Farfield Primary and Nursery School

Inspection of a school judged Good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Farfield Primary and Nursery School Reevy Crescent, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD6 2BS

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school’s work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ mental health and well-being are priorities at the school. Pastoral care is of a high quality. Pupils know that adults will help them in lessons. The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve highly. Over time, outcomes in external tests and assessments have improved. However, pupils’ knowledge and understanding in the foundation subjects, such as history and geography, are less secure.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is calm and courteous. They listen to one another and to staff attentively. Rewards for positive behaviour, good attendance and kindness encourage pupils to do their best. However, a minority of pupils do not meet the school’s high expectations for behaviour and conduct at social times. These pupils can argue with one another, become involved in physical altercations or use unkind language. This makes other pupils feel uncomfortable. Some do not share their concerns with adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in educational visits and trips, which they recall with enthusiasm. Leadership opportunities help pupils contribute constructively to their school and the wider community. For example, sports leaders organise games for others at lunchtime, and the ‘Farfield Fundraisers’ help to raise money for causes that are important to the school and pupils. The additional support and guidance the school offers its families is greatly appreciated by parents and pupils alike. 4 and 5 March 2025

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

The school’s curriculum in the foundation subjects has undergone significant change. The knowledge and skills that pupils will learn are clearly identified. The school has also considered the most important vocabulary pupils need to know at each stage of their education. The curriculum in mathematics and reading is also well considered. Specific adaptations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have been made. There are regular opportunities for pupils to discuss their mathematical understanding and solve problems. This develops their knowledge and skills well.

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

The curriculum in the foundation subjects is not taught consistently well. Activity choices made by staff do not ensure pupils learn the curriculum as intended. Staff do not always address gaps in learning before moving on in lessons. Sometimes, work remains incomplete. Pupil’s understanding of the curriculum in subjects such as history and geography is not as secure as it might be.

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

The school identifies pupils with SEND effectively. The specialist staff and dedicated spaces for pupils with SEND help them to access their education. Advice for staff on how to support pupils with additional needs is well considered. However, staff no not use this advice precisely to support all pupils with SEND. This negatively impacts upon how well some pupils with SEND engage in their learning.

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

Developing a love of reading is a priority at the school. All pupils access the school library bus weekly. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about books they have recently read. Older pupils receive additional support so they can read with confidence. However, younger pupils at an early stage of learning to read are not achieving as well as they might. This is because some staff do not implement the school’s agreed phonics scheme consistently well.

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

The early years curriculum and environment have undergone considerable change of late. The resources and learning activities inside the classroom help children to develop important skills and knowledge, such as understanding quantity in the kitchen area or developing cutting skills at the craft table. The indoor environment has many opportunities for children to explore letters and numbers. Staff are skilled at ensuring children engage with these. The outdoor space is less well developed. The resources and learning activities do not support children’s development as well as those indoors.

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

Pupils know how to lead healthy lives and keep themselves safe. They learn to understand and value the differences between people. Some pupils have a stronger appreciation of other faiths and cultures than others. Pupils say that bullying is rare but that some pupils do not always consider the impact of their words when speaking to their peers. This can cause disagreements, especially at social times.

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

Those responsible for governance understand the school’s improvement priorities. These include improving attendance. Pupils are absent too often from school. This includes disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Governors and school leaders are working together to ensure more positive improvements in the future. However, the school’s approach to ensuring attendance improves has had limited impact over time. 4 and 5 March 2025

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Staff feel well supported working at the school. They value the professional development opportunities they get, such as learning more about early years or mathematics education. Staff speak passionately about supporting pupils to achieve their best. Staff know what might put pupils at risk and report any concerns they have swiftly.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Minor weaknesses in the school’s single central record were identified. The majority of these were rectified by the end of the inspection. Those that were not resolved do not leave pupils at risk of harm. The school’s oversight of the single central record is not as effective as it might be. Governor’s knowledge of contextual safeguarding risks is not as strong as it is among the staff. This limits how effectively they support and challenge the school’s work on safeguarding.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Staff do not implement the school’s agreed phonics scheme consistently well. This impacts on the achievement of pupils at an early stage of learning to read. The school should ensure that the phonics programme is implemented consistently well and that it has a robust approach to identifying and providing additional support to staff who might need it.  The way in which the foundation curriculum is implemented is too variable. Sometimes, staff do not select the most appropriate activity to support the intended learning. They do not check that pupils, including those with SEND, have understood new learning before moving on in lessons. This hinders how well pupils learn the curriculum in some subjects. The school should ensure that the way in which the curriculum is taught consistently develops pupils’ knowledge and understanding as intended.  Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. Rates of persistent absence are

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

high, and this is particularly the case for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. This means that pupils miss out on important learning. The school should strengthen its approach to securing high rates of attendance among all pupils, particularly the most disadvantaged.  Pupils’ behaviour and interactions at social times are not as positive as they are in lessons. Pupils experience unkind words and actions that they do not always report to an adult. This means that some pupils do not have a positive experience at social times and feel uncomfortable around their peers. The school should ensure that pupils have a strong understanding of how to conduct themselves at social times and that any reports from pupils are addressed consistently well. 4 and 5 March 2025

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in January 2020.

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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). 4 and 5 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average primary school.  The proportion of pupils entitled to receive the government’s additional pupil premium funding is above average.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school provides a breakfast club and after-school care.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector carried out this ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 4 and 5 March 2025

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 The inspector met with the headteacher, other senior leaders and groups of staff and pupils.  The inspector spoke with members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector met with leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND and the early years foundation stage.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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 inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspector spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  The inspector considered the responses from parents to Ofsted Parent View. This

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includes the comments submitted via the free-text facility. The inspector also considered responses to Ofsted’s online pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

John Linkins, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 4 and 5 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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