E-ACT Fairlawn Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Fairlawn Primary School Fairlawn Road, Montpelier, Bristol BS6 5JL

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 October 2023

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Outcome

Fairlawn Primary School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Siobhan Lennox-Brown. This school is part of Venturers Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the interim chief executive officer, David Moran, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gail Bragg.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Fairlawn Primary is a welcoming school, which lies at the heart of the local community. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. The school values, which include respect, responsibility and resilience, underpin these positive relationships.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations. Pupils understand why these are important. They attend well and value opportunities to share their learning with others. Pupils are inquisitive about the world around them. They benefit from opportunities within the classroom and beyond.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well and are proud of the recognition they receive for making good choices about their work or behaviour. The school has a culture of reflection and kindness. As a result, bullying is rare. When it does occur, pupils know staff will sort it out. Pupils are safe in school. If they are worried, pupils have a trusted adult to whom they can talk.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils participate in opportunities that nurture their talents and interests. The school provides a wealth of clubs and activities, such as sewing, coding and drama. Pupils develop confidence and responsibility through taking on leadership roles. For instance, the ‘Eco-greening council’ cares for the school environment, turning off lights and recycling, for example.

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

The school is ambitious that all pupils succeed. Pupils follow a broad curriculum, which is ordered in a way that supports them to build their knowledge incrementally from Reception to Year 6. The curriculum outlines the important knowledge pupils need to 17 and 18 October 2023

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learn. For example, in mathematics, younger pupils develop a secure understanding of number. This provides the foundation for pupils to go on to understand more complex mathematical ideas as they get older. However, in some foundation subjects, teaching is not well matched to what teachers intend for pupils to learn. This does not support pupils to develop a secure understanding of the key concepts and ideas that will help them later. In most subjects, teachers use assessment to check what pupils know and remember. For the most part, staff use this information to swiftly support pupils who fall behind to catch up. However, in some subjects, assessment does not identify pupils’ misconceptions or highlight when pupils are ready to move on to new learning.

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Children in Reception Year make a strong start. There is a sharp focus on language and communication. For example, children enjoy listening to stories and acting them out. Staff explain the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary. Children learn to read as soon as they start school. Books match the sounds they know. This supports children to develop confidence in reading. Beyond phonics, pupils develop a love of reading. They read widely and encounter a variety of texts. Pupils and parents particularly value storytelling and bedtime story events. Pupils regularly make book recommendations to others.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. The school works closely with parents and external agencies to support pupils’ needs. Teachers consider the talents and interests of pupils with SEND and plan the curriculum to develop these. Consequently, pupils with SEND follow the curriculum with success.

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The school has carefully considered how best to support pupils’ wider development. The curriculum is adapted to respond to pertinent issues, such as those relating to online safety. Pupils know how to look after their mental and physical health and learn how to form healthy relationships with others. Pupils learn about the rule of law and protected characteristics in a purposeful way. They have a mature understanding of diversity and tolerance and are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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The school has strong links with the local community. Local people share oral histories of their own memories of growing up in the area. Through experiences such as these, pupils develop a sense of belonging and citizenship. For instance, they actively participate in the preparations for St. Paul’s carnival and take part in the procession.

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The trust and the local governing body know the school well. They understand the context of the school and its priorities. They bring a range of experiences to their roles and provide appropriate challenge and support for school leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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 In some foundation subjects, the way in which the curriculum is taught does not support pupils to learn the key concepts and ideas that will help them later. As a result, pupils do not develop a secure understanding of important knowledge. The school needs to ensure that teaching supports pupils to build their subject knowledge successfully over time.  In some subjects, the school’s approach to assessment is not fully developed. This means that teachers do not form an accurate picture of how successfully pupils have learned the curriculum. The school needs to ensure that the use of assessment identifies exactly what it is that pupils know and remember so that subsequent teaching can be adapted accordingly.

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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 April 2018.

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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’ 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). 17 and 18 October 2023

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School details

School category Academy special sponsor-led

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CEO of the trust

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 April 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses one alternative provider.  The school runs a breakfast club.  The school is part of the Venturers Trust.

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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 the headteacher, senior officers and executive leaders from the multi-academy trust, including the deputy chief executive officer, the chair and other members of the local governing body. 17 and 18 October 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early 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. The inspector also spoke with senior staff about the curriculum and with pupils about their learning in other subjects.  The inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of 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.  The inspector gathered the views of parents through Ofsted Parent View and through free-text responses. Reponses to the staff online survey were also considered.

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Inspection team

Liz Geller, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 17 and 18 October 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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