Farmor's School

Inspection of Farmor's School The Park, Fairford, Gloucestershire, GL7 4JQ

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 September 2021

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 21 and 22 September 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Farmor’s is a happy school. Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy their time here. They say that their teachers are kind and thoughtful and that they enjoy their lessons. Pupils are courteous, polite and have a strong self-belief and confidence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very well. They conduct themselves well in lessons, and at social times. Pupils say that bullying is very rare, but if it does happen staff manage it well. Pupils feel that staff listen to their voice, and they feel well respected. As a result, pupils feel safe and able to speak to staff of any concerns that they might have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that ‘you can be who you are without judgement’. They describe a community in which pupils of all year groups work together, support each other and that is very tolerant.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are many opportunities for the pupils to take part in activities beyond the school day and there is a very good take-up of these. There are many, diverse activities, such as chess, horse riding, and drama that pupils really enjoy.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, leaders have improved the content and structure of the curriculum markedly in many subjects. As a result, the quality of education is good.

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better?

The curriculum is sufficiently demanding in most subjects. In English, for example, the analysis of classic and complex texts provides pupils with rich learning opportunities. The focus on the development of vocabulary further supports pupils' language development. Staff have high expectations of pupils in class and, as a result, they work hard. Pupils read regularly, the school library is well used and those who need to improve their reading are given the help they need to catch up.

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better?

Most teachers make precise checks on what pupils know and can do. They adapt their teaching plans accordingly and use their assessments to ensure that sequences of work provide pupils with the essential knowledge they should gain.

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better?

Many middle leaders carry out their roles and responsibilities very well. However, a few middle leaders are still developing their roles. For example, a few do not assure themselves of the content and sequencing of curriculum plans and how well pupils are learning the curriculum. As such, in a few areas of the curriculum, notably languages, the curriculum is not so well planned. Some key content is not as clearly identified to support pupils developing deeper knowledge and skills. 21 and 22 September 2021

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Leaders and teachers ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Their social, emotional, and academic needs are met well. As a result, these pupils make good progress across the curriculum.

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Pupils make many contributions to the wider life of the school. For example, in sixth form, students take part in a shadow leadership group. They make strong contributions to the improvement of the school in their work as ambassadors for bullying and buddy prefects.

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Students in the sixth form appreciate the depth of subject knowledge that their teachers bring to the classroom. This supports in-depth discussions, using complex subject specific vocabulary. The sixth form prides itself on meeting the needs of its students, who follow a wide range of academic courses. The option to study for three years supports students’ access to the sixth form.

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Careers education and guidance are strong and used well by pupils. The school provides good quality, meaningful opportunities for pupils to encounter the world of work. Pupils have unlimited access to a professional to talk through and explore pathways to careers. The school’s careers programme meets the Gatsby Benchmarks and the requirements of the Baker Clause.

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The school has effective systems in place to support pupils to develop positive attitudes to learning. Pupils behave well and take pride in their work.

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The school is strongly committed to the personal development of its pupils. Leaders have sequenced an extensive personal, social health and economic education curriculum that meets the statutory relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education requirements. It is designed so that areas such as healthy relationships are revisited frequently, and pupils can build on prior knowledge.

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Governors fulfil their duties well. Staff feel well supported by leaders, who manage staff workload effectively. Staff training and development are well organised, aligned with the school’s priorities and staff say it is valuable.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is very well led and managed at the school, students feel safe and able to speak about concerns to a member of staff. As a result, the school identifies those pupils who need help and secure it promptly. The school has responded with considerable sensitivity to the recent publication on sexual harassment in schools and this is informing ongoing improvements in its provision for safeguarding. Safeguarding principles are effectively woven into the curriculum. This enables pupils to recognise online and offline risks to their well-being and makes them aware of the support available to them.

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Safeguarding

Leaders’ recruitment of staff follows recommendations on safer recruitment. 21 and 22 September 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not yet secured a foreign languages curriculum that is well structured and ambitious for all pupils. As a result, pupils’ knowledge and understanding are less secure than in other subjects. Leaders need to secure a strong curriculum that ensures pupils gain all the knowledge they should, so they achieve well in foreign languages.  Some heads of department are developing their roles. They do not assure themselves of how well the curriculum is implemented and learned. As such, in some subjects, leaders do not identify when curriculum plans are not well sequenced, or they are not sufficiently demanding. Leaders must ensure that all middle leaders have the expertise to carry out their roles effectively so that they assure themselves that pupils gain all the knowledge they should in every subject.

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How can I feedback my views?

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

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How can I feedback my views?

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

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How can I feedback 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.

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Further information

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.

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School details

Unique reference number 137097 21 and 22 September 2021

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Inspection number 10200945 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1020

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 7–8 November 2017

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Information about this school

 Farmor’s School is an average sized secondary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was the first that the school had received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Inspectors considered the impact of the pandemic upon the school, leaders responses and took these into account within the inspection.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, members of the trust, and governors, including the chair of governors.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, and foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors 21 and 22 September 2021

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met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning, and considered samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about other subjects.  Meetings were held with the designated safeguarding leader to gather evidence on the school’s work to safeguard pupils.  Inspectors observed the behaviour of pupils in classrooms and around school. Inspectors also met with leaders to consider aspects of pupils’ personal development, including careers education.  An inspector met with early career teachers to consider how leaders support their professional development.  Inspectors considered 56 responses to the Ofsted staff survey, alongside 15 responses to the survey for pupils and 150 responses to the online questionnaire Ofsted Parent View, including 99 free-text responses from parents.

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Inspection team

Malcolm Willis, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jenny Maraspin Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 September 2021

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