Farley Junior Academy

Inspection of Farley Junior Academy Northdrift Way, Luton, Bedfordshire LU1 5JF

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Inspection dates: 30 and 31 January 2024

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The headteacher of this school is Amelia Whitehouse. This school is part of Whipperley 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, Amelia Whitehouse, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sue Spriggs. 30 and 31 January 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Farley Junior Academy is a happy and thriving learning community. Pupils feel safe and confident to be themselves. Staff are aspirational for pupils’ achievement. Staff teach pupils to develop highly effective learning behaviours. This helps pupils to succeed in all areas of the well-developed curriculum. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve very well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave impeccably well, embracing the one school rule of ‘be kind’. High levels of respect, kindness and understanding permeate through everything pupils do. Pupils recognise and celebrate diversity within the school community. They are proud to be part of the ‘Farley family’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils actively make their school an amazing place to learn. They know that staff value their opinion and voice. They share ideas for improving the school with regular visits to the ‘moon room’ (headteacher’s office) and requests to staff. Pupil ambassadors make changes, such as scooter challenges at lunchtime or the hula hoop dancing challenge, so that pupils have a more active lunchtime.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend a range of trips and clubs that give them a rich set of experiences. They enjoy having lunch at the Farley restaurant where they learn important social skills and about healthy eating.

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better?

The school has created a highly ambitious curriculum. It precisely defines the knowledge and skills pupils will learn. Rich experiences allow pupils to make connections with their learning. The school has prioritised language and communication. The development of vocabulary allows pupils to explain their thinking clearly and accurately.

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better?

The school’s reading curriculum is well established. High-quality delivery by teachers means pupils learn, quickly, the explicit skills of reading. Pupils read a wide range of texts. This develops their understanding of different genres, styles and authors. They become confident, fluent readers. Pupils enjoy debating texts, and this filters into other areas of the curriculum. The love of reading is well developed in the school. Pupils enjoy the book clubs and featured authors of the month. Pupils lead assemblies to celebrate reading, which includes performance poetry. Pupils who are at the early stages of reading receive effective support to learn phonics. They develop their fluency and understanding quickly.

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better?

Staff have high levels of expertise across the curriculum. They are skilled in meeting the needs of pupils with SEND. Pupils with SEND are supported very effectively. They achieve highly. The school provides comprehensive training and support for all staff. Staff use their knowledge to teach learning in small steps. This helps all pupils to feel confident to attempt challenging tasks. Staff rigorously check what pupils 30 and 31 January 2024

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know and can do. They use this to revisit learning and build on what pupils already know very effectively.

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Pupils cooperate exceptionally well with one another, both in and outside the classroom. They learn in highly organised, well-managed learning spaces that are free from disruption. Pupils learn how to manage their behaviour. They know that their behaviour impacts others. Relationships between pupils and staff are strong. Pupils feel safe and well cared for.

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The school has created a comprehensive curriculum to teach pupils about healthy relationships, physical and mental health and local and world issues. Pupils develop social experiences within the curriculum and through thoughtfully planned opportunities such as a lunchtime café and a board game boulevard. They develop tolerance and respect for others. Pupils learn how they can make a difference in their community and the wider world, for example by fundraising for victims of an earthquake. The school carefully identifies pupils’ needs and uses a range of external agencies and internal support so that pupils are supported exceptionally well cared for.

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Trustees know what is working well and what they want to make even better. They work in partnership with the staff to keep them informed and make decisions that improve the learning and experiences of the pupils. Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the many opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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.

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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 30 and 31 January 2024

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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). 30 and 31 January 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Whipperley Academy Trust. The school joined the trust in February 2021.  The predecessor school, Farley Junior School, was judged as requires improvement in June 2018. Since becoming an academy, there have been changes to leadership, including a new headteacher.  The school does not use any 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the 30 and 31 January 2024

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school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, music and science. For each deep dive, inspectors 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.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum information in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors 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.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other leaders, including leaders who work within the trust and representatives from the board of trustees.

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Inspectors also met with leaders with responsibility for SEND, behaviour and attendance and pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Nerrissa Bear, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nina Kemp Ofsted Inspector 30 and 31 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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