Fatfield Primary School

Fatfield Primary School Southcroft, Washington, Tyne and Wear NE38 8RB

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

p.1

This is a good school

 The resolute and determined leadership of the headteacher and deputy headteacher has transformed learning in Fatfield. The school has rapidly improved because leaders and governors have rigorously and successfully tackled previous weaknesses.  Leaders’ and governors’ ambition for excellence means the school continues to improve.  Leaders have ensured that the quality of teaching has improved and is now good, accelerating the rates of progress pupils make in their learning.  Outcomes for pupils are now good and have markedly improved since the last inspection. Pupils clearly enjoy their work which they tackle with determination and enthusiasm.  Pupils make good progress in their learning from their individual starting points, including disadvantaged pupils and the most-able pupils.  Children in the early years make a fast start in their reading, writing and understanding of number. They quickly develop skills that allow

p.1

This is a good school

them to play and learn happily together.  As a result of good teaching, pupils learn quickly and can apply their skills across all subjects. Pupils thoroughly enjoy their work across the curriculum, inspired by an initial ‘learning challenge’. Teachers assess pupils’ work carefully and accurately, and give timely support and guidance.  The behaviour of pupils is good. They are polite, courteous, friendly and have good manners. Their good attitudes in lessons help them to learn more quickly.  Pupils’ consideration of others and pride in their work and their school ensure that their personal development and welfare is good.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Leaders have not yet ensured that teaching is consistently strong enough to allow pupils to excel.  Occasionally the pace of learning slows, and pupils lose concentration.  Teachers’ questioning sometimes does not stretch pupils’ understanding or challenge their thinking.  Some teaching does not encourage pupils to demonstrate their reasoning skills when solving problems in mathematics.

p.1

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Leaders should ensure that the quality of teaching improves still further so that all pupils make the rapid and sustained progress needed to reach the highest standards of which they are capable by: – ensuring that the pace of learning in lessons allows pupils to be consistently engaged and maintain their concentration for longer – making sure questions asked by teachers challenge pupils’ thinking and stretch their understanding – making sure that pupils are able to justify and explain their reasoning in mathematical problem solving

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher have been unwavering in their determination to secure an excellent standard of education for pupils in the school. The senior leadership team and reconstituted governing body have worked tirelessly to eliminate underperformance, improve the quality of teaching and accelerate the pace of progress pupils make in their learning. They have been successful.  The quality of teaching has improved significantly and is now consistently good. Teachers work extremely well together within a school culture where high expectations are the norm.  Leaders, including governors, now have a very accurate picture of what the school does well and what it needs to do to become even more successful. Procedures to monitor and evaluate the quality of the school’s performance are incisive and detailed. A sense of drive and relentless urgency to improve is evident in all that the school does.

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Procedures to check the quality of teaching are very effective, and involve all leaders across school. Leaders are skilful in ensuring that their analysis and interpretation of information about pupils’ progress leads to actions to address areas of concern.  Leaders have not yet ensured that the quality of teaching has been consistently strong enough over time to allow all pupils to excel in their learning.  Individual performance management for staff is challenging and reflects the high expectations of the school. Training is a key part of this process and addresses whole-school priorities and individuals’ professional development needs.  The school’s curriculum is broad and balanced. Pupils’ good personal development is in part due to a curriculum that strongly contributes to their good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The excellent promotion of British values such as democracy and the rule of law prepares them well for life in

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

modern Britain.  Teachers work closely together to review the curriculum, ensuring that it meets pupils’ needs and interests. Pupils enjoy starting each new topic with a learning challenge question, such as ‘Why would a nation like Germany follow Hitler?’ or ‘Why did the Titanic sink?’ The curriculum is enriched by a range of visits and visitors, and supported by a range of after-school clubs linked to science, mathematics and physical education.  The sports funding for primary schools is used well. There has been an increase in the number of pupils taking part in sport, and good use is made of a sports coach and a teacher from the nearby secondary school. Sports clubs run at lunchtime and after school, and the sports co-ordinator and teachers have benefited from professional development opportunities.  Leaders have carefully and effectively managed pupil premium funding to provide targeted support for

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

pupils, online educational support programmes and fund additional staff. The positive impact of these actions is clearly seen through the good progress made by disadvantaged pupils across school.  Links with parents are now very positive and have improved greatly since the start of the year. Parents have appreciated the many improvements they have seen, and know that the school promotes equality of opportunity for all and does not tolerate discrimination of any kind. Nearly all parents who completed the online questionnaire agreed that they would recommend the school to another parent.  The school has benefited greatly from intensive support of a high quality from another school and the local authority.  The governance of the school – Governance has been transformed since the last inspection, including the appointment of some new governors. Governors are highly professional about their role, and passionate about school

