.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school is good at identifying pupils who seem to be upset. This ensures that that appropriate support is provided for pupils whose circumstances make them more vulnerable. Pupils are aware of the different forms of bullying. They report that bullying is rare and any instances are quickly resolved. Pupils feel confident to talk to an adult if they have any concerns.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The responses to the parental survey provided by the school and to Parent View indicated that a very large majority of parents and carers support the view that pupils behave well in school, they are not bullied, they are well cared for and they feel safe at school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school provides opportunities for pupils to develop as responsible individuals. Some pupils make a significant contribution to the school community by taking on positions of responsibility such as the school council, collective worship leaders, play leaders and class monitors.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school has developed some very effective relationships with parents and carers, and regularly invites them to school events. For example, parents and carers attend the school’s weekly awards assembly to celebrate pupils’ attendance, behaviour, excellent work and achievements outside school. These are valued by the pupils and motivate them to work hard and behave well.  Attendance has improved steadily over the last three years and is above the national average. Punctuality is also good and reflects well on pupils’ very positive attitudes towards their learning and engagement in school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, senior leaders and governing body know the school well. They have accurately identified the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. There is rightly a strong focus on improving teaching and learning and this has resulted in the upward trend in attainment and achievement. The local authority has provided valuable support for the school’s monitoring and evaluation processes.

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The leadership and management are good

 The rigorous systems and processes used to monitor and improve the quality of teaching and learning further provide fully accurate information on the quality of teaching over time. They contribute to teachers’ professional development by identifying best practice and providing opportunities to share them across all areas. The headteacher uses information about the quality of teaching well when advising the governing body about teachers’ movements up the salary scale.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is well-planned and meets pupils’ needs well. The school provides pupils with a variety of enrichment activities such as the trips to the Imperial War Museum and Bolsover Castle that enable pupils to develop a greater understanding of the world around them. Topics covered have included gardens, pirates, Australia, the Olympics and science and engineering week.

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The leadership and management are good

 Throughout the school there are many opportunities that promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, art week activities included making masks based on African animals, music from India, foods from around the world and the collection of harvest goods went to Night Stop, a charity for the homeless.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is very well informed and challenges and supports school leaders effectively. Governors are fully involved in the school’s robust monitoring and evaluation systems. As a result, they are actively involved in shaping the strategic direction of the school. The governing body has a good understanding of the allocation of funding for those eligible for the pupil premium through, for example, the nurture group provision and providing additional one-to-one support for pupils who are at risk of underachieving. It monitors the impact of this support on the pupils’ attainment and progress. Safeguarding procedures and policies meet statutory requirements.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 112806 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 405426

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Junior School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 176 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Caitlin Bisknell Headteacher Victoria Giliker Date of previous school inspection 23 November 2010 Telephone number 01298 22551 Fax number 01298 22551 Email address info@fairfield-jun.derbyshire.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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