Fender Primary School

Inspection of Fender Primary School New Hey Road, Woodchurch, Wirral, Merseyside CH49 8HB

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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 21 and 22 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those who attend the resourced-based provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), get a good deal at this school. Parents and carers are delighted with many aspects of the school’s work. They are particularly complimentary about the levels of care and attention afforded to pupils with SEND.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be members of the school community. Staff and pupils respect each other. Staff have high expectations of pupils and, as a result, pupils are motivated to work hard. Most pupils, including children in the early years, achieve well across a range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They know that they can talk to staff if they have any worries or concerns. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. For example, they play happily with their friends in the outdoor play area. Pupils are confident that if bullying does occur, that adults in school will sort it out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils contribute to decision-making in the school. For instance, those pupils who act as school councillors have been instrumental in introducing staggered play times and lunch times at the suggestion of their peers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to have raised money for charitable causes. The school therapy dog, Merlin, plays a key role in supporting those pupils who face challenges, including socially and emotionally.

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better?

The headteacher knows the school well. She is aware of the school’s strengths and the refinements that are needed to improve the quality of education further.

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better?

Pupils are taught the full range of national curriculum subjects. Most curriculums are logically planned and sequenced by leaders. In these subjects, leaders give teachers appropriate guidance about the key knowledge that pupils must learn and the order in which this content should be delivered. However, in a small number of subjects, leaders’ thinking about the knowledge that pupils should be taught is less clear. In addition, a few curriculums are relatively new and leaders have not had the same opportunity to check in depth that these curriculums are being delivered as well.

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better?

In lessons, most teachers explain new learning well. They routinely check on what pupils know and can remember. For the most part, pupils can recall prior learning confidently across a range of subjects such as history, geography, music and physical education.

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better?

Reading is taught consistently well by staff. Children begin their reading journey as soon as they enter the Reception class. They have fun reciting rhymes and listening 21 and 22 June 2022

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to stories. Right from the start, staff take every opportunity to develop children’s language skills. Pupils, including children in the early years, are familiar with the school’s phonics programme and respond to it well. Staff carefully match the books that pupils, include those with SEND, read to the letters, sounds and words that they know. Those pupils who fall behind receive extra support from skilled staff to help them to catch up. Older pupils talk enthusiastically about their favourite authors and the different types of books that they like to read.

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Most pupils listen well in class. Teachers deal effectively with those pupils who are struggling to regulate their behaviour. However, there are some pupils who do not attend school as regularly as they should. This impedes their learning and development.

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Highly skilled staff ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND, including those in the specially resourced based provision, and children in the early years are identified quickly. Curriculums are carefully adapted, through additional support and resources, to ensure that these pupils access the same learning as their friends. Whenever possible, pupils with SEND are included in all aspects of school life.

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Pupils access a varied range of activities beyond the academic curriculum such as clubs after school. They are aware of the importance of recycling plastic to help to look after the planet and of protecting endangered species. High levels of pastoral care are afforded to pupils to protect their mental health and well-being. Pupils are made aware of the dangers of knife crime and of gang-based violence.

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Governors work closely with leaders to continually improve the school. In essence, they offer senior leaders support and challenge in equal measure.

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Most staff enjoy working at the school. They appreciate all that leaders do to ensure that they have an acceptable work-life balance.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff recognise that everyone has a responsibility to keep pupils safe. They are all trained well to be alert to the signs of harm, abuse or neglect. Staff are fully aware of the risks in the local area relating to safeguarding. They are clear about the procedures they must follow if they are concerned about a child’s welfare. Leaders ensure that vulnerable families receive the support that they need.

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Safeguarding

Through the curriculum, pupils are taught to keep themselves safe. For instance, they understand what it means to be a good friend and they learn how to keep themselves safe when online. 21 and 22 June 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not ensured that teachers are as clear about the essential knowledge that they want pupils to learn. This hinders teachers in designing learning that supports pupils to deepen their knowledge in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that, in these subjects, teachers are clear about the knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which this content should be delivered.  A few subject curriculums are relatively new. In these subjects, leaders have not had the same opportunities to check that these curriculums are being delivered as well. This hampers leaders in providing appropriate support for some teachers to deliver certain aspects of subject curriculum content. Leaders should ensure that staff benefit from appropriate support to deliver these new curriculums effectively.  Some pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should. This prevents these

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

pupils from progressing well through subject curriculums. Leaders should continue to support these pupils and their families to attend school regularly so that pupils’ poor attendance does not impede their learning and development.

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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. 21 and 22 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10226181 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 December 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders access alternative provision with one registered provider.  The school has specially resourced based provision for up to 16 pupils with SEND. The provision caters for pupils with autism spectrum disorder. All pupils who access this provision have an education, health and care plan.

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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 the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and members of staff.  The lead inspector met with three members of the governing body. She also spoke with a representative of the local authority on the telephone. 21 and 22 June 2022

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 Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including that relating to safeguarding. They spoke to staff about safeguarding, their workload and well- being.  Inspectors observed behaviour as pupils moved around the school, in class, in the outdoor play area and in the dining hall.  The lead inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and to Ofsted’s online questionnaires for staff and pupils. She also took account of the school’s own questionnaire to parents.  Inspectors conducted deep dives into reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. The lead inspector listened to pupils read with a familiar adult. Inspectors also considered curriculums in other subjects.

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Inspection team

Sheila Iwaskow, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Paul Tomkow Her Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 June 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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