Fairisle Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of Fairisle Infant and Nursery School Fairisle Road, Lordshill, Southampton, Hampshire SO16 8BY

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 January 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 28 and 29 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and well cared for at this school. They build strong relationships with the kind and helpful staff. Every pupil has a leaf on the ‘be kind to your mind’ tree which encapsulates the inclusive and nurturing ethos of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s vision to ‘expect success’ is clear in the high expectations set for pupils’ learning and behaviour. Pupils show impressive levels of confidence and independence with their learning. They work hard in their lessons and achieve well across much of the curriculum. Pupils are kind and respectful in their interactions with each other and school staff. They enjoy their breaktimes when they explore their pirate ship and play games with their friends.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wealth of well-considered additional opportunities. The school makes the most of cultural experiences in Southampton through visits to museums and engagement with local services. Pupils enjoy their trips and meeting visitors to the school. These activities bring their learning to life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers feel part of the school community. They appreciate their communications from the school and their invitations to attend events, such as themed workshops. There is a sense that everyone is welcomed as part of the ‘Fairisle family’.

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

The school has a clear and appropriate curriculum in all subjects. Recent curriculum reviews have ensured there is a sequenced learning journey in every subject. This includes consideration of how learning begins in the school’s Nursery and its Reception Year. The school takes pupils’ starting points into account. Opportunities to develop oracy and vocabulary are particularly prioritised. For example, traditional tales and nursery rhymes are used well to promote discussion and language in mathematical learning.

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

Pupils are supported well with their reading. Staff are trained to teach reading through a phonics-based approach. There is consistency in the way phonics terminology is used. Pupils break down words into sounds and blend them together to read with increasing fluency and confidence. Pupils who need extra help with their reading are supported well and this means that they catch up quickly.

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

In lessons, teachers use questioning effectively to check how well pupils are learning. They give pupils clear feedback and address any misconceptions. Pupils are supported to remember key knowledge. This is because lessons routinely include recaps of previous learning. This is particularly strong in mathematics where pupils practise and consolidate their understanding and then apply it in problem-solving.

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

In many subjects, the school gathers information to check that pupils are learning what they need to across the curriculum. In a few subjects, where there have been recent curriculum revisions, the school does not yet know the impact of these changes. This 28 and 29 January 2025

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means that sometimes pupils’ gaps in their knowledge and skills are not known. On an individual basis, pupil’s needs are accurately identified and addressed. This means that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well and therefore achieve in line with their peers.

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The school’s provision for pupils’ personal development is exceptional. It is underpinned by a well-designed programme for personal, social and health education. The emphasis on pupils’ character development is highly effective. Pupils show impressive levels of empathy and understanding about cultural diversity and difference. Recent work with a local university provided pupils with meaningful opportunities to debate and discuss social issues. They introduce and lead initiatives to fundraise for local charities and look after the environment. Pupils play an active role in school decision-making through democratic voting systems. There are many examples of the genuine and purposeful use of pupil voice.

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Pupils behave well and enjoy their learning. They demonstrate the school values to ‘learn, be safe and be the best they can be’. This is evident with the children in the Nursery and Reception Year who listen carefully and show sustained levels of concentration. The school communicates with parents about the importance of high school attendance. However, there are too many pupils who have high levels of absence from school. This means that these pupils miss valuable learning time and do not benefit from the richness of the school’s wider opportunities.

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The governing body have an accurate picture of the school. They receive the information they need to be able to evaluate the impact of their work and the school’s strategic priorities. Staff value their training and professional development opportunities. These are well-established through the strong relationships with schools in the foundation trust and with the local authority.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the school does not have clear oversight about how well pupils are learning. This means that gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills are not identified and addressed. The school should continue with work to embed meaningful assessment procedures so that they can be sure that pupils are learning what they need to.  Persistent absence of some pupils remains high. As a result, these pupils do not fully benefit from the education and wider opportunities that the school offers. The school 28 and 29 January 2025

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should continue with their work to improve pupils’ attendance and evaluate the impact of their actions.

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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). 28 and 29 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 September 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of a foundation trust, The Bridge Education Trust.  The school’s nursery has provision for two-year-olds.  The school does not currently use any 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 and/or sixth form provision). 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. 28 and 29 January 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspection team met with school leaders as well as representatives from the foundation trust, local authority and the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history 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 also discussed the curriculum for all subjects 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

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors analysed responses to the Ofsted staff survey and spoke to staff about their views of the school.  The inspectors took account of the responses to the Ofsted online parent survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the additional free-text responses. An inspector also spoke with parents in the morning of the first day of the inspection.  The inspectors evaluated responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Kate Fripp, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andy Yeoman Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 January 2025

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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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