Fieldhead Carr Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Fieldhead Carr Primary School Naburn Approach, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS14 2EG

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Inspection dates: 27 and 28 February 2024

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Outcome

Fieldhead Carr Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong sense of belonging at Fieldhead Carr. The school provides a calm, caring and supportive learning environment for its pupils. Leaders are passionate that all pupils will achieve well. Pupils learn the life skills that they need. These skills enable pupils to thrive in the local and wider community. This is at the forefront of everything that the school does.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has redeveloped its systems for behaviour. Leaders have worked with staff, parents and children to ensure high expectations are the norm. Pupils behave well around school and at unstructured times. When incidents do occur, pupils are helped to resolve any disagreements. Pupils and parents trust the school to help them to sort things out in the right way.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. Pupils are cared for attentively by staff, which means they feel valued and safe. Each week, every adult in school meets with a group of pupils. This forms part of a coaching session where pupils are encouraged to talk about their thoughts and feelings. As a result, nurturing relationships run throughout the school and across age groups.

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

The school has established a curriculum which is ambitious for its pupils. The curriculum begins in the early years. Leaders have ensured that it reflects the needs of pupils within the local community. Pupils’ personal development is front and centre of the school’s work. Pupils have daily opportunities to learn important knowledge about keeping themselves and others safe through their ‘crew’ sessions. Pupils value this time. One child said, ‘It helps us to know what is right and wrong as we get older.’

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

The school’s curriculum is well sequenced across subjects. Some of the more recent changes in reading and mathematics did not have sufficient time to impact the outcomes of previous cohorts. However, the curriculum is now embedded across most subject areas. 27 and 28 February 2024

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In the majority of subjects, leaders regularly check that the expectations from the designed curriculum are being delivered and taught well. In a few subjects, which have been more recently refined, the curriculum is not delivered with the same high degree of precision. Pupils do not always receive the relevant learning in some of these lessons.

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In most lessons, pupils build well on what they already know, developing increasingly sophisticated understanding. Teachers have a precise approach to checking pupils’ knowledge and understanding and are effective in moving pupils’ learning on. However, this is not consistent across all year groups. In a few lessons, questioning is less precise, and teachers spend too long recapping content or instructions. As a result, not all pupils remain as focused on their learning as the school expects them to be.

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Pupils are starting to develop a love of reading. In Nursery, children enjoy nursery rhymes and stories. Children in the early years start to read as soon as they start school. The school has deliberately chosen the books used for stories, class novels and within the environment. Leaders have worked with parents and pupils to ensure that the diverse nature of the school and the community is reflected and represented within these texts. Leaders have ensured that vocabulary and content of texts are challenging, yet appropriate, for different age groups. The school uses a well-sequenced scheme to teach phonics effectively. Pupils’ outcomes in phonics are improving. Struggling readers who need additional support are given the right help to enable them to catch up swiftly.

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Right from the start in early years, pupils show positive attitudes towards their learning. Children in Reception learn to make friends, take turns and share. They respond well to the clear routines that are in place.

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The school quickly identifies pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff adapt their teaching to ensure that pupils with SEND achieve well across the curriculum. For a small number of pupils with SEND a very personalised curriculum is in place. This helps to meet their very specific, individual needs. Knowledgeable staff ensure that these pupils continue to learn and develop a wide range of skills. Staff work closely with specialists to ensure pupils and families receive what they need.

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Pupils are highly accepting of differences and understand why they should treat each other well. They are welcoming to others who join their school. They recognise that any form of discrimination would not be acceptable. One child said, ‘There is no judging of others here.’

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Pupils at the school have a voice and are listened to. They talk about their roles as’ Fab Friends’ and school councillors. They value the responsibility of making further improvements to their school.

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The school is led well. Staff, including those new to teaching, feel well supported by leaders. Consequently, staff enjoy working at and are proud of the school. The governing body recognises its statutory responsibilities. It prioritises the well-being of leaders and staff. 27 and 28 February 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some lessons, teachers do not use questions effectively to check pupils' understanding or address misconceptions. Gaps in pupils’ learning are not addressed and pupils’ focus is not always maintained. The school should support all teachers to ensure effective questioning supports pupils’ understanding and that gaps in learning are addressed.  In a small number of subjects, work in lessons and checks on what pupils have learned are not precise enough. In these subjects, pupils do not learn the curriculum leaders intend. This results in some gaps in their learning. The school should ensure that staff emphasise the most important content across all subjects and make checks to ensure that the planned curriculum is being taught.

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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 November 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. 27 and 28 February 2024

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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). 27 and 28 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 November 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs its own breakfast club.  The school currently uses one registered alternative provision.

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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.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher and senior leaders. The inspector also met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and representatives from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in 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. 27 and 28 February 2024

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 The inspector gathered evidence to explore the impact of pupils’ behaviour and the school’s wider curriculum.  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 views of parents and carers were considered through their responses to Ofsted Parent View. The views of pupils and staff were gathered through surveys, interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.  The inspector reviewed a range of the school’s documents, including self-evaluation reports, minutes of governing body meetings and behaviour incident logs.

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Inspection team

Sarah Gordon, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 27 and 28 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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