Fawcett Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Fawcett Primary School Alpha Terrace, Trumpington, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 9FS

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Inspection dates: 30 November and 1 December 2021

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Outcome

Fawcett Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school. They experience a broad curriculum that extends their knowledge and interests across a wide range of subjects. Pupils work hard in lessons. They listen carefully and explore ideas together. Pupils enjoy taking part in trips because this helps them remember more about their learning. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say they feel part of a community where everyone is valued. Pupils help leaders make decisions that improve the school. Elected members of the school council take their role seriously in representing their peers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and at breaktimes. Classrooms are calm places to be. Children in the early years foundation stage learn the routines that help them to be successful in school. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. Pupils feel safe. They are confident that adults will help them resolve any worries or issues they may have. Incidents of bullying are rare. Pupils know the importance of speaking up if they think that bullying could be taking place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are positive about the school. They appreciate the dedication and kindness of staff, and the support their children receive that helps them to be confident in their learning.

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

Since the previous inspection, leaders have developed the school’s curriculum. In most subjects, leaders have developed detailed plans that clearly show the sequence of knowledge that pupils should learn in each subject. Teachers plan lessons that build on what pupils have learned before. In mathematics, for example, teachers ensure that pupils understand and can apply their knowledge before moving on to new learning. Pupils use the knowledge they gain in history to explore why things happened, make comparisons, and consider different perspectives. Pupils are making good progress across 30 November and 1 December 2021

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the curriculum. Leaders recognise that there is still work to do to ensure that the curriculum is equally strong in all subjects.

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Leaders ensure that the curriculum is ambitious for all pupils. The curriculum is adapted particularly well in English and mathematics to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Although pupils are well supported in lessons, leaders acknowledge that the curriculum for the foundation subjects is less well adapted for pupils with SEND to learn independently alongside their peers.

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Leaders have put in place a systematic programme for teaching synthetic phonics and early reading. All staff are well trained to teach phonics. In phonics lessons, teachers model sounds clearly and consistently. Pupils regularly practise the sounds they are learning. This helps them secure their phonics knowledge from an early age. Pupils confidently apply their phonics to decode less-familiar words in reading. Assessment is used well to identify pupils who may need additional support to help them keep up with the phonics programme. Older pupils who are less-confident readers are supported well to build their reading fluency. Leaders promote reading across the school. Pupils enjoy reading and being read to regularly.

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Children in the early years foundation stage are making a positive start to school. Through games and small-group activities, children learn to listen carefully to adults and to each other. Children are supported well to develop their social skills so that they can learn and play well together. The early years foundation stage curriculum supports children well to develop their language and communication, as well as their mathematical understanding.

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The curriculum supports pupils’ personal development well. Messages are reinforced through assemblies and through the school’s values. Pupils learn that we have rights and responsibilities as citizens. Pupils learn to respect each other and celebrate each other’s differences. Pupils learn about relationships and how to understand their own and others’ emotions. Pupils are reflective. They develop empathy and recognise how their actions and choices can affect others. School clubs and extra-curricular activities have been affected by the pandemic. School trips have resumed as well as a number of after-school clubs.

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The governing body is well established. Governors bring relevant experience and knowledge to their roles. Governors understand their statutory duties, including safeguarding. Governors take part in regular training. Governors work strategically. They carefully check that leaders’ actions are effective in improving the quality of education for all pupils. Governors challenge and support school leaders well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. Staff are vigilant. Staff are well informed and receive regular safeguarding training. They are alert to the signs of 30 November and 1 December 2021

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potential abuse. Leaders have adopted systems for reporting and reviewing safeguarding concerns that are efficient. These systems enable leaders to respond quickly and support families to access the help they need. Governors carry out their statutory duties diligently. Pupils learn what to do to keep themselves and others safe, including online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, such as geography, leaders have not fully refined their curriculum plans. Pupils do not build strong enough knowledge in these subjects. Leaders need to review the curriculum in these subjects to ensure pupils achieve well.  The provision for pupils with SEND is not as strong in the foundation subjects as it is in English and mathematics. Pupils with SEND do not achieve consistently well across all subjects. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is adapted equally well 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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 28 June 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

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 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. 30 November and 1 December 2021

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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. 30 November and 1 December 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10199885 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Elizabeth Woodham and Gavin Davies

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 June 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Fawcett Primary School is part of the Trumpington Federation with Trumpington Meadows School. Fawcett Primary School and Trumpington Meadows Primary School are registered separately with the Department for Education. Each school is inspected separately by Ofsted.  The executive headteacher has responsibility for both schools.  There is a single federation governing body. The two co-chairs of governors were appointed in September 2018 and September 2021 respectively.  Fawcett Primary has grown to become a two-form entry school.  There is a nursery provision for children from the ages of three.  The federation runs a breakfast- and after-school club for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation.  The inspector met with the executive headteacher, the head of school, and members of the leadership team. 30 November and 1 December 2021

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 The inspector met with the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo).  The inspector met with the co-chairs of governors and seven members of the governing body.  The inspector spoke to a representative of the local authority on the telephone.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, and history. The inspector met with subject leaders, visited lessons, looked at curriculum plans, spoke with pupils, looked at pupils’ books, and met with teachers for these subjects. The inspector also observed pupils reading.  The inspector reviewed information available on the school’s website, including school policies and information about the curriculum.  The inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead, the family partnership worker, and the human resources officer to discuss the arrangements in place to safeguard all members of the school community.  The inspector scrutinised the single central record of pre-employment checks and the

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school’s safeguarding records.  The inspector reviewed records of behaviour, including incidents of bullying. The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at breaktimes.  The inspector visited the after-school club and spoke with pupils and members of staff.  The inspector considered the 45 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including 31 free- text comments. The inspector reviewed the 22 responses to the staff survey and the 68 responses to the pupil survey. The inspector also met with members of staff and with pupils to gather their views of the school.

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Inspection team

Katherine Douglas, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 30 November and 1 December 2021

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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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