Fulmer Infant School

Inspection of Fulmer Infant School Alderbourne Lane, Fulmer, Slough, Berkshire SL3 6JB

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

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This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 10 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 11 and 12 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this nurturing school. Pupils know the school’s values of respect, be kind, be honest and achieve. They can explain concepts such as ‘respect’ and say that it is when they are kind to each other and listen well. Pupils learn how to be good friends and how to stay safe, such as how to cross the road safely. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), flourish and build the confidence they need to succeed in their next stage of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value leadership responsibilities such as being school councillors, eco councillors and librarians. They understand how to keep themselves healthy, for example how to eat healthily and be physically active. Pupils make use of the school’s range of sporting clubs and extra-curricular activities. Pupils behave well in lessons and on the playground. From the beginning of breakfast club to the end of each school day staff manage pupils’ behaviour effectively. Pupils are kind, polite and well mannered.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for what pupils can achieve. The curriculum is broad and challenging. Pupils achieve well across subjects. They respond particularly well to the ambitious range of texts, stories and topics that provide no limits or barriers for pupils’ learning throughout the school.

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

From the start of the Reception Year, phonics and early reading is taught expertly. Staff model sounds accurately and check pupils’ understanding systematically. If any pupils fall behind in reading, they receive the help that they need to catch up to their peers quickly. Children make a strong start with learning to read in the early years and build on their knowledge and understanding well. Pupils with SEND have their needs identified quickly. Where necessary, staff adapt the curriculum for pupils with SEND successfully. The school works closely with external specialists such as speech and language advisors to ensure that pupils’ specific needs are met. By the end of key stage 1, pupils read confidently and fluently and are prepared for their next stage of education well.

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

Subjects such as mathematics, art and history, are well developed with very clear sequences of lessons. Staff have identified the precise knowledge and skills that they want pupils to learn. Pupils learn key knowledge from these lessons strongly. Important vocabulary is taught deliberately and revisited often. For example, in art, pupils learn the primary colours of red, blue and yellow. They go on to use this knowledge to create shades and tints. However, in English, pupils’ writing and transcription skills are not secure, with some further work needed to develop aspects such as pupils’ handwriting and spelling. Leaders are aware of this. They have already implemented strategies to address this which are beginning to be embedded and more consistent, but pupils writing skills are not currently as secure as they could be.

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

Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils learn and follow clear routines from the start of early years. Pupils respond quickly to instructions from staff. They show 11 and 12 March 2025

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genuine care towards each other throughout the school day. Any behaviour incidents are dealt with quickly and effectively.

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Most pupils attend school regularly. If pupils are at risk of lower attendance, the school has begun to do all that it reasonably can to help pupils be in school successfully. There has been a positive shift in pupils’ rates of attendance overall. Despite this, a small number of pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should. The school is aware of this and is continuing to develop supportive approaches aimed at uniting the community behind this priority area and making sure pupils do not miss out on the full educational offer that is available to them.

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Staff and pupils have very positive relationships. If pupils are ever worried or feel like they need extra support, they quickly receive the help that they need. Pupils learn about British values such as democracy. They enjoy learning about concepts such as respect and tolerance through assemblies and visiting speakers as well as taking part in democratic processes, such as electing pupil representatives.

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Governors provide the right support and challenge to the school. They know the school’s strengths and act quickly to resolve any potential risks to the school’s quality of education. The newly appointed leadership team is dedicated and has a clear vision for the school. Leaders take decisions that are in the best interests of children. Parents and carers appreciate the excellent work and dedication of the whole staff team. One parent summarised the thoughts of others, saying, ‘I would recommend the school to anyone…they provide the best start for children in education’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils do not get sufficient opportunities to learn and practise handwriting and spelling skills. As a result, they do not develop fluent, accurate letter formation and do not consistently apply the spelling rules they learn. The school should ensure that staff have the expertise to teach spelling and handwriting effectively.  Some pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should. Despite some recent improvement and leaders’ ongoing work, rates of persistent absence are too high for a small number of pupils. These pupils do not benefit from the full range of opportunities available to them throughout the curriculum and therefore do not achieve as well as they could. The school should continue to work closely with families and ensure that strategies are effective in helping pupils at risk of missing school to attend school regularly. 11 and 12 March 2025

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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). 11 and 12 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection November 2014

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Information about this school

 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 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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders within the school. The lead inspector also met with governors, including the chair of governors, and a representative from the local authority. 11 and 12 March 2025

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 The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, and art. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.  The inspectors considered the views of parents shared through the Ofsted online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They gathered the views of pupils and staff through the online pupil and staff surveys, as well as through interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.  The inspectors reviewed a range of the school’s documentation, including self-

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evaluation reports, minutes of governing body meetings, local authority visit reports and behaviour incident logs.

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Inspection team

Carl McCarthy, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Claire Britnell Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 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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