Farsley Springbank Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Farsley Springbank Primary School Wesley Street, Farsley, Pudsey, West Yorkshire LS28 5LE

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 October 2022

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Outcome

Farsley Springbank Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a joyful school. When the inspector visited, pupils were enthusiastically preparing for a regional singing event. They were engaged in street dance and flamenco dancing. There are trips to local mills as part of the history curriculum and several trips took place during the inspection. Pupils were very enthusiastic about these clubs and trips. The extra-curricular offer is a strength of the school. Leaders ensure that these opportunities are open to all pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The ‘No Outsiders’ programme helps pupils to respect each other and feel comfortable being themselves. This means that bullying is very rare. When it does happen, pupils are confident that an adult will help them. Pupils love lessons. They try hard and are committed to doing well. This is because adults have consistently clear expectations of behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils support children in early years at social times. They help them in the dining hall and enjoy the sense of responsibility. This happens in other areas of the school as well. For example, many pupils want to become librarians. Pupils told the inspector that their teachers are very kind and make them welcome at school. There are very respectful relationships between adults and pupils.

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

Leaders plan an ambitious curriculum, which begins in early years. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), study this curriculum. Subject leaders have been given time to develop curriculum plans. They are also given time to check on how teachers deliver the curriculum. Planning makes clear to teachers the essential knowledge that pupils should have. In history, for example, there is a clear focus on the vocabulary pupils will need at different stages of their education. Pupils in Year 4 spoke to the inspector about the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods. Trips related to the history curriculum helped pupils to understand the experiences of soldiers 12 and 13 October 2022

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in the First World War. Children in Reception develop a good understanding of their personal history to prepare them for Year 1.

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Teachers regularly check what pupils have learned. In mathematics lessons, for example, they ensure that there are regular opportunities for pupils to recall previous learning. Many pupils take part in the ‘morning work’ before school starts, where they practise mathematical calculations. This helps pupils to remember what they learn. They use terms such as ‘fraction’ and ‘decimal’ with understanding. Pupils in Year 6 explained the difference between long and short division with confidence. Sometimes, in mathematics lessons, teachers do not ensure that pupils show their understanding clearly using the written methods they have been taught.

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Pupils are enthusiastic readers. This is because of leaders’ strong focus on reading. Pupils in older years enjoy books from the ‘challenge library’. Staff teaching those at the early stages of reading have received training in the phonics system the school uses. Routines around reading are therefore incredibly strong. This means that pupils quickly become confident readers. The inspector saw pupils in Year 1 reading with great expression. This is because teachers expertly support pupils. Pupils who need extra help receive targeted support so that they can keep up. Almost all children in Reception have already developed a good pen grip because reading activities move seamlessly into writing activities.

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The atmosphere in school is very respectful. Pupils follow teachers’ instructions quickly and trust teachers to keep them safe. Pupils help each other with learning and enjoy talking to one another about the activities that teachers plan. They show independence. Teachers know pupils well and adaptations in lessons help pupils with SEND.

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Almost all parents and carers who answered Ofsted’s survey had very positive views of the school. The inspector agrees. Leaders have established a school environment where morale is high. Staff are very proud to work at this school. Leaders listen to staff and take action to help them meet the demands of the job. For example, subject leadership is often shared so that staff can work together on developing the curriculum. This helps to build a supportive atmosphere. Governors ensure that they collect the views of pupils and staff in a variety of ways, for example through surveys, school visits and discussions with pupils and teachers. As a result, governors understand the school well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders keep clear records in relation to safeguarding. These show that actions to help children are timely. Communication with parents is clear. There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Leaders make appropriate checks on adults working with children and keep their records under regular review to ensure that these are up to date. Governors challenge leaders about the systems used to keep children safe.

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Safeguarding

Staff are confident about the systems for reporting concerns. Leaders provide regular safeguarding scenarios to staff to ensure that they understand how to respond to 12 and 13 October 2022

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different situations. This means that safeguarding is high on the agenda of adults in the school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, teachers do not make it clear to pupils when they should apply the methods they have been taught in mathematics. This means that there can be variation in the way in which pupils apply these methods. Some pupils miss opportunities to practise using these methods. Leaders should ensure that there are consistently applied policies so that staff make it clear to pupils when to apply written methods to their work in mathematics.

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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 an ungraded inspection and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2017.

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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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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. 12 and 13 October 2022

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provision

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

11 and 12 July 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, Farsley Springbank has become a primary school for pupils from Reception to Year 6. This process of converting from a junior school was under way at the previous inspection.  The school makes no use of alternative provision.  The chair of governors has taken up post since the previous inspection.  There have been some changes in leadership positions since the previous inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 12 and 13 October 2022

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 The inspector spoke to the headteacher and other senior leaders. They also met with a group of governors, including the chair of governors, and spoke to a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work, including pupils with SEND.  The inspector also looked at curriculum plans for science, design and technology, and personal, social and health education (PSHE).  The inspector spoke to teachers of the Reception class and spent time in the early years provision.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector spoke to leaders for safeguarding, scrutinised the single central record and looked at a sample of personnel files. The inspector also

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spoke to pupils and staff about safeguarding and looked at the ways in which leaders keep records relating to safeguarding incidents. The inspector also spoke to leaders and pupils about bullying and looked at records related to bullying.  The inspector observed social times and spoke to pupils informally at lunchtime.  The inspector visited extra-curricular clubs and spoke to pupils about these clubs. The inspector spoke to leaders about the PSHE curriculum and the organisation of extra- curricular activities.  The inspector spoke to parents and took account of the views of parents, pupils and staff through surveys, including by looking at responses to Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Matthew Vellensworth, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 12 and 13 October 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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