Fairhaven Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Fairhaven Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School School Road, South Walsham, Norwich, Norfolk NR13 6DZ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher leads the school well. Leaders set high expectations for teaching, behaviour and achievement.  Governors are dedicated and highly skilled. They hold senior leaders to account and ensure that teaching, behaviour and achievement are good for all groups of pupils.  Pupils study a range of subjects. Educational visits, residential trips and a variety of visiting speakers enhance classroom teaching.  The curriculum strongly promotes British values and the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils.  Behaviour is outstanding. Pupils are unreservedly polite, courteous and respectful. The school is a harmonious and compassionate community.  Pupils feel safe in school. Staff value each pupil’s contribution. Pupils enjoy school. Attendance is above the national average.  Teaching is good and improving. Teachers have good subject knowledge. They plan interesting and engaging lessons that appeal to pupils’ natural

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

curiosity.  Teachers use questions effectively. They skilfully check pupils’ knowledge, probing understanding, and generating reflection and discussion.  Teachers assess pupils’ learning regularly. Early identification of underperformance together with effective support helps pupils make good progress.  Pupils make good progress across a range of subjects. They make particularly good progress in reading and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Disadvantaged pupils, disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and the most able make good progress.  The early years provision is good. Leaders ensure that teaching is effective and supports children in achieving a good level of development.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The teaching of writing does not promote outstanding achievement.  In lessons other than English, teachers’ marking of literacy is not in line with the school’s policy for correcting spelling, punctuation and grammar.  Sometimes, teachers do not check that pupils present their work neatly, in line with the school’s policy on presentation.  From the early years, children’s writing skills are less well developed than other skills. Pupils do not apply phonics (the sounds that letters make) as securely to writing as they do to reading. Inspection report: Fairhaven Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 23–24 June 2015 2 of 12

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in six lessons. All observations were completed jointly with the headteacher. The inspector observed breaks and lunchtimes, and attended assembly and registration.  Discussions were held with pupils, staff, governors, the headteacher and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector took account of the 28 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. She also took account of 18 responses to the Ofsted questionnaire for staff.  A wide range of documents were examined including samples of pupils’ work, information about pupils’ progress, the school’s development plan and self-evaluation summary, records of behaviour, records of governors’ meetings and documents relating to safeguarding children.  The inspector listened to pupils read, and observed reading support lessons and the teaching of phonics.

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Inspection team

Sherry Gladwin, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Inspection report: Fairhaven Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 23–24 June 2015 3 of 12

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The vast majority of pupils are White British and speak English as their first language. The proportions of minority ethnic pupils are well-below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is below average. This is additional funding for pupils in local authority care, those known to be eligible for free school meals and those with a parent in the armed services.  The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.  Children attend the early years provision full time.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement by ensuring outstanding teaching, particularly in writing by:  marking pupils literacy skills in all subjects in line with the school’s policy for correcting spelling, punctuation and grammar  ensuring that pupils present their work in line with the school’s policy on presentation  developing good writing skills from the early years so that pupils apply phonics as securely to their writing as they do to their reading. Inspection report: Fairhaven Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 23–24 June 2015 4 of 12

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has a good understanding of school improvement and sets clear direction for staff, parents and pupils. Governors provide effective support and challenge to the school leaders. A culture of high expectation is evident in the school, which leads to outstanding behaviour and good and improving teaching.

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The leadership and management are good

 The leadership of teaching is strong. The school’s strengths and areas for development are identified accurately so that action plans focus staff on key points that will improve the school further. The headteacher rightly recognises pupils’ writing as an area for development. Staff performance targets and well-chosen strategies are improving pupils’ writing. However, these are not fully effective.

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The leadership and management are good

 Disadvantaged pupils are supported effectively through the pupil premium. This additional funding provides one-to-one tuition and small group support to improve standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Access to the arts, music, sport, drama, after-school clubs, educational visits and residential trips are also available and enrich pupils’ learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 Effective use is made of the primary sport premium. There is an increase in pupils’ participation in a wider range of sports and physical activities including archery, African dance and cricket, as well as after-school clubs and inter-school competitions. Pupils’ skills have improved because of the specialist coaching they receive. Pupils have a good understanding of the contribution that sport makes to healthy lifestyles.

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The leadership and management are good

