Fairchildes Primary School

Inspection of Fairchildes Primary School Fairchildes Avenue, New Addington, Croydon, Surrey CR0 0AH

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Ofsted has not previously inspected Fairchildes Primary School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Fairchildes Primary School to be outstanding, before it opened as an academy.

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The headteachers of this school are Jane Byers and Mark Gyford. This school is part of Fairchildes Academy Community Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Jo Hussey, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by RoseAnne Ellis. 6 and 7 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Everyone in the school’s community plays a part in making this a safe, caring and highly ambitious school. Pupils routinely take on roles of responsibility in the school, including as ‘Hallway Heroes’ and ‘Playground Pals’ to help make the school a calm and purposeful place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff share the highest ambition for pupils’ achievement. The curriculum is meticulously planned and reviewed to ensure that each pupil receives the support they need to succeed. Consequently, pupils get off to a flying start, are very well prepared for their next stage of education and achieve exceptionally well across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Enthusiasm for learning in an orderly environment is the standard here. From the early years onwards, pupils’ excellent behaviour is underpinned by well-established routines that mean no time is wasted. Pupils listen attentively in lessons and try their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s ambition for pupils’ education extends beyond the classroom and includes the school’s comprehensive and thoughtful enrichment programme. This captures pupils’ imagination, developing their knowledge, skills, talents and interests. Clubs such as steel band, opera, cooking, knitting, chess, street dance and football are just a sample of what is on offer here. Pupils benefit widely from these experiences.

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better?

Over time, the school has carefully developed an ambitious curriculum that helps pupils to learn deep and connected knowledge. Subject content is sequenced so that pupils secure basic facts and principles before using these to help them understand more sophisticated ideas. In history, for example, pupils learn about the Roman Empire, the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons before going on to compare how ancient societies lived. In religious education, pupils learn about the practices and beliefs of world religions to help them understand how religion informs different world views. In art, pupils use their considerable knowledge of artists, different influences and techniques to create a wide range of high-quality artwork pieces. In the early years, children quickly gain a secure grasp of number that enables them to work efficiently and accurately in making calculations later.

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better?

Leadership at all levels is highly focused on ensuring that all pupils receive the very best opportunities the school can offer. Close work between the governing body, trust and school leaders maintains focus on the steps needed to achieve this aim. The school provides staff with excellent development opportunities. For example, regular professional dialogue helps staff to find ever-better ways to deliver the curriculum. This contributes to staff’s detailed subject knowledge. Staff express their pride at being an important part of the school’s improvement work. 6 and 7 February 2024

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Teachers check pupils’ understanding rigorously and address any misconceptions that pupils may have swiftly. They carefully select the best approaches to help pupils understand and remember key concepts in the curriculum. As a result, pupils’ knowledge develops in detail across the curriculum, including in the early years and for pupils in the additionally resourced provision (ARP).

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Reading has a high profile here. Pupils discuss books with confidence and enthusiasm, including whole novels and a range of genres. Children in the early years have many opportunities to share and enjoy stories together. Pupils in Year 6 who are ‘Reading Pioneers’ play a key role in promoting the love of reading. These pupils spread the school’s message that, ‘Reading is not just work, it is for pleasure,’ and they read regularly with younger pupils.

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Pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read gain the knowledge they need to read with fluency quickly. Daily phonics sessions and routine reading practice support them effectively. Staff have expertise in teaching early reading and phonics. They provide prompt additional support to any readers who are at risk of falling behind, with a clear focus on pupils’ needs. As a result, weaker readers catch up quickly and learn to read with confidence.

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Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is based on a detailed understanding of individual needs. Staff review these regularly to ensure that pupils’ learning is personalised. Pupils with SEND achieve highly here, including those in the school’s ARP. They access the school’s full curriculum.

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Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They treat one another with high levels of respect and kindness. The school is a harmonious place where pupils learn without interruption. Pupils attend school regularly. The school works with parents and carers to encourage high attendance rates.

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The school’s carefully planned personal development programme teaches pupils how to stay healthy and safe. For example, pupils are taught about healthy relationships, how to stay safe online and about the importance of respecting people from different backgrounds and cultures.

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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. 6 and 7 February 2024

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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). 6 and 7 February 2024

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School details

Headteacher Jane Byers and Mark Gyford (Co-headteachers) Website www.factrust.org

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school opened in April 2014 and is part of the Fairchildes Academy Community Trust.  Since the last inspection of the predecessor school, also called Fairchildes Primary School, there have been changes to the school’s leadership team.  The school has a specially resourced provision for up to 14 pupils aged four to 11 who have a primary diagnosis of moderate SEND.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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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. 6 and 7 February 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography, and art and design.  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.

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 Inspectors held meetings with the headteachers and other leaders, including leaders who work within the trust. Inspectors also met with leaders with responsibility for early years, SEND, behaviour and attendance and pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors met with representatives from the local governing body and the trust board.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Rebecca Iles-Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lorraine Slee Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 February 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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