Farsley Farfield Primary School

Farsley Farfield Primary School Cote Lane, Farsley, Pudsey, West Yorkshire, LS28 5ED

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  As a result of strong leadership by the headteacher, senior leaders and the governing body the school has successfully built upon the good outcomes reported in the last inspection report.  Pupils make good progress overall and achieve well.  The diligent tracking of pupils’ progress and good plans for improvement are resulting in more pupils attaining higher standards in reading and mathematics.  Teaching is good overall. Most teachers carefully explain what is going to be learnt so that most pupils know exactly what to do and work with confidence.  Behaviour is good overall and is often exemplary in lessons. Pupils are polite and friendly.  Pupils say they feel very safe.  The curriculum has outstanding features and provides memorable opportunities that deepen pupils’ learning.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is some teaching that requires improvement and there is not enough outstanding teaching across the school.  Teachers do not always plan well enough for the less-able pupils. This means that they do not always make as much progress as their classmates do.  Teachers’ marking does not always tell pupils how to improve their work.  Pupils’ work in books is often untidy.  Teachers give pupils targets to improve their next steps in writing but do not make sure that pupils use them at all times and in all subjects.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 18 lessons or part lessons, of which two were joint observations with the headteacher.  Inspectors made visits to three classes to hear pupils read.  Meetings were held with pupils, school staff, members of the governing body, staff from the Early Start Centre and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s checks on how well it is doing, safety records and the tracking of pupils’ progress over time.  The inspectors analysed 129 completed on-line questionnaires (Parent View).

p.2

Inspection team

Brenda Clarke, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Carol Machell Additional Inspector Sheila Loughlin Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is above average. A smaller than average number of pupils speaks English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is well below average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium, which in this school provides additional funding for children in care of the local authority and for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, is below average.  The school meets the current floor standards, which set the government’s minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school is on a split site. The Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 occupy one building with Key Stage 2 pupils situated in a separate building across playgrounds and field

p.3

Information about this school

area.  The school shares the site with an Early Start Children’s Centre, a private day nursery and before- and after-school club. These were not inspected as part of this inspection. The latest reports can be found on the Ofsted website.  The school has extensive grounds and a number of features including a school farm.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good and a greater proportion of teaching becomes outstanding by:  ensuring that teachers use their assessments more effectively to plan work that is at the right level of difficulty, especially for the less-able  planning lessons so that pupils are actively involved and can complete their work and spend less time listening to the teacher  ensuring that teachers’ marking always informs pupils of their next steps in learning and that pupils are given sufficient time to respond to this in their next piece of work.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards in writing to match those for reading by:  ensuring that targets for less-able pupils are sharply focused and build on their existing skills  ensuring that all pupils use their targets when writing in other subjects such as history and geography  ensuring that teachers have higher expectations about the standard of presentation of pupils’ work.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children start school with skills expected for their age. They make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes to reach average standards overall and above average standards in their personal and social development, counting and use of letter sounds. Children listen attentively and behave well. They are well prepared for their new learning in Year 1.  Good progress continues across Key Stage 1. At the end of Year 2, while pupils’ standards are similar to those seen nationally, their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is steadily rising year on year. The best results since 2008 were seen in pupils’ 2012 assessments.  Most pupils make good progress in Key Stage 2 to reach standards above those expected in mathematics and well above in reading. The school puts this rise down to the effective introduction of a new home-reading project and improved group reading times. Pupils have risen

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

to the challenge of reading often and widely and this has enabled a large majority to attain the higher level 5 in reading at the end of Year 6.  Pupils’ achievement in writing is not as good and lags behind their achievement in reading and mathematics. Pupils sometimes experience difficulty when writing longer sentences and do not always punctuate their work appropriately.  A small number of less-able pupils make slower progress than their classmates in reading at Key Stage 1 and in writing at Key Stage 2. The rigorous tracking of pupils’ progress by senior leaders means that teachers have enough accurate information to plan well for the learning of different groups of pupils in their class. However, they do not always use this information well and set tasks which are too difficult for less-able pupils and this slows their learning. Pupils are sometimes given the same activities and worksheets as more-able pupils and have difficulty

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

reading them and completing their work.  Pupils’ individual targets for writing do not always closely match their stage of learning. Pupils do not systematically use them when writing.  Where teaching is good or better pupils with special educational needs make good progress. This is due in part to the good support they receive from knowledgeable learning support assistants. This is also the case for pupils from minority ethnic groups who achieve well overall.  Pupils extend their learning well when using computers, for example writing blogs for the school website.  Pupils’ speaking skills are good so that most speak confidently and explain their answers well.  The pupil premium has been used effectively to narrow the attainment gap for pupils eligible for free school meals. Carefully planned small group work has resulted in this group of pupils making accelerated progress overall.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is mostly good. In both key stages there is some teaching that requires improvement and some that is outstanding.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage teaching over time is generally good or better. Teachers use their assessments of children well to provide interesting activities that grab children’s attention. For example, one child dressed as a princess and others wrote labels for her hat, wand and slippers. A programme for teaching the sounds that letters make is taught well so that many children confidently attempt to write simple words. Teachers plan exciting activities that help children to practise skills when working without adult support but many children choose not to try these and opportunities are missed to drive their learning forwards.  All teachers have good subject knowledge. They are particularly skilled at planning practical activities in mathematics. For example, in a Year 2 lesson pupils eagerly tackled problems about