 Equality of opportunity is promoted well. Pupils from all backgrounds are welcome in the school and they are treated with respect. All groups of pupils make good progress in their learning and achieve well. Pupils get on well together because they are taught to be tolerant, compassionate and respectful. Pupils are free from discrimination and harassment.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject coordinators understand how to improve their subjects and provide support for other colleagues. They take effective actions to improve standards. They attend ‘cluster group’ meetings with local schools and benefit from the networking opportunities and the professional training that these sessions provide.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school accesses support from the diocese and local authority to improve teaching, leadership and management. As a ‘light touch’ school, it does not require a lot of assistance.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is effective. Leaders ensure that the school’s safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements. Training for staff in safeguarding and child protection takes place regularly to ensure that staff remain vigilant and up to date. Adults record and report concerns to designated senior leaders, who make referrals to the local authority in line with the school’s policy.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum promotes British values, tolerance and respect for the rule of law. Pupils learn to be responsible in their roles as play leaders, school council members and eco council representatives. They demonstrate leadership, canvassing the views of other pupils before making decisions about play equipment or eco initiatives, for example. Pupils value democracy. The school’s curriculum promotes diversity. Pupils study a range of religious and non-religious beliefs. They have links with schools in Malawi, Alaska and India. The curriculum promotes pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development so they readily distinguish right from wrong. They are prepared well for life in modern Britain.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is effective. Governors bring a range of knowledge, skills and experience to the role. They are trained in safeguarding and the interpretation of pupils’ performance data. They monitor pupils’ behaviour, safety, attendance and academic progress with rigour. Governors provide senior Inspection report: Fairhaven Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 23–24 June 2015 5 of 12

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The leadership and management are good

leaders with an appropriate level of challenge and support to improve the school.  Governors know the school’s strengths and areas for development. They regularly monitor progress in implementing the initiatives in the school development plan, including teaching and learning. Regular reports from the headteacher and visits to the school help to keep them well informed.  Governors understand the value of good teaching in securing high standards for pupils. The governing body manages the headteacher’s performance closely and uses staff appraisal to help drive school improvement. Governors ensure that school leaders monitor and challenge staff underperformance effectively. Staff must meet their performance targets to qualify for pay increases or promotion.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils are unreservedly polite, courteous and respectful. They go out of their way to be helpful, providing chairs for visitors and holding doors open so others can pass through. Pupils are compassionate and considerate in their daily interactions, and through kind acts of fundraising for national charities.

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Behaviour

 Pupils’ positive attitudes to learning are evident in their thirst for knowledge and willingness to work hard in lessons. They generally show much pride in their work. Pupils are highly cooperative and collaborate with adults to create a harmonious and peaceful environment in the school. Pupils wear their uniform smartly and they are proud to belong to the school.

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Behaviour

 A highly developed sense of morality means that pupils distinguish right from wrong. Pupils are aware of their privileged position in the world and participate in initiatives to help others who are less fortunate. Currently, they are participating in the ‘Farley bag’ project to find ways of growing food using little water. If successful, this project could be of great benefit to hot climates like Africa.

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Behaviour

 Pupils respond to rewards and praise with enthusiasm. Consequently, they are motivated and engaged to work hard. Pupils are competitive and value the ‘triangles’ and house points awarded for good work and effort.

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Behaviour

 The opportunities to become play leaders, members of the school council or eco team help pupils learn responsibility. Pupils develop leadership skills, stewardship, and compassion when they organise playground equipment, support younger pupils or introduce initiatives to raise awareness of conservation and environmental matters.

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Behaviour

 The school keeps parents informed about their children’s conduct. Exclusion from school is rare.

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Behaviour

 Case studies seen during the inspection show those pupils with challenging behaviour develop self- awareness and skill to manage their own behaviour well.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils understand how to assess a variety of risk. Pupils told the inspector about sessions in road safety, cycle proficiency, internet safety and safe use of social media, and visits to assemblies from the police and representatives from Child Line.

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Safety

 Good supervision at breaks and lunchtimes makes pupils feel safe in the playground. Older pupils are on hand to support younger pupils. Older pupils involve younger pupils in play and conversation when they find it hard to join in games or make friends.

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Safety

 Pupils have a clear understanding of bullying in its different forms. They understand the damage that bullying causes to the feelings of others. Pupils say that bullying is very rare and they are confident that teachers will take swift action if there is unpleasant name-calling or bullying.

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Safety

 Pupils enjoy school. Attendance is above the national average. The school promotes good attendance from all groups of pupils because it does not authorise holidays in school time. Parents are contacted on Inspection report: Fairhaven Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 23–24 June 2015 6 of 12

