Fleecefield Primary School

Inspection of Fleecefield Primary School Brettenham Road, London N18 2ES

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Inspection dates: 27 and 28 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Antoinette Goldwater. This school is part of Children First Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Jane Flynn, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Jenny Tosh. 27 and 28 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to this friendly and welcoming school. They feel happy and are safe. Pupils said they are valued, cared for and respected as individuals. Leaders set high standards, including for pupils’ achievement and conduct. This means pupils learn to take responsibility from an early age. They are keen to show their curiosity and enthusiasm in how they approach their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive strong support from staff so that they can fully take part in school life. The whole school community takes great pride in celebrating differences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary in classrooms and around the school. They work hard in lessons, show maturity and focus well. There is almost no disruption to learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff ensure pupils learn to become well-prepared citizens. For example, older pupils, in Year 6, take their roles as ‘playground buddies’ and ‘reading warriors’ for younger children seriously. Pupils speak with enthusiasm about the range of after- school clubs and outings available to them, including multisports, Spanish and visits to the Science Museum and Pymmes Park.

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better?

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. They have set out the order of knowledge they want pupils to learn from the early years to Year 6. Consequently, pupils’ knowledge builds, and they achieve increasingly well in every year.

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better?

In most subjects, leaders check how well the curriculum is being implemented. For example, in mathematics, art and design, and computing, leaders think carefully and refine their curricular thinking. This enables pupils to remember more over time. Staff identify and check pupils’ misunderstandings well. In some other subjects, the school has not yet identified the important content that pupils need to learn and when. This limits pupils’ subject-specific knowledge and understanding.

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better?

Reading is a priority. Children in early years begin learning to read as soon as they start school, and make good progress from their starting points. All staff are trained to teach the phonics curriculum and they do so effectively and with fidelity. Pupils read books that are well matched to the sounds they know. Pupils who struggle or are new to English receive extra support to help them catch up quickly. Pupils read with fluency and confidence.

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better?

Staff encourage pupils to read widely, including through the use of rewards in assemblies. Pupils are introduced to a wide range of texts, which they enjoy reading. They benefit from hearing their teachers read stories aloud to them every day. Children in the early years happily retell and act out stories and rhymes they have heard. 27 and 28 September 2023

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Pupils with SEND are involved in all aspects of school life. They learn the curriculum alongside their peers successfully. Leaders and teachers know the needs of pupils well. This helps them to adapt learning for pupils with SEND when needed. Skilful adults provide helpful support as needed.

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Pupils demonstrate excellent behaviour across the school. Working relationships between adults and pupils are very positive. The school supports pupils’ regular attendance and high standards of behaviour through well-understood systems. Most pupils attend school regularly.

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Pupils are taught a curriculum that goes beyond the academic. They talk confidently about equality and how everyone should be treated with respect. Pupils know about different faiths, and are able to reflect on their own beliefs. They speak with great enthusiasm about debating lessons and exploring new ideas. Pupils regularly visit a wide range of local places of worship. They know the difference between right and wrong and understand the consequences of their actions on others.

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Staff feel well supported by senior leaders. They feel the school is considerate of their well-being and workload. The school and trust plan well-designed professional development opportunities for staff. The governing body knows its local community and is secure in its ability to challenge and support leaders effectively. Governors and trust leaders provide extensive development and evaluation for leaders to continue to raise achievement for all pupils. Parents and carers are positive about the school and the nurturing experiences their children have.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the school has not identified the important content pupils should be taught and when. Pupils’ subject-specific knowledge and skills are not deepened securely. The school should ensure that curricular thinking in all subjects builds on key content progressively so that pupils can commit it to long- term memory.

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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. 27 and 28 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). 27 and 28 September 2023

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CEO of the trust

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Fleecefield Primary School converted to become an academy school in April 2019. When its predecessor school, Fleecefield Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to require improvement overall.  Fleecefield Primary School is part of Children First Academy Trust.  The school makes use of one registered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 27 and 28 September 2023

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher and other school leaders. They held discussions with the chair of trustees and the chief executive officer of Children First Academy Trust and spoke with representatives of the local governing body, including the chair.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, computing, history and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, considered the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of school leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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 The inspectors met with parents at the start of the school day and considered the views of parents and staff, including through responses to Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Sean Flood, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Maureen Okoye Ofsted Inspector 27 and 28 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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