Firs Farm Primary School

Inspection of Firs Farm Primary School Rayleigh Road, Palmers Green, London, Middlesex N13 5QP

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 1 and 2 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils strive to adopt the school’s values of kindness, respect, togetherness and excellence. These are exemplified by pupils and staff each day. Working relationships across the school are positive. Pupils behave well in class and in the playgrounds. Pupils’ positive attitudes to learning mean that time spent on learning is maximised. When there are any disputes, pupils have confidence that staff investigate these quickly and help them to resolve their differences. Pupils trust staff to help them with any concerns they may have. This ensures that pupils are kept safe at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school successfully ensures that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can access and learn the ambitious curriculum. Expectations are high for the knowledge and skills that pupils will learn. Pupils speak with enthusiasm and demonstrate high levels of motivation towards their learning. This is because the school provides pupils with a rich set of opportunities to develop their talents.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen to take on additional responsibilities, for example, as members of the school council, house captains, playground rangers and reading champions. This gives them an active role in the school community and develops their leadership skills. Pupils take part in after-school clubs including football, choir and photography.

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

The school has designed a well-sequenced curriculum, starting from the early years. It effectively builds on the knowledge and skills that pupils have previously learned. This helps pupils to know and remember more over time. For example, in physical education (PE), children in Reception learn simple balances on one leg and movement to the left and right. By Year 3, they learn and apply complex dance movements and routines to a diverse range of music. In the early years, adults interact purposefully with children.

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

Some subjects in the curriculum, such as English and PE, are well-established. For example, pupils learn to read and write with increasing complexity as they move through the school. The school takes a thorough approach to checking what pupils know. This begins in the early years, where the learning for each child is planned with care. However, this is not replicated in other subjects. For example, in mathematics and science, the school is sharply focused on strengthening the skills pupils need to know and remember over time.

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

Reading is a key priority in the school. From Reception, staff deliver the phonics programme carefully. They ensure that pupils read books that are closely matched to their developing phonics knowledge. This helps pupils to become confident and fluent readers. Teachers check pupils’ reading regularly. They swiftly identify those who need additional support to help them catch up quickly. The school fosters a love of reading and pupils enjoy talking about their favourite books and authors. The school ensures that they read a wide range of diverse, high-quality texts. A rich variety of songs and rhymes increase children’s language and communication in the early years. 1 and 2 October 2024

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Many pupils speak English as an additional language. The school has thought carefully about these pupils’ need to learn successfully. Staff make sure that pupils have a full part in school life, especially if they are new to the country. There is also support for families through a structured induction programme. This helps pupils to settle into school and to develop their language well.

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The school makes effective provision for pupils with SEND. In the specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (specially resourced provision), pupils’ needs are accurately identified. Staff are skilled in providing well- targeted support and adaptations. As a result of this work, pupils with SEND achieve well.

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Across all year groups, pupils display high levels of self-control. Disruption to learning is rare. Pupils learn and play well together. Staff are robust in doing all they can to support families to ensure that pupils attend well. In Reception, children use the outside environment to strengthen their physical development. This helps to prepare them for Year 1.

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Pupils have a secure understanding of the fundamental British values. Older pupils take part in workshops in the Royal Courts of Justice. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures by regular visits to places of worship such as the local church and the Gurdwara. This helps pupils to be well prepared for life in modern Britain. There are day visits to Lille in France for key stage 2 pupils and opportunities are also provided for longer residential trips.

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The governing body challenge the school effectively while supporting staff well-being and workload. Staff appreciate the support the school offers, including a wide range of professional development opportunities. This gives them the skills they need to support pupils to the best possible outcomes.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The changes that the school has made to develop the curriculum in some subjects are new. As a result, the impact of these actions are not evident. The school needs to continue to review, evaluate and check on the impact of its actions and decisions and ensure that staff have the necessary knowledge and expertise to carry these out with success. 1 and 2 October 2024

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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). 1 and 2 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 February 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with autism and complex needs and has just opened another specially resourced provision for pupils with autism and complex needs.  The school uses one alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.  Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 1 and 2 October 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, subject leaders and teachers. They spoke with members of the governing body including the chair of governors. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority and a school improvement partner.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history, PE and science. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, considered the curriculum, visited lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors considered the curriculum in other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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central record; took account of the views of school 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 met with parents at the start of the school day. The views of pupils, parents and staff were gathered through discussions as well as considering their responses to Ofsted Parent View and staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Sean Flood, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Amanda Ruthven Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 October 2024

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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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