Fairway Primary School and Children's Centre

Inspection of a good school: Fairway Primary School and Children's Centre The Fairway, London NW7 3HS

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 September 2022

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Outcome

Fairway Primary School and Children's Centre continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders work hard to build a united community. They help parents and carers to support their children’s learning. Relationships between school staff and parents are strong. Pupils are kept safe and feel safe because there are clear systems in place to support them if any problems arise. Bullying is rare and leaders deal with any such incidents effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff expect pupils to do well. Leaders work hard to identify the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language. Leaders adapt subjects appropriately. As a result, pupils learn well and produce work of good quality in a range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy, polite, and caring. They conduct themselves well in class and at breaktimes. They enjoy learning and try hard in lessons. Pupils appreciate opportunities to take on leadership roles within the school, such as being subject ambassadors. Some pupils told the inspector that they like having responsibilities because it prepares them for life as an adult. Pupils in the early years to Year 6 have opportunities to learn outside the classroom. This includes having access to a wide range of clubs.

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

Pupils learn to read fluently. This is because leaders have carefully planned the reading curriculum. Teachers are trained to teach phonics well. They check the letters and sounds pupils know and remember. Pupils who struggle to keep up with phonics and reading receive extra support. Pupils read books which are well matched to the sounds they learn. Leaders prioritise pupils’ language and communication from the age of two in the Nursery to Year 6. This is because they know that pupils need a broad vocabulary to become fluent readers and to learn well in other subjects.

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

Leaders make sure that subjects match the breadth of the national curriculum. Teachers and early years practitioners are knowledgeable about what they teach. They organise subjects so that pupils build knowledge and understanding from the early years. Staff give 28 and 29 September 2022

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children lots of opportunities to play, explore and explain their learning. Teachers and leaders use assessment information effectively to find out what pupils know about subjects. Typically, pupils learn well. However, occasionally, they are given work which is too difficult or does not make it clear what they need to know.

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Pupils interact well together. They enjoy a taking part in different activities in the playground. Pupils take turns and invite others to join their games. Teachers expect them to behave well and reward them when they do. Teachers take quick and effective action to ensure low-level disruption does not prevent learning. If a pupil is struggling, staff put extra support in place to ensure they are calm and ready to learn. Pupils with SEND are well supported. This is because staff understand their needs and what helps them to learn.

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Leaders have a clear focus on pupils’ personal development. Pupils learn to respect, value and celebrate a diverse range of faiths and cultures. They enjoy working collaboratively and regularly support each other in their learning. Leaders plan experiences for pupils that develop their understanding of the wider world, for example in the newly developed Forest School

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The school is well led. Leaders, including those responsible for governance, know the strengths of the school and have prioritised the right things to prioritise. Teachers and other staff feel well supported by leaders. They have lots of help to manage their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained to spot signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm. They know what to do if they have concerns. Where concerns arise, leaders refer them to the appropriate agencies swiftly.

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Safeguarding

Staff know children and their families well. They make sure that families access any early help that may be needed. Leaders work closely with pupils on the issue of online safety to make sure pupils know how to use using electronic devices safely.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some of the work pupils are given is too difficult or not focused on what pupils need to know. As a result, pupils do not develop their understanding in different areas as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that work provided is matched precisely to what they want pupils to know and remember. 28 and 29 September 2022

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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 January and February 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. 28 and 29 September 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211330 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 31 January and 1 February 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school makes use of one alternative provider.  The school has a children’s centre on site.  The school also manages an additional children’s centre in the local area.

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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 leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and assistant headteachers. The inspector also met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors and a school improvement partner from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, physical education and mathematics. 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. 28 and 29 September 2022

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 The inspector spoke to leaders about the curriculum in other subjects. The inspector also visited the Nursery class and the Forest School.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector met with the safeguarding leader and spoke with pupils and staff. The inspector examined a range of safeguarding documents and records, including the school’s record of checks made before staff are recruited.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documentation during the inspection, including school development plans and behaviour and attendance records.  The inspector gathered the views of pupils, parents and staff through discussions and by considering their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.  The inspector also met with Nursery and children’s centre strategic leader.

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Inspection team

Amy Jackson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 September 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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