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

improvement. They now have an accurate and incisive understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses from first-hand experience in monitoring school performance alongside members of the senior leadership team, and have links to individual classes. – Governors provide rigorous challenge to leaders alongside effective support. Governors are adept at helping to set school priorities, and hold leaders to account for the quality of teaching and learning.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. School staff work very effectively with parents and others to ensure that there is high-quality care for all pupils. Pupils benefit from the culture of safety and security that has been established in Fatfield, and are confident that the school will continue to keep them safe.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching is now consistently good or better and the quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection. The impact of teaching on learning, including in reading, writing and mathematics, is reflected in the good rates of pupils’ progress, which are accelerating quickly.  Lessons are interesting and lively and teachers use good subject knowledge to structure learning effectively. Work is pitched correctly according to pupils’ skills and abilities, providing the right amount of challenge, including for the most-able pupils. This helps all pupils, including the most able, to make good progress in lessons.  Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and usually ensure that the pace of learning and level of challenge enables pupils to be fully involved in their learning. Occasionally the pace of learning can slow, and pupils lose concentration too quickly and become disengaged.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The feedback provided to pupils by teachers is consistently of a high standard in every class. Pupils are allowed time to read and respond to marking, and are developing in their ability to assess their own work and judge whether they have been successful. This supports their next steps in learning very well.  Questioning is used well to check pupils’ knowledge and understanding, pupils’ answers being usually right or wrong. Sometimes, questioning does not allow pupils to answer at length, challenge pupils’ thinking or stretch their understanding.  In mathematics, basic skills are taught very well and consolidated regularly. Work in books shows that a range of areas across the mathematics curriculum are taught regularly. In a Year 5 lesson, pupils were able to use their knowledge of the six times table to convert hours and minutes to minutes, and in Year 3 pupils successfully completed column subtraction with three-digit numbers, some using place value

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

counters and place value mats to deepen their understanding.  Although pupils regularly use and practise their number calculation skills, they do not yet have regular opportunities to justify and explain their reasoning in open-ended mathematical problem-solving activities.  Pupils write enthusiastically and with imagination, often because their writing is linked to the topic they are studying, and because of teachers’ excellent subject knowledge. In Year 6, a video clip ‘Partly Cloudy’ enabled pupils to develop their own word bank to describe feelings and emotions before writing a formal letter of resignation as Peck the Stork. In Year 2, pupils successfully wrote a different ending to the book ‘The leopard’s drum’ by Jessica Souhami, supported by a sequenced story map that they had drawn. In all classes, pupils wrote neatly with excellent presentation.  Reading and the teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) are carefully developed

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

from early years into key stage 1, and as a result most pupils get off to a fast start in their reading. Skills are deepened as pupils move through school, the school library motivating pupils to read widely and often.  Teaching assistants and teachers work closely together to ensure that timely and constructive support and advice is given to pupils, including those who have special educational needs or disability. The quality of support is high, whether working with an individual or a group.

p.4

Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupil’s personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils show respect and care for others. They value their classmates’ opinions, and work happily, cooperatively and enthusiastically in lessons. Attitudes to learning are very good, although occasionally a few pupils can become disengaged and lose concentration.  Pupils thrive in the positive and caring school environment. Fatfield’s recently established core values of being ‘respectful, considerate, unique, supportive, proud and responsible’ are seen across school and celebrated in the special weekly assembly. Pupils’ physical and emotional well-being is very good.  Pupils report that they feel very safe at all times. They are aware of the different types of bullying that they may encounter, including cyber bullying. They are confident that adults will deal with any misbehaviour that may occur.  Pupils are very proud of their school, and have many opportunities to be involved and take decisions,

p.4

Personal development and welfare

such as being head boy or girl, or being part of the very active school council.  In their responses to the online questionnaire, all parents reported that their children are safe at school.

p.4

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Staff set high standards to which pupils respond well. Most pupils’ behaviour in the playground, in the dining hall, in the breakfast and after-school clubs and as they move around school is very good.  Occasionally a very small number of pupils run and shout in corridors when unsupervised.  Pupils are polite, courteous and display excellent manners, holding doors open for staff and visitors.  The school has worked hard to raise the levels of attendance which are now broadly average, but a small number of pupils are still persistently absent.  Pupils respond eagerly to the bright and attractive learning environments around school. There are many impressive displays in shared areas and classrooms of the topics studied, pupils’ work and key information. The school is very well ordered and tidy.

