Forest Fields Primary and Nursery School

Inspection of Forest Fields Primary and Nursery School Stanley Road, Off Berridge Road, Forest Fields, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG7 6GQ

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Inspection dates: 20 and 21 February 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 20 and 21 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Forest Fields Primary and Nursery School is a vibrant and diverse school. Pupils are happy and safe. The school makes sure that all pupils know the trusted adults they can talk to about any worries. Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and positive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many new pupils arrive to the school part way through the academic year. The school ensures that these pupils settle in as quickly as they can. This includes pupils who are new to speaking English. The school is inclusive, with high expectations for all. Pupils are well supported and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. They take consistent action to help pupils manage their behaviour. Pupils agree that the rules are fair. The school reminds pupils to be ‘ready, respectful and safe’. Staff teach pupils about life in modern Britain. Most pupils understand why respect is an important value to show others. They show respectful, polite attitudes to others in lessons and at playtimes. However, not all pupils meet the school’s expectations. A small minority of pupils do not understand how to make respectful behaviour choices. They do not treat others with the respect they deserve.

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better?

The school has an ambitious curriculum, which begins in the early years. From a broad range of starting points, pupils achieve well. However, the school’s published results do not give a true reflection of pupils’ achievement. This is because many pupils arrive at, or leave, the school at different times during the academic year. As a result, they do not always experience the school’s curriculum over sustained periods of time. The school is vigilant in ensuring that pupils who arrive during the academic year receive the support they need to help them catch up with their peers. Staff provide effective support to pupils who speak English as an additional language. Pupils are proud of how quickly they have learned English and of the multilingual knowledge they have.

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better?

The school is inclusive. There are high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are supported well, including in the early years. Curriculum delivery is adapted effectively for pupils with SEND. Small-group work is used effectively so that learning can be broken down into smaller steps. This helps pupils with SEND to achieve as well as they can.

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better?

Reading is highly valued at this school. Pupils in the early years talk about stories they are reading as they are playing. The curriculum for reading is ambitious. For example, it ensures that all pupils access quality literature such as the works of Shakespeare. Pupils recall their learning well. The school makes sure that pupils get off to a good start with learning sounds as soon as they begin school. This includes children in the early years, as well as older pupils who join the school part way through the year. Phonics is taught well. Pupils have very positive attitudes towards 20 and 21 February 2024

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their learning in phonics lessons. Staff provide effective help to ensure that those at risk of falling behind their peers keep up. The school makes sure that the books pupils read match the sounds they are learning.

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The school has a well-sequenced personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum in place. Staff ensure that pupils learn about the most important knowledge they need to prepare for their next steps. Pupils learn about how to stay safe and lead healthy lifestyles. They develop secure knowledge about fundamental British values, as well as faiths and beliefs different from their own. Pupils can connect their learning about diversity, tolerance and respect. They describe the school as being for everyone. One pupil explained, ‘If we learn about different cultures and religions, then we won’t offend people by accident.’ Pupils are proud of their diverse friendships.

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The school has prioritised improving pupils’ attendance. It is effective in helping some pupils to improve their attendance. There is more work to do, as too many pupils are absent from school for long periods. This means that they miss learning, leading to gaps developing in their knowledge.

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Governors know the school well. They challenge and support the school to help secure the best possible experiences for pupils. Governors take account of staff views. In response to staff requests, a well-being committee including staff representatives has been created. Most staff who shared a view value leaders’ support. Those teachers early in their career feel very well supported by leaders.

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The school has not yet been able to share successfully with all parents and carers the good work that is being undertaken to improve pupils’ experiences of education. Although pupils say the behaviour system is fair, some parents say this is not the case. The school is doing all it can to make parents feel part of the school community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school works hard to help pupils to manage their behaviour. However, not all pupils know and understand what respectful behaviours are. This means that a small number of pupils do not always treat each other with the respect they deserve. The school should ensure that all pupils understand what respectful behaviours are and how to demonstrate them.  Despite the work undertaken to improve attendance, the school has not yet ensured that all pupils attend well. This means that too many pupils miss out on the good quality of education that the school provides. The school should ensure 20 and 21 February 2024

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that those pupils who require it receive the necessary support to help them attend regularly.  The school has not yet been able to share successfully with parents the good work being undertaken to improve pupils’ experiences of school. As a result, a small number of parents hold negative views about certain aspects of the school’s provision, including the fairness of the behaviour system. The school should ensure that the relationships it builds with parents enable all parents to be aware of the work undertaken to improve further pupils’ experiences of education.

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How can I feed back my views?

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 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). 20 and 21 February 2024

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 July 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post since April 2021.  There has been a number of staffing changes since the previous inspection.  Several governors have been appointed to the governing body since the previous inspection.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision services.  The school community includes a high proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language. In the school’s pupil community, 40 different languages are spoken.

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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. 20 and 21 February 2024

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 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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders and teachers. They met with local governors and spoke to a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science, geography and music. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also reviewed the curriculum in English, religious education, modern foreign languages and PSHE.  Inspectors discussed pupils’ attendance with school leaders.  Inspectors considered the views of parents who responded to Ofsted Parent View

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and spoke to parents on the playground.  Inspectors reviewed responses to the staff and pupil surveys. They held discussions with staff and pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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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Inspection team

Donna Moulds, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

CT Atwal Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 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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