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Safety

the first day of any unexpected absence from school. The pupil premium supports the good attendance of disadvantaged pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have good subject knowledge, and a love of learning, which they communicate to pupils enthusiastically. They understand how pupils learn best and plan lessons that are interesting, engaging and appeal to pupils’ natural curiosity. Clear learning objectives help pupils to work with clarity and purpose so that all groups of pupils make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the classroom, teachers use questions skilfully to probe pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Pupils respond with maturity and thought, showing good recall of prior learning and this leads to good discussion, which helps to improve pupils’ speaking and listening skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ learning is assessed regularly and their progress towards targets is checked. Pupils who do not stay on track to make at least expected progress are identified. Support is planned carefully to prevent these pupils from falling behind their classmates. Teaching assistants successfully deliver support on a one-to- one basis or in small groups to help pupils stay on track.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Provision for pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs is good. Staff understand pupils’ special needs and plan learning to match the needs and abilities of pupils well. Teaching assistants and teachers assess pupils carefully and plan learning activities that consolidate learning and stretch pupils at a pace that is manageable.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Relationships are respectful and teachers create a positive environment in the classroom. Teachers are skilled managers of behaviour and establish classroom expectations and routines from the early years. Teachers are respectful and set good examples for pupils through their speech and deeds. As a result, pupils listen sensibly to one another and to adults.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers teach reading, writing, mathematics and communication effectively. Information technology supports learning across the curriculum. Writing is not taught as effectively as reading and mathematics. Pupils do not use spelling, punctuation and grammar in their writing accurately and this slows their progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ marking is good. Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and include constructive comments that help to develop self-confidence and tell them how to improve their work. Although pupils read teachers’ comments, they do not always follow-up on the good advice. The marking of literacy across a range of subjects does not identify errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar with the degree of rigour required by the school’s marking policy. This slows their progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Corridors and classrooms have colourful displays of good quality work, which raises aspirations and sets high expectations for pupils. Work on display is part of the reward system, as well as providing a space to show pupils’ work in progress. Pupils are proud to see their work on display. Some teachers do not check that pupils present their work in line with the school’s policy on presentation.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter the school with skills and abilities that are typical for children of their age. They make good progress and above average proportions reach good standards in reading and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, the proportion of children that achieved a good level of development by the end of Reception was well above the national average. Boys did not progress as well as girls in speaking, writing and listening but a focus on writing is improving boys’ writing. Children are prepared well for entry to Year 1. However, writing is less well developed than other areas of the early years curriculum. School information, supported by a scrutiny of pupils’ work, shows that the proportion of children who are on track to achieve Inspection report: Fairhaven Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 23–24 June 2015 7 of 12

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The achievement of pupils is good

a good level of development in 2015 is similar to 2014.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, an above average proportion of Year 1 pupils reached the expected standard in the national phonics screening. Pupils learn to apply phonics accurately to their reading but less securely to writing. Teachers and teaching assistants benefit from recent training and teach pupils effectively so they gain confidence and skill in reading. Year 1 pupils are on track to achieve similar outcomes in 2015.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Above average proportions of Year 2 pupils reached the national expectations in 2014 in reading, writing and mathematics. Fewer pupils reached the expected standard in writing. In recognition, there is a drive in the school to improve writing. School information, supported by work scrutiny shows that, although there is some improvement, writing is not yet as good as reading and mathematics. The current Year 2 pupils are on track to achieve slightly better results in 2015.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 A below average proportion of Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in writing in 2014. A good majority achieved better than the expected standard in reading and most pupils achieved higher than the expected standard in mathematics. School information shows that most of the current Year 6 pupils are on track to reach the expected standards in reading and mathematics and the proportion on track to reach the expected standards in writing in 2015 is above average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, a smaller proportion of Year 6 pupils than found nationally made good progress in writing. Pupils made good progress in reading and the large majority made outstanding progress in mathematics. Focused intervention and support with writing are leading to higher standards, although, the full effect of these strategies are not yet fully visible. Year 6 pupils are on track to make outstanding progress in reading and mathematics, and good progress in writing, in 2015.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 There were too few disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 in 2014 to comment on their attainment and progress without identifying them. The progress of disadvantaged pupils across the school is good and they often make better progress than their classmates. School information, supported by the work in pupils’ books, indicates that disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 are on track to make similar progress to their classmates in 2015.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, the most-able pupils made good progress and achieved well. The most-able pupils in Year 6 are on track to make better progress in 2015.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special education needs make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics due to well matched learning activities provided in the classroom and the effective support available.

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The early years provision is good

 Children enter the early years with skills and abilities which are usually typical for children their age. Due to good teaching, the proportions that achieve a good level of development are well-above the national average. They are prepared well for Year 1.

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The early years provision is good

 Adults plan learning activities that are stimulating and engage children’s natural curiosity. Children enjoy learning across all of the areas of the early years’ curriculum. Good use is made of the limited internal and external spaces. A variety of educational visits enhances classroom learning and brings learning to life, such as a recent visit to a farm to explore the life cycle of wheat.

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The early years provision is good

 Behaviour is good. Adults care for children and help to develop their personal and social skills. Children feel safe and grow in confidence. From the earliest days in the Reception class, teachers establish classroom routines which set expectations for work and behaviour. Children settle quickly and become confident, friendly, polite and courteous.

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The early years provision is good

 Leadership and management are good. Local and national guidelines underpin approaches to safeguarding and child protection. A good understanding of how children learn, together with a good knowledge of the Inspection report: Fairhaven Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 23–24 June 2015 8 of 12

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The early years provision is good

early years’ curriculum, is evident. Communication with parents each day keeps channels between school and home open, and contributes to children’s well-being. Inspection report: Fairhaven Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 23–24 June 2015 9 of 12

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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. Inspection report: Fairhaven Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 23–24 June 2015 10 of 12

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School details

Unique reference number 121150 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 448514

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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 Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 113 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Brian Bemment Headteacher Janice Dix Date of previous school inspection 5 November 2009 Telephone number 01603 270224 Fax number 01603 270521 Email address office@southwalshamfairhaven.norfolk.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. 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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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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 and 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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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