p.5

Outcomes for pupils are good

 Progress and attainment have improved since the last inspection. Assessment information, the school’s own developing tracking information and the quality of work in books in every year group clearly indicate that pupils are making consistently good progress in English and mathematics, as well as other subjects across the curriculum.  Pupils start Year 1 with skills that are broadly those expected for their age. Achievement has improved since the last inspection, and pupils are making progress that is at least good in Years 1 and 2. Pupils have again achieved well in the national phonics check in Year 1, the proportion meeting the expected standard being well above average, and every child reaching the standard by the end of Year 2.  Progress is accelerating across key stage 2. Current pupils are now making at least good progress in their learning from their individual starting points. The progress of a few older pupils slowed when the quality

p.5

Outcomes for pupils are good

of teaching and learning required improvement, and even though they are now making more rapid progress, they have not yet had enough time to catch up.  By the end of Year 6, pupils are well prepared for secondary school, both in terms of academic achievement and in their knowledge of how to be a successful learner.  The progress of the most-able pupils in every year group matches that of their classmates, and is at least good. Activities are carefully planned to stretch their thinking and provide appropriate challenge.  The school is quick to identify any pupils who are at risk of falling behind. Staff make effective provision for these pupils either in class, in small groups or individually. This includes pupils who have special educational needs or disability. These pupils all make good progress because teachers give them activities well matched to their needs and abilities.  As a result of effective use of pupil premium funding, the small number of disadvantaged pupils in each

p.5

Outcomes for pupils are good

class make good progress in both English and mathematics. Although they make similarly good progress as their classmates, in some classes and subjects they are slightly behind, and in some they are ahead.

p.5

Early years provision is good

 Children are eager to learn and explore. They enjoy the opportunities given to investigate and learn happily together. Reception and Nursery children’s play is lively and imaginative.  Children start early years with skills and knowledge which are typical for their age, but some children can be slightly below this. As a result of good teaching and provision, careful observation and good questioning, the proportion of children who leave Reception with a good level of development is improving year on year and is now slightly above average.  Children quickly learn essential social and emotional skills, and are able to take turns, share and apply themselves to tasks. Their behaviour is consistently good.  Adults observe children carefully and build upon their interests, using questions well to stimulate their imagination and curiosity. The best teaching was seen when some adults were able to support and work

p.5

Early years provision is good

alongside children, carefully facilitating their learning through imaginative play.  There is a wide range of interesting and engaging activities for children both inside and in the small outside space. One group of children were excited to explore the wider school grounds to search for minibeasts. Much work has recently been done to improve the inside learning environment, but much more remains to be done.  Rigorous, accurate assessment of children’s learning is now used well to design and plan lessons that capture children’s interests and build rapidly upon existing foundations. All staff have an awareness of the unique learning needs of each child, and use this knowledge to capitalise on every opportunity to both check and further each child’s development.  Basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics are promoted effectively. Every opportunity is taken to provide children with opportunities to write, make marks and count. Some boys enthusiastically drew

p.5

Early years provision is good

letters on the ground outside with water and paint brushes. A group of Nursery children searched for pictures of ladybirds around the setting, reading the printed number on each card, and some were able to count the ladybird’s spots.  All groups of children make typical progress, including the most able, those who have special educational needs or disability, and disadvantaged pupils. They leave Reception ready to make a fast start in Year 1. However, not all children are yet making consistently high rates of progress across early years.  Leaders are vigilant in all aspects of safety and safeguarding children’s welfare. Judging by the confidence and fun with which children play and learn, they clearly feel very safe and secure.  The new leader of early years has very quickly identified key areas for improvement, and has acted immediately to address the most important issues. She is skilfully establishing a dedicated team of staff

p.6

Early years provision is good

who are refining their practice in order to develop the highest standards of teaching. There are very well thought-through plans to make further improvements, and a sense of drive and urgency to offer the best possible provision for the children.

p.6

School details

Unique reference number 108810 Local authority Sunderland Inspection number 10012044

p.7

School details

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

p.7

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 227 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Karen Hartley Headteacher Elaine Pattison Telephone number 0191 2193710 Website www.fatfieldprimary.co.uk Email address Fatfield.primary@schools.sunderland.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 19–20 June 2014

p.7

Information about this school

 Fatfield Primary School is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school.  The large majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is below average.  The proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium funding is below average. (This is additional government funding to support those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and children looked after.)  Early years provision is full time in both the Nursery and Reception classes.  The school provides a breakfast club and an after-school club each day.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Since the last inspection, a new headteacher, deputy headteacher and four new teachers have been appointed to the school.

p.7

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed learning in lessons, including one jointly observed with the headteacher. In addition, the inspectors listened to some pupils read and reviewed a sample of their work alongside the headteacher and deputy headteacher. The inspectors also made a few short visits to lessons.  The inspectors held meetings with different groups of people involved with the school. These groups included pupils, governors, the headteacher and deputy headteacher, other members of the teaching staff and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors viewed a range of documents, including information on pupils’ achievements, the school’s data on the current and recent progress of pupils, and the school’s view on how well it is doing. The inspectors also viewed the school improvement plan, documents relating to safeguarding and records of behaviour and attendance.  The inspectors took account of the 32 responses to Parent View, responses to the school’s own

p.8

Information about this inspection

questionnaire for parents in September 2015 and March 2016, and the responses to the inspection questionnaire for staff. The school’s website was also scrutinised.

p.8

Inspection team

Philip Scott, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector James Hannah Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-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 .

p.8

Inspection team

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

Inspection team

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 .

p.9

Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

p.9

Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspection team

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

p.9