Farnham Green Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Farnham Green Primary School Royal Close, Seven Kings, Ilford, Essex IG3 8UY

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that the school’s work may have improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The head of school is John Lee. This school is part of the Strive 4 Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Amanda Jennings, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Alex McNeill.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a warm and welcoming school with high aspirations. Diversity is celebrated. Pupils, staff and families enjoy coming together for the annual ‘Heritage Day’ and community arts projects. Pupils show respect and kindness for one another. They are happy here. When new pupils join the school, they are helped to settle in quickly and make friends. Pupils say that adults help them with their learning and there is always someone they can speak to.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Behaviour in lessons and around the school is excellent. Pupils pay close attention in lessons because they take their learning very seriously. They develop strong knowledge of their subjects as they move up the school, and as a result, they achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are many exciting opportunities for pupils at Farnham Green. Through the school ‘pledges’, pupils gain new experiences, including a school sleepover and a meal out in a restaurant. On careers day, pupils learn about the different jobs people do in their local community. Older pupils, such as the maths champions, help younger pupils with their learning. The digital leaders create resources to help their peers stay safe online. 3 and 4 June 2025

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

The school has implemented an exceptionally well-sequenced curriculum in all subjects that clearly sets out the important knowledge all pupils must learn. The checks that teachers make on pupils’ learning are highly effective. This means that any gaps or misconceptions are identified swiftly. The use of talk partners gives pupils plenty of opportunities to practice and apply what they have learned. As pupils move up the school, they are challenged to provide