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

sharing numbers with enthusiasm and accuracy. They were encouraged to use different approaches and pencil jottings. In most mathematics lessons learning is fun and is a key reason why standards in mathematics are good and rising quickly.  All teachers have good behaviour management skills so that lessons run smoothly with few interruptions. Most pupils persevere and work hard.  Where lessons are good or better there are very good levels of discussion between teachers, groups and individual pupils throughout the lesson. Teachers ask searching questions that make pupils think.  In a minority of lessons teachers spent too long on whole-class introductions and left too little time for pupils to complete their work.  The individual targets that teachers set for less-able pupils in writing are too general and do not address pupils’ exact needs.  Most learning support assistants are deployed well and give good support to groups and

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

individuals. This is less successful when assistants do not make sure that pupils use their targets to help them improve their work.  Teachers’ marking is usually good but does not always tell pupils of their next steps in learning and pupils are not always given time to correct their work.  A majority of teachers do not have high enough expectations of pupils’ presentation of their work. This means that work is often untidy and common words misspelt.  Teachers use information and communication technology (ICT) well to support learning. For example, pupils enjoyed making computer-generated graphs in mathematics.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Most pupils behave well. They are keen to help one another and to cooperate in lessons.  A small minority of pupils behave less well when not directly supervised by an adult.  All parents who completed the questionnaire say their children are safe in school.  There are occasional incidents of bullying, mainly name-calling, but pupils say adults quickly sort these out. Pupils show a good knowledge of e-safety.  Throughout the school pupils are polite and respectful. Social skills are effectively developed from Nursery onwards. For example, Nursery children set cutlery, ate pretend food and practised good manners.  Attendance levels are similar to those seen nationally. Most pupils are punctual but too many occasionally arrive late to school.  Pupils whose circumstances may put them at risk receive strong support. Mentoring is a key strength that helps pupils and their families to resolve problems. The school goes the extra mile

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

to help pupils. For example, children who use the `walking bus’ are given breakfast and daily opportunities to strengthen their learning; perhaps reading with an adult or using computers to practise mathematics skills.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Pupils willing take on additional duties such as collecting eggs at the farm. They have a good understanding of cultures and religions different from their own.  Pupils with special educational needs receive good support from their classmates. Pupils show real empathy for each other and all benefit from working and playing together.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and assistant headteacher inspire staff, parents and pupils to work as a team. Together with senior leaders they work as a cohesive driving force firmly focused on accelerating pupils’ progress further.  Leaders have high ambitions for the school. This, together with regular checks on pupils’ progress, is driving up standards.  Good communication together with whole-school training ensures that all staff work as a team and share responsibility for accelerating pupils’ progress.  There are rigorous systems to check the quality of teaching and to bring about further improvement. Performance management procedures are closely aligned to pupils’ standards and to improving classroom practice. This is successful because teachers are made accountable for the progress of pupils in their class and some have moved from a judgement of requiring improvement to that of good.  By placing leaders and staff in teams the split site is managed well and results in good

p.5

The leadership and management are good

communication across both buildings.  The school cares for its pupils well. Procedures to ensure pupils’ safety are thorough.  Links with other partners are outstanding and greatly enhance provision. For example, the Early Start Children’s Centre engages parents early in their children’s learning and hosts a weekly play group in school. This is a key reason why children’s attainment on entry to the Nursery has risen since the previous inspection.  Links with parents are outstanding so that almost all parents who completed the questionnaire would recommend the school to others. They particularly appreciate the excellent school website that enables them to `talk’ to teachers and to help with their children’s learning at home.  Equal opportunities are at the heart of the school’s provision. Each pupil is known as an individual and their personal needs met. Leaders rigorously monitor the different groups within

p.6

The leadership and management are good

the school and have already identified that less-able pupils are making slower progress. They have effective interventions already in place to address this issue.  The curriculum has outstanding features. The headteacher, while successfully driving up standards, ensures that pupils undertake many worthwhile creative and sporting experiences such as working with a drama group or visiting judo and gymnastic facilities.  The local authority provides a light touch support that is valued by the school.  The governance of the school:  Governors keep up-to-date and give good support and challenge. They bring a good range of skills such as finance and business management. Governors keep a close eye on the school’s finances and ensure that the pupil premium is used effectively. They know the school’s strengths and areas for development and take a full part in setting the school’s priorities.

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 107981 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 403054

p.8

School details

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

p.8

School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 419 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rob Coldicott Headteacher Peter Harris Date of previous school inspection 26 September 2007 Telephone number 0113 336 8531 Fax number - Email address info@farsleyfarfield.leeds.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 .

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

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’.

p.9

School details

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

p.9