Farringdon Academy

Inspection of Farringdon Academy Archer Road, Farringdon, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear SR3 3DJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 1 and 2 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Farringdon Academy enjoy coming to school. This is because of the care the staff show them. Pupils are well mannered and friendly to staff and each other. Staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. They are determined that pupils gain the knowledge and skills they need to be successful, responsible members of the community. Pupils enjoy the responsibility of being ‘Well-being Champion’, ‘Head Boy’ and ‘Head Girl’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Right from the start, in Nursery, children are taught routines and how to manage their own behaviour and feelings. They behave well and settle quickly. Staff ensure they are taught language by singing songs and learning rhymes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kept safe and feel safe in school and on the playground because adults deal with any problems and disagreements pupils may have. Pupils say that if bullying did happen, they trust adults to sort it out. There are many activities for pupils to join in during breaktimes. Some of the games are led by adults, which helps keep pupils active.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders, teachers and teaching assistants are committed to supporting pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve well. Teachers check how well pupils are learning in lessons and if any pupils fall behind, teachers put support in place to help them catch up. As a result, pupils remember what they have been taught in most subjects.

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better?

Leaders have put right the issues identified at the time of the previous inspection. Since the previous inspection, leaders have revised the curriculum in all subjects, from early years to Year 6. The curriculum sets out the knowledge and skills that pupils should gain, year on year. Subject leaders have strong subject knowledge. They offer guidance and support to ensure staff are confident to deliver the curriculum. This is ensuring most pupils remember what they have been taught.

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better?

The reading curriculum is a strength of the school. The subject leader is knowledgeable about phonics and reading. She has expertise in the school’s programme for teaching phonics. She provides bespoke training to help all staff to deliver this programme. As a result, staff are skilled, and pupils are confident readers. Books that pupils read match the letters and sounds they know. Leaders have purchased books they know pupils will enjoy reading. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the books they read and stories that are read to them. This helps them to learn new vocabulary and deepen their knowledge of the subjects they are taught.

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better?

Pupils with SEND are supported extremely well. Leaders ensure these pupils get the right help to access the full curriculum. Leaders seek advice from experts outside of school. They make sure that professional services work with staff, pupils and families 1 and 2 March 2022

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to get them the support they need. Therefore, pupils with SEND access the curriculum fully.

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In mathematics, teachers ensure that pupils know more and remember more. They do this by reminding pupils of their previous learning and building on what they already know. Pupils enjoy lessons and remember what they have been taught. For example, they use their knowledge of times tables, addition and square numbers to solve problems in Year 6. Teachers use assessment successfully during lessons. This helps teachers to identify any gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills and ensure they catch up.

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Other curriculum subjects are planned in detail. In these subjects, core knowledge is detailed and builds year on year. Vocabulary linked to the subjects taught is planned carefully for pupils to learn. In some subjects, some pupils struggle to talk about what they have learned, including science, history and art. For example, pupils could not give details of the artists they have studied. This is because artist study is new to the curriculum, and the pandemic has disrupted learning.

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Before the pandemic, pupils enjoyed a range of opportunities, including outings and visits. COVID-19 has restricted the range of clubs and visits on offer. Leaders know they need to support pupils’ broader development by providing a wide range of creative and cultural experiences. Teachers encourage pupils to follow healthy lifestyles. For example, prior to the pandemic, in the gardening club, pupils grew vegetables and made soup. Pupils can talk to trained adults about their mental well- being. Pupils have opportunities to become school council representatives. They speak with enthusiasm about the responsibilities they have as members of the school council. Pupils enjoyed making their own poppies and raising money for the Royal British Legion. Older pupils show a respectful understanding of diversity and equality. However, younger pupils could not tell inspectors about cultures or beliefs different to their own.

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Trustees and governors challenge school leaders effectively. Governors and leaders share a common vision and have high expectations. Leaders are also supported and challenged by the local authority and external educational consultant. This helps leaders ensure improvement in the curriculum.

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Most staff speak positively about the support they receive for their professional development and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have created a culture where pupils are comfortable sharing their views. Staff know how to keep pupils safe because they know pupils well and receive regular training which gives them up-to-date knowledge. The most vulnerable pupils have dedicated adults whom they trust and can talk to if they need help. 1 and 2 March 2022

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Leaders follow up on concerns quickly and keep thorough records to support pupils’ well-being. Safeguarding records, including the school’s single central record of staff, are well maintained. Appropriate recruitment processes are in place.

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Through the curriculum, pupils learn how to stay safe in a variety of situations, including online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a minority of subjects, some pupils struggle to recall the key facts from the lessons they accessed during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, some pupils cannot use and apply crucial knowledge from previous learning to help them discuss more complex concepts. Leaders should continue to find out where pupils have gaps in their learning and ensure the curriculum enables pupils to catch up and make the progress that leaders intend.  The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted leaders’ development of the wider curriculum. Leaders are still in the process of re-implementing curriculum enrichment experiences that pupils accessed pre-pandemic. As a result, younger pupils have not had the experiences of older pupils to access education visits which would widen their knowledge of different cultures and beliefs. Leaders should make sure that appropriate enrichment opportunities are carefully identified and embedded into the curriculum.

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How can I feed back 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 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.

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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. 1 and 2 March 2022

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School details

Website www.farringdonacademy.co.uk/ Date of previous inspection 9 and 10 May 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The number of pupils attending the school has fallen since the previous inspection. This is due to families moving house.  The school makes use of one provider of alternative provision, The Link School, Sunderland.  There is a new chair of governors since the previous inspection.  The school runs a breakfast club on the school site.

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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 was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 1 and 2 March 2022

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, who is also the special educational needs coordinator, curriculum leaders, teachers and support staff.  The lead inspector held a virtual meeting with four representatives from the governing body, including the chair of trustees. She also held separate meetings with the chief executive headteacher of the trust, the school improvement officer and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science, art and design and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector also discussed the monitoring of behaviour, attendance and provision for pupils’ personal development.  To judge the effectiveness of safeguarding, the lead inspector scrutinised the

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single central record, checked the procedures for the safer recruitment of staff and held a meeting with the designated safeguarding lead and the family support officer. Inspectors met with staff to check their understanding of safeguarding and the impact of any training received.  The lead inspector considered the responses to the survey, Ofsted Parent View, including 10 free-text responses. In addition, inspectors considered 19 responses to the staff survey and 18 responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Kathryn McDonald, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

David Milligan Her Majesty’s Inspector 1 and 2 March 2022

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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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