Farsley Farfield Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Farsley Farfield Primary School Cote Lane, Farsley, Pudsey, West Yorkshire LS28 5ED

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2023

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Outcome

Farsley Farfield Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Farsley Farfield Primary School is a vibrant and happy place to learn. Pupils feel they belong here and see themselves as part of a diverse family. Adults inspire pupils to treat each other with kindness and respect. The school’s ‘learning hive’ behaviours help pupils to understand what is expected of them. Pupils live out these expectations in their relationships and conduct.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has developed an exciting curriculum that brings learning to life for pupils. For example, pupils’ learning in geography is enhanced by exceptional fieldwork opportunities. Pupils develop a deep understanding of concepts such as river erosion and rock formation. Adults have high aspirations for pupils. The curriculum helps pupils to achieve these aspirations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school gives pupils many opportunities to explore their interests. Pupils enjoy looking after the chickens and helping to manage the school farm. The school provides many opportunities at breaktimes for pupils to develop their physical confidence. Pupils build dens and test their skills on the assault courses and climbing frames. Skilled adults support pupils with physical needs to make sure that they have the same opportunities as their peers. Leaders have created a truly inclusive culture in which all pupils can flourish.

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

The school has established an ambitious curriculum. Staff have identified the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn. Adults make sure that pupils learn this knowledge in an order that builds their understanding. In geography, for example, pupils learn about the globe to help them understand where they live. This prepares them for more complex study of continents and climate zones. On occasions, the tasks that teachers set do not always focus precisely enough on the things that pupils need to learn.

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

In early years, children develop respectful relationships and talk confidently with their peers and with adults. The early years curriculum supports children’s language and 13 and 14 September 2023

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communication skills. Adults model positive ways in which children can interact with others. Some other aspects of the early years curriculum are less precise in supporting children to develop their learning. The school is refining the early years curriculum with this in mind.

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The school provides exceptional support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Leaders work relentlessly to remove any barriers that pupils might face to their learning. They do this by making sure that all staff have the expertise to help pupils with SEND. These pupils receive exactly the right support to become confident learners.

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Reading is a priority in this school. Staff help pupils to master phonics quickly and to become fluent readers. Pupils’ books are matched to the sounds that they know. In early years, adults help children to develop a love of reading. Children enjoy voting each day for their favourite story. They happily gather round to listen to these stories and talk about the characters in them. The school has invested in carefully chosen literature for pupils to read. Pupils feel like they are ‘going into another world’ and this inspires them to read widely and often. When pupils struggle to read, skilled adults provide the right support to help them to catch up. Many pupils apply to be librarians. This role is highly valued and pupils take pride in contributing to the positive culture of reading.

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Staff make sure that children in early years become confident mathematicians. Adults provide many opportunities for children to explore number. For example, children use ‘tens frames’ to check how many of their peers are in each area of the classroom. Throughout school, adults make sure that pupils become fluent mathematicians. Teachers routinely help pupils to practise their learning using precise mathematical language. Pupils apply this language and learning to solve more complex mathematical problems.

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The school’s curriculum helps pupils to understand how to stay safe online. Pupils know when personal information should not be shared. Pupils also develop a deep understanding of different faiths, relationships and diversity. Pupils talk about issues like healthy relationships and respecting difference with considerable maturity. The school has established a range of carefully considered experiences to enhance pupils’ development. For example, some pupils take part in ‘Show Time’ and experience a range of live performances. Staff make sure that pupils have many opportunities to take part in after- school clubs. These include samba, coding and cooking. If pupils cannot attend, staff try to remove barriers so that everyone has the chance to take part.

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Those responsible for governance understand their statutory responsibilities. They work with leaders to make sure that the school’s work to safeguard pupils is highly effective. They share leaders’ ambition for all pupils. Staff workload and well-being are a priority for leaders and governors. Staff appreciate the support that they receive. They are overwhelmingly positive about working at this very inclusive school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 13 and 14 September 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasion, the tasks that pupils are given to complete are not focused precisely enough on the things that they need to learn. This means that sometimes pupils are not learning the most important things that they need to know. The school should make sure that teachers receive the support they need to choose tasks that support the intended learning more precisely.  Some aspects of the early years curriculum are less precise in supporting children to develop their learning. The school should further refine the curriculum so that children’s learning is equally well supported across all areas.

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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 February 2013.

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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. 13 and 14 September 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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a larger than average-sized primary school with nursery provision.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with senior leaders, subject leaders and teachers.  The inspector met with the special educational needs coordinator and early years leader.  The inspector held a meeting with governors, including the chair of the governing body and the local authority. 13 and 14 September 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. 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. The inspector also listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector met with the designated safeguarding leaders to review a range of documents, including the school’s log of safeguarding incidents. The inspector also spoke to staff about how they keep pupils safe. The inspector reviewed the school’s single central record to check the suitability of staff working at the school.  The inspector scrutinised a range of other documentation, including records of pupils’ behaviour and leaders’ evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke informally to pupils to gather their views on school life.

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 To gather parents’ views, the inspector took account of the views of parents from Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. The inspector also talked to parents at the start of the school day.  To gather the views of staff, the inspector took account of the staff survey.  To gather the views of pupils, the inspector took account of the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Jen Sloan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 September 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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