Fairstead Community Primary and Nursery School

Inspection of Fairstead Community Primary and Nursery School William Booth Road, Fairstead, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 4RR

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 February 2025

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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 11 and 12 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a warm, nurturing and friendly school. Pupils feel safe because they know that staff will take good care of them. They know the importance of the school values and use them to guide their actions and attitudes. Pupils are extremely respectful. They celebrate each other’s differences and fulfil the staff’s high expectations of them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave well. Pupils have adults they trust in school. They know that staff will sort out any problems that they might have quickly. Pupils enjoy their learning, and where something has really caught their interest they excitedly tell you about it. Staff are ambitious for pupils to do their best and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about the world around them. They develop their knowledge of local, national and world news, which supports their understanding of diversity. Pupils develop their confidence and self-esteem through a wide array of opportunities. Leadership roles, including well-being ambassadors, mini medics and young librarians, appeal to pupils’ differing interests. Pupils can develop their talents through a range of music lessons and clubs. The number of sports teams has grown over recent years, with more pupils taking part and having a go.

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

The school has a broad and ambitious curriculum in place from the early years. It is designed carefully so that it builds on pupils’ prior knowledge. Staff have strong subject knowledge. They present information clearly and in an interesting way for pupils. In most subjects, the school has identified the key knowledge and vocabulary it wants the pupils to know and remember. However, in a few subjects this is not the case. In these subjects, staff do not revisit some key knowledge to help pupils remember it as well as they could.

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

In 2024, by the end of Year 6, pupils did not achieve as well as they should have in writing and mathematics. The school has a transient population due to the context of the local area. About half of the pupils in Year 6 had not learned the school’s curriculum from Year 1. Also, previous instability in staffing meant the curriculum had not been implemented consistently well in the past. The school has taken effective action to address these issues. A stable staff team is in place. Clear systems and processes are now in place to identify any gaps in the knowledge of pupils when they join the school. These pupils get the support they need to make a positive transition into the school and access the curriculum successfully. These changes have made improvements, but they were not in place long enough for pupils in Year 6 in 2024 to benefit fully from them.

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

Reading is a priority throughout the school. Pupils can access books in their classrooms and the well-stocked library. They are passionate about the texts they read in class as they find them interesting, informative and thought provoking. Phonics is taught consistently well throughout the school. Staff check pupils’ phonics knowledge regularly. Any pupils who need additional support to keep up receive it. The school holds parent and carer workshops to support them to be able to practise sounds and support their children’s reading at home. This helps pupils to become confident and fluent readers. 11 and 12 February 2025

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The school quickly identifies, and provides high-quality provision for, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Some pupils with SEND access an individualised curriculum to meet their needs. Other pupils with SEND learn alongside their peers in the classroom, with teachers making adaptations to meet pupils’ needs where necessary. Pupils with SEND make strong progress with their learning.

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Staff follow the school’s behaviour policy consistently, from the early years. This ensures that from when children start at the school, they know the high expectations which staff have of them. When pupils receive reminders about the expectations, they respond quickly and adapt their behaviour. Pupils appreciate getting rewards for their positive behaviours. Some pupils do not attend as well as they should. The school works with pupils and families to help them understand the importance of regular attendance and overcome any barriers to this.

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The personal development programme ensures that pupils learn a wide range of key skills that they will need throughout their lives. These include how to keep themselves safe near water, from strangers and when online. Pupils learn about what makes a positive relationship, how to budget and save their money, and about a wide range of differences that people might have. This helps prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.

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The school considers staff’s workload and well-being, especially when making changes. Governors are well informed and effectively challenge the school. Parents are positive about the work of the school and the support their families receive.

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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 has not identified the key knowledge and vocabulary that pupils should learn. As a result, staff do not emphasise or revisit this key knowledge enough in order for pupils to remember it easily. Therefore, some pupils develop gaps in what they know and remember. The school should ensure that the most important knowledge is identified clearly in all subjects so that teachers ensure that pupils can build their knowledge, use subject-specific vocabulary and develop more complex ideas across the full range of subjects taught.

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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. 11 and 12 February 2025

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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). 11 and 12 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.fairsteadprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses three registered alternative provisions.  The school manages its own breakfast club.

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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.  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. 11 and 12 February 2025

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 The lead inspector spoke with the chair and vice-chair of the governing body. The lead inspector also spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and design, computing and science. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum in some other subjects.  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.  Inspectors gathered and considered the views of pupils, parents and staff. This

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included considering the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Katie Devenport, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Benjamin Axon His Majesty’s Inspector 11 and 12 February 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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