Fairways Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Fairways Primary School The Fairway, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex SS9 4QW

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Outcome

Fairways Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to school. They enjoy being with their many friends. Pupils are respectful and accepting of each other’s differences. They learn in a kind, loving and calm place where they flourish in their learning and in their relationships.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know what is expected of them because adults are consistent and fair. Pupils respect school rules and the school’s core values of respect, responsibility and perseverance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils listen to their teachers and other adults in school. They concentrate on their work and try their best. They behave well. As a result, pupils make good progress in their learning. They take pride in their achievements and the achievements of others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe. Relationships in school are very positive and bullying is extremely rare. Pupils know that if bullying does occur there are adults whom they can turn to for help. They trust that adults will help sort the problem out and ensure it does not happen again.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about a range of families and people in the world in their lessons and in the books that they read. They are proud that everyone in their community is different.

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

Leaders have developed an aspirational and broad curriculum. They have laid out the key knowledge that teachers must teach and when they must teach it. In most subjects, this includes the key vocabulary pupils need to know. A few subjects are in an earlier stage of development. In these subjects, leaders have not yet been clear about the precise knowledge, and vocabulary, that pupils need to learn. Teachers are not as clear about which aspects of learning are the most important to assess. Pupils do not recall their learning as well in these few subjects. 12 and 13 July 2023

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Teachers have effective training to support them to deliver the curriculum. They use the plans and resources provided for them to deliver interesting lessons. In most subjects, they help pupils to remember previous learning, including vocabulary, before introducing new learning. In a few subjects, leaders are still working on identifying these key words, so that teachers are clear about the vocabulary that pupils need to remember.

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Teachers encourage pupils to discuss questions with others before answering. This helps all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), grow in confidence and independence. Pupils are keen to answer questions and demonstrate what they have learned. They enjoy their learning. Learning is rarely interrupted by poor behaviour.

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Leaders prioritise reading. They have worked effectively to develop a culture that encourages pupils to love reading and books. This is enhanced by the well-loved library, which is used by all pupils. Early reading is taught well. Teachers use the same routines and resources to help pupils remember their learning. Pupils who are in the very early stages of reading learn from books that match the sounds that they know. Teachers help pupils to remember the sounds in the books they read before they start reading. They provide extra support and teaching if pupils need more help to keep up. This helps pupils become fluent, confident readers who enjoy reading. Older pupils like to read more complex texts and enjoy discussing what they read.

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Pupils with SEND are supported effectively to achieve well. They take part in all lessons with their classmates. Pupils’ individual needs are identified accurately. Leaders provide precise guidance to teachers about what will help each pupil. Pupils with SEND, including those in the speech and language resource base, learn well and make strong progress.

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Children in the early years have a good start to their learning. They have positive attitudes to their learning and play. Children learn to concentrate for long periods in the classroom and outdoors. They listen to their teachers and talk about their learning with their friends. They persist when things become difficult. Children are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Pupils enjoy a wide range of opportunities to develop personally. Leaders prioritise this aspect of pupils’ learning. Pupils take part in a range of sports, music and community events. They can stand for election as school councillors and become eco-councillors. Pupils visit a range of places of worship to help them learn about world religions and cultures.

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Governors know the school and community well. Consequently, they understand the priorities for the school and focus on them. They support leaders in managing the workload of staff. Staff appreciate this support and are proud to work at Fairways. 12 and 13 July 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders receive a low number of concerns about pupils in the school. However, leaders train staff well in the range of risks that pupils may experience. Staff record any concerns quickly. Leaders work with a range of agencies to ensure that pupils are kept safe. Leaders carry out appropriate checks on staff to ensure they are suitable before they are employed in the school.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn to keep themselves safe through the well-planned curriculum. They learn how to keep safe online and how to maintain healthy relationships and friendships.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A small number of subjects do not contain all of the key knowledge pupils need to know, including key vocabulary. Teachers do not have clear enough guidance on the knowledge that is most important for pupils to remember in these subjects and do not assess this knowledge effectively. Leaders must ensure that they identify the important knowledge that pupils should learn in all subjects. They should ensure that teachers are clear about which important subject knowledge they need to assess so that pupils acquire the knowledge that leaders intend in all areas of the curriculum.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2012.

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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. 12 and 13 July 2023

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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 July 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 February 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a breakfast and after-school club for pupils from the school.  The school runs a specialist provision for 15 pupils aged four to seven with speech, language and communication special educational needs. This is called the speech and language resource base.  The school uses one registered alternative provider of education for a small number of pupils who need it.

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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 carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and science. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with leaders, looked at leaders’ planning, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work with leaders, spoke to pupils and spoke to teachers.  The inspector observed some pupils reading to familiar adults. 12 and 13 July 2023

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 The inspector also looked at plans and pupils’ work from the history and art curriculum.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other senior leaders and members of staff. Meetings were also held with those responsible for governance and the school’s improvement partner.  The single central record of recruitment and vetting checks and leaders’ records of safeguarding were examined. The inspector spoke with teachers and pupils about safeguarding and met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead.  The inspector took account of 94 responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey for parents, including 35 comments from the free-text facility.  The inspector also considered 38 responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Debbie Rogan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 July 2023

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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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