Farne Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Farne Primary School Marsden Lane, Newbiggin Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE5 4AP

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Outcome

Farne Primary School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The executive headteacher of this school is Lee Gallon. This school is part of SMART Multi-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 (CEO), Colin Lofthouse, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Charles Christie.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school motto, ‘Bring out your Brilliance’, is key to pupils’ achievements and success at Farne Primary School. Every day, pupils, parents and carers receive a warm welcome from leaders and staff. Staff encourage pupils to be the best they can. Pupils are empowered to believe in themselves and to be resilient.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has designed an exciting and ambitious curriculum, which ensures that pupils achieve well. Pupils are happy to attend school each day. They are adamant that there are ‘no outsiders’ and that everyone is welcome. Children in early years get off to a strong start. They learn how to play together, take turns and share. Pupils’ behaviour is excellent, both in lessons and when moving around the school. They have mutual respect for one another. Pupils display keen attitudes to learning and try their best. Pupils are proud of their school. They can articulate their understanding of British values.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s provision for pupils’ wider development is a strength. Pupils benefit from a myriad of carefully chosen experiences, such as visits to local areas of interest, museums and art galleries, as well as a residential visit. The school provides a wide range of clubs, including yoga and art club, which pupils enjoy. The school council is instrumental in identifying the clubs that the pupils would like to take part in.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are ambitious in what they want pupils to experience and achieve. The school has high aspirations for pupils’ academic achievement and to prepare them well for lifelong learning success. 3 and 4 July 2024

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

The school’s curriculum has been reviewed and improved and is ambitious for all pupils. In some subjects, such as history, the knowledge, skills and subject-specific vocabulary that pupils are to learn as they move up through the school are now clearly and carefully mapped out. Staff training has helped teachers to have a strong, shared understanding of how the history curriculum builds year-on-year. For example, children in early years learn about the past and identify differences with the present. In key stage 1, pupils look at secondary sources and come to their own conclusions about the past. In key stage 2, pupils use graphic organisers to make connections while completing their own research. Across the school, pupils are provided with plentiful opportunities to use new vocabulary and are encouraged to do so. These approaches help pupils to build a deep understanding of history. However, in a few subjects, the school has not assured itself

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

that pupils learn and remember the intended curriculum consistently well.

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

The school has a strong culture of reading. Reading has high status in the school, forming the backbone of the curriculum. Carefully chosen books reflect a variety of cultures and differences in society. Pupils say they enjoy reading and appreciate the books that they have in school, such as those from the ‘no outsiders’ project. This helps them to understand that everyone is unique and differences should be celebrated.

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

Staff consistently follow the school’s approach to teaching pupils to read. Younger pupils read books that are well matched to the sounds that they know. Any pupils who fall behind in their reading are quickly identified. These pupils receive the right support to catch up quickly, which they do. This means that pupils learn to read with growing confidence, accuracy and fluency.

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

In mathematics, pupils achieve well. Pupils enjoy using a variety of apparatus from the school’s mathematics toolkit. This helps to develop their problem-solving and reasoning skills effectively. Pupils can explain their learning and describe the methods that they are using well. Learning is carefully planned to suit the needs of all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils.

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

The school works hard to ensure that pupils attend school regularly and on time. Pupils say that the school’s welcome for them to ‘Wake up! Walk in! Work hard!’ encourages them to come to school and learn. The school has close relationships with families, offering support when needed. As a result, the school is well attended.

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

Staff are proud to be part of the team at Farne Primary. They say that their workload is considered and they feel valued. The school works in collaboration with other schools in the trust to develop curriculum areas. It is well supported by the trustees and the governing body, who know the school well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 3 and 4 July 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

In a small number of subjects, the school has not checked that pupils learn and remember the intended curriculum. This means that some pupils’ learning may not be as secure as it should be. The school should ensure that pupils learn the curriculum consistently well across all subjects.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2019.

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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.

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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). 3 and 4 July 2024

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School details

Headteacher Lee Gallon (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Website https://www.farne.smartacademies.net

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The executive headteacher is responsible for this school and one other primary school in the trust. He is supported in this school by a deputy headteacher.  The school makes use of two registered alternative providers.

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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 her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with school leaders, staff, pupils and parents. She consulted with the CEO of the trust and trustees and the local governing body, as well as the school’s improvement partner.  The inspector carried out deep dives in phonics, reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed curriculum plans with leaders, visited 3 and 4 July 2024

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lessons and spoke to pupils about their learning. The inspector looked at samples of pupils’ work and listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  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 inspector observed behaviour in lessons and around the school.  The views of parents, staff and pupils were gathered through Ofsted surveys and face-to-face discussions.  The inspector viewed a range of documents, including the school improvement plan, the school’s self-evaluation, the school’s analysis of behaviour and attendance and minutes from governing body meetings.

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Inspection team

Debra Murphy, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 July 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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