Falkland Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Falkland Primary School Andover Road, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 6NU

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Outcome

Falkland Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at school and feel well cared for. One pupil said, ‘It’s like a second home.’ Leaders are aspirational for pupils and determined to give them the best possible education. Staff have designed a curriculum that ensures pupils achieve well. Teachers have high expectations of pupils, and they plan tasks to challenge their thinking.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they feel safe at school. They are well behaved and show great respect for each other and their teachers. Pupils are clear that there is very little bullying and that it is unacceptable. They say that if they have any problems of this sort, staff help them to sort things out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils particularly like attending the activities provided outside of the school day. These include an extensive range of extra-curricular activities and clubs. The school provides well for pupils who show an aptitude for music and sports.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are positive about the school. They appreciate the warmth, care and the curriculum opportunities that the school provides. The thoughts of many parents were summed up by one who said, ‘This is a great school that my daughter loves to attend, and she is excelling in her work.’

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

School leaders make sure that pupils have a broad and interesting education. They are ambitious for pupils in each area of the curriculum. In most subjects, teachers plan lessons which build pupils’ knowledge and skills well. Staff set clear expectations of what they want children to learn. Teachers across the school receive high-quality training. This helps them to spot when pupils are finding work too easy or too hard. Teachers use this information to amend their teaching.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have created a curriculum that ensures pupils succeed. Staff know pupils’ needs well, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or 15–16 January 2020

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disabilities. Pupils who need extra help receive insightful guidance from staff in The Den (a part of the school specifically used to support pupils with additional needs). As a result, any gaps in their knowledge and understanding are addressed thoroughly.

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Leaders plan strong links between different subjects for all pupils. This develops their understanding across the breadth of the curriculum. Leaders have improved teachers’ skills, especially in the teaching of mathematics and reading. However, curriculum planning in a small number of foundation subjects, such as history, is not yet as effective as in other areas.

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Leaders have made reading a priority. Pupils start learning phonics from the start of Reception. They follow a well-planned phonics programme that helps pupils to read words accurately. Leaders make sure that pupils who need more help to become fluent readers get the practice that they need. Pupils love listening to the class novels at the end of the school day. Teachers and support staff ask pupils challenging questions about these texts and the books read by pupils. For example, Year 5 pupils’ thinking was stretched when reading ‘Holes’. They had to justify how someone might be able to ‘own’ shade.

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Pupils’ behaviour contributes positively to their achievement. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning. They listen attentively to staff. Pupils act carefully on the guidance they get to help them improve their work. They concentrate well. This helps them to produce good-quality work in a wide range of subjects, including art and geography.

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Leaders provide rich opportunities to support pupils’ personal development. Leaders want pupils to be responsible and caring. Pupils act as sports leaders to develop their leadership and organisational abilities. Staff use discussions during lessons well to improve pupils’ social and communication skills.

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Children in the early years experience an exciting curriculum. Children are enthusiastic and happy. Staff have strong knowledge of the areas of learning that they teach. Consequently, children achieve well. Staff teach phonics in a logical way. Teachers plan numerous opportunities across all areas of learning to increase the number of sounds and words children know. Staff check that the books children read help them to remember the sounds that they have been learning in class.

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Leaders engage meaningfully with staff to plan their work carefully. Staff have additional time to complete important tasks. Leaders work well to ensure that staff use their time planning how they will deliver the curriculum successfully to all groups of pupils.

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Governors bring a strong set of skills to their role. This helps them to support and challenge school leaders appropriately. They understand the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum and where it can be further improved.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 15–16 January 2020

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Leaders, including governors, make sure that appropriate checks are made on all adults who work with pupils at the school. Staff receive regular training. They understand what to do if they have concerns about a child. Safeguarding concerns are followed up in a timely way. Staff work well with a range of external agencies to support vulnerable pupils and their families. This extra help supports pupils’ well-being. Pupils feel safe in school and are taught how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small minority of subjects, curriculum planning does not always make it clear what specific skills pupils need to learn in order to move on. Leaders need to ensure that curriculum planning is consistently strong across all subjects.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged Falkland Primary School to be good on 8 February 2012.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 15–16 January 2020

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 15–16 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10122267 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.falklandprimaryschool.org.uk

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Information about this school

 The school is a two-form entry primary school, with three classes in Year 6.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the inclusion leader, members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and teaching and non-teaching staff.  Pupils were listened to reading with staff and a meeting was held with a group of pupils to gather their views.  I considered the views of staff through the 36 responses to Ofsted’s online survey and in face-to-face discussions.  Parents views were taken account of on the school playground at the end of the school day. The views of the 142 parents who responded to Parent View and the free-text facility were also considered.  I did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and physical education. I had a discussion with subject leaders, made visits to lessons, met with teachers, spoke with pupils and looked at their work. I also visited the early years. 15–16 January 2020

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Inspection team

Richard Blackmore, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 15–16 January 2020

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regulates and inspects to 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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