Fox Hill Primary School

Inspection of Fox Hill Primary School Pondmoor Road, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 7JZ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 25–26 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Each pupil has their own special place in the ‘Fox Hill family’ and is valued for their strengths and individual personalities. Pupils actively champion the school values, which are reflected in leadership roles such as in the eco and reading councils, and as sports leaders and values ambassadors. Pupils engage in community and environmental projects such as gardening and visiting local care homes to read to senior citizens. Every pupil has an opportunity to take on a leadership role and they talk with confidence about the improvements they have introduced during their time at the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave respectfully and calmly around the school. They concentrate well in lessons and keep trying when work is challenging. They play kindly together at social times. Younger pupils look forward to playground games organised by the older sports leaders.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for every pupil, determined they will achieve as well as they possibly can. Adults know pupils well. They recognise pupil’s needs and make sure every pupil is provided with the right pastoral and academic support. Pupils achieve well and are rightly proud of their learning. As one parent commented: ‘The school is fantastic and really supports each child as an individual’.

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better?

Leaders have a crystal-clear vision of excellence for the school, which they execute with relentless determination. The school has built an optimistic ‘anything is possible’ ethos which parents, staff and pupils are all proud to be part of.

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better?

Recently, the school has introduced a more ambitious curriculum, starting in Reception and running through to Year 6. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many pupils joined the school with below-expected levels of development and did not catch up by the end of Year 2. In response, the school has strengthened the early years curriculum, ensuring that speaking, listening, personal development and reading are at its heart. Consequently, children in Reception now get off to a strong start, catch up quickly and are ready for Year 1. Throughout the school, leaders have made sure that the curriculum equips pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in the wider world, while taking their interest into account. Pupils are introduced to inspirational professionals from engineering, artistic, scientific and mathematical backgrounds. This helps them to make links between their learning in school, alongside raising their aspirations for the future.

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better?

Leaders make sure every pupil reads fluently and is encouraged to enjoy books. Pupils begin their reading journey enjoying songs, stories and rhymes in Reception. Pupils’ progress is tracked forensically as they start learning to read. Pupils who struggle are given expert support to catch up quickly and overcome any barriers. Once fluent, pupils continue to develop their interest in books through reading the school’s progressive sequence of high quality fiction, poetry and information texts. 25–26 June 2024

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Teachers know exactly what they must teach and in which order. They model the technical vocabulary that pupils must understand and remember. They use their secure subject knowledge to explain new ideas clearly and adapt activities and resources well. This means that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are able to learn the same curriculum successfully. Teachers break the curriculum down so pupils build their understanding securely in small steps. For example, when investigating the anatomy of a hen’s egg, pupils dissect it in stages. Their curiosity is ignited as they use magnifying glasses to discover the eggshell pores, then the membrane. Teachers use scientific investigations well, to encourage pupils’ questions and promote rich discussion about scientific concepts.

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Where subjects are well developed, such as phonics, mathematics and science, teachers use assessment systematically. They use questions effectively to find out what pupils know and to identify and address any misconceptions. As a result, in these subjects, pupils remember what they have learned before and connect new learning with larger ideas. For example, when learning about recycling in Year 6, pupils build on what they were taught in Year 5 about the adverse effects of re- usable plastics on ecosystems. In some other subjects across the wider curriculum, assessment routines are less securely in place.

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The school’s work to develop pupil’s characters is exceptionally strong. The school’s values are threaded through every aspect of the curriculum. Pupils speak proudly about the changes they have made to the school and the confidence this has given them to voice their opinions.

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Governors have an accurate understanding of the school. They use their knowledge well to support leaders’ clear plans and vision. This is helping to create an exceptionally inclusive environment where all pupils feel deeply valued and achieve the very best they possibly can.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some areas of the wider curriculum, leaders do not have a clear enough understanding of what pupils know and can remember. Consequently, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and so struggle to connect new learning with larger ideas. The school should ensure that its ongoing work to develop assessment enables staff to identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge consistently well across the whole curriculum. 25–26 June 2024

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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 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). 25–26 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website https://www.foxhill.bracknell- forest.sch.uk/ Date(s) of previous inspection 25 and 26 September 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There has been a new headteacher since the last inspection.  There has been a new chair of governors since the last inspection.  The school currently uses two unregistered 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.  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.  Inspections are a point-in-time about the quality of a school’s education provision.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher, deputy and assistant headteachers.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science, and geography. For each deep dive, they discussed the curriculum with subject 25–26 June 2024

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leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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.  The inspectors reviewed a range of the school’s documents, including self- evaluation reports, minutes of local governing body meetings and behaviour incident logs.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at playtimes. They spoke with pupils about bullying, behaviour, and leaders’ expectations of pupils’ behaviour.

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Inspection team

Jo Brinkley, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Lorraine Greco Ofsted Inspector 25–26 June 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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