Fairburn Community Primary School

Inspection of Fairburn Community Primary School Great North Road, Fairburn, Knottingley, West Yorkshire WF11 9JY

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since February 2015. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 3 and 4 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

At Fairburn, pupils’ exceptional conduct and attitudes are evident across the entire school. The ‘Fairburn Promise’ sets out key qualities such as perseverance, being inquisitive and being polite. Pupils of all ages embody these qualities. They have commendable attitudes towards one another. Pupils demonstrate high levels of empathy and understanding towards others. They are happy and safe. They are proud to attend this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school establishes high expectations for pupils’ achievement. All pupils receive the support they need to reach these high expectations. As a result, achievement is high. Behaviour is extremely positive. Where some pupils may find this more difficult, the school puts sensitive and effective support in place. This has had a notable impact on the behaviour of those children. Pupils contribute strongly to the calm and purposeful learning environment across school. Friendship and harmony are prevalent.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Over their time in school, pupils develop a strong sense of community. They make highly positive contributions to the school and the village of Fairburn. Leaders and other staff work as a team. They engage with parents and carers to create a tangible sense of ‘family’ within the wider community. Comments from parents frequently refer to the school’s work around building pupils’ confidence and how everyone feels valued.

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

From children’s starting points in Reception, well-trained, highly knowledgeable adults craft meaningful and stimulating learning opportunities through play. Children develop firm foundations in phonics and mathematics. A clear focus on communication and language develops children’s speaking and listening skills. They develop into articulate and inquisitive learners.

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

Pupils at the early stages of learning to read build on the secure foundations they develop in Reception. Where pupils may struggle to keep up, skilled staff put effective support in place. As a result, pupils across school become fluent, confident and highly capable readers.

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

Across the school, an exceptional curriculum offer is in place. Teachers know exactly how to help pupils to develop their skills and knowledge as they teach the carefully designed curriculum. Staff have secure knowledge of the subjects that they teach. As a result, sequences of lessons contribute strongly to children and pupils achieving the aims of the curriculum. For example, early years children used their prior mathematical knowledge, practical measuring skills and dexterity to create festive paper chains, and then looked at different ways to measure the length of each chain. Other pupils built on their prior learning when looking at the properties of shape in a mathematics lesson. Older pupils used music software with confidence to create a melodic repeating loop, based on a C major scale.

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

The school has developed a systematic and thorough system for identifying pupils’ needs. This includes those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and 3 and 4 December 2024

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those who are otherwise disadvantaged. Staff benefit from focused professional development to enable them to put effective support in place for these pupils. This support has had a demonstrable impact on the development of pupils with SEND and those who are otherwise disadvantaged.

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The quality of the school’s curriculum offer combines with the warm and positive relationships that pupils develop with adults. This means that pupils enjoy coming to school. As a result, attendance is high. Pupils’ behaviour in school is of a very high standard. They are kind, considerate and polite to all. Their attitudes towards others are exemplary.

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An exceptional programme for pupils’ personal development sits at the centre of all the school does. Pupils are encouraged to develop eight key life skills during their time in school, including problem-solving, staying positive and teamwork. They engage in numerous opportunities to contribute to the wider community. For example, older pupils help to run the village ‘pop up café’ for one day per week in the summer. Other pupils have regular opportunities to engage with elderly residents. They clearly articulate the impact these rich experiences have. Pupils have a remarkable understanding of acceptance and tolerance. Regular visits from leaders of different faiths help pupils understand the impact that discrimination can have. As a result, pupils are resolute in their determination to ensure that this does not happen in school. The school’s provision for clubs is based on pupil voice. Attendance at these clubs is high. Pupils benefit

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significantly from having their talents and interests nurtured and celebrated in school.

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Over time, the school has developed robust systems for ensuring consistently high-quality provision. The tenacity with which these systems are implemented means that this level of provision has been maintained through a period of change to the staff and governing body. Leaders take intelligent decisions in the best interests of both staff and pupils. Governors are an integral part of the school’s strategic work. They offer support, challenge and hold the school to account. Staff are very well supported in their workload and well-being. There is a real sense of ‘team’ at Fairburn.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 3 and 4 December 2024

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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 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 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 February 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  Wraparound care operates in the school building under the management of the governing body.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 3 and 4 December 2024

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 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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, other school staff, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and religious education. 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 met with some other groups of pupils.  An inspector also discussed the curriculum, visited lessons and looked at samples of pupils’ work in some other subjects.  An inspector listened to pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 reading to a familiar adult.

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 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 put pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Richard Beadnall, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kathryn McDonald His Majesty’s Inspector 3 and 4 December 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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