Fagley Primary School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Fagley Primary School Falsgrave Avenue, Fagley, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD2 3PU

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 January 2024

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Outcome

Fagley Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Fagley Primary School is an extraordinary school. The curriculum ensures that pupils are extremely well prepared for the next stage of their education. The school has the highest expectations of what pupils can achieve. These expectations are met. Leaders are relentless in their commitment to ensuring that pupils’ experience of school is of the highest quality. They are exceptionally ambitious for all pupils and have a particular focus on the most vulnerable or disadvantaged pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They behave very well. Pupils demonstrate very positive attitudes towards their learning and towards others. They are courteous and respectful. They are happy and safe at school. In lessons, they are enthusiastic and contribute positively. They achieve very well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s personal development offer is exceptional. Pupils enjoy a wide range of exciting and inspiring experiences in interesting and engaging contexts. For instance, all pupils regularly access learning off site in a nearby woodland.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in a wide range of leadership roles. They contribute positively to the community and the life of the school through a number of committees and through the school council. These roles prepare them well to be active and positive contributors to society.

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

The school provides a broad and ambitious curriculum. The curriculum is exceptional. The school has identified the important knowledge pupils need to learn. Pupils acquire deep knowledge across a range of subjects. There is a clear sequence of learning that builds on what pupils have learned before. For example, in computing, pupils in Year 4 build on the digital animation skills that they learned in Year 3. In mathematics, there is a very clear sequence of learning that begins in early years. Children in early years have many 23 and 24 January 2024

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opportunities to develop and learn early mathematical concepts and vocabulary. Teachers regularly recap and revisit prior learning to make sure that pupils are remembering important knowledge.

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The curriculum in early years ensures that the youngest children get off to a flying start. Adults are experts in developing the youngest children’s language and vocabulary. Pupils in key stage 2 make particularly pleasing progress in reading and writing, although the COVID-19 pandemic has affected some pupils’ ability to reach the highest standards.

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The promotion of reading is at the heart of leaders’ ambitious vision. Books and texts are celebrated and shared. A visit by the ‘stories bus’ provided pupils and their families with an exciting and memorable opportunity to get on board and take joy in the sharing of books and stories. The school’s carefully sequenced phonics programme is taught well by expert teachers. Regular assessments ensure that pupils are reading books that are accurately matched to their phonics knowledge. Staff identify gaps in pupils’ phonics knowledge quickly. Pupils quickly gain the knowledge they need to become confident, fluent readers.

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Teachers plan interesting and relevant lessons. Pupils learn well in all subjects. They produce work of a high quality. Pupils learn science in a decommissioned train carriage in the school grounds. Pupils expertly play drums in the school’s yurt.

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The school identifies and supports pupils with SEND expertly. Pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Teachers skilfully adapt the curriculum for pupils with SEND. Pupils in the specialist resourced provision receive a bespoke curriculum tailored to their needs. They are supported exceptionally well by knowledgeable and expert teachers.

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The school is tireless in its commitment to securing good attendance for all pupils. Leaders work with families and external agencies to address low attendance. Recent attendance figures indicate an improving trend.

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The school’s personal development offer is incredibly ambitious and extensive. The school has planned for pupils to experience a wide range of exciting and memorable experiences. Leaders make sure that extra-curricular clubs and activities are well attended, particularly by disadvantaged pupils. The dedicated food technology room provides opportunities for pupils and their families to develop their kitchen and cooking skills.

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Leaders and governors share an ambitious vision for the pupils, families and community that Fagley Primary School serves. Governors are skilled and knowledgeable. They understand their important role in holding leaders to account. They share leaders’ unequivocal commitment to providing all pupils with an outstanding education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 23 and 24 January 2024

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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 outstanding in March 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’ 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). 23 and 24 January 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Keira Burnsall and Vicky Rutherford (Co- headteachers) Website www.fagley.bradford.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has provision for two-year-olds.  The school does not use alternative provision for its current pupils.  The school contains a resourced provision with places for 12 pupils with autism.  The co-headteachers have been appointed since the last inspection.

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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 had 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 his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the co-headteachers and other leaders. He also met with members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample 23 and 24 January 2024

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of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation, improvement plans, records of governance, and documentation relating to attendance and pupils’ behaviour.  The inspector took account of responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the pupil survey and the staff survey. The inspector spoke informally with parents at the end of the school day.  During the inspection, the inspector met with groups of pupils, both formally and during less structured parts of the day.  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.

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Inspection team

Dughall McCormick, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 23 and 24 January 2024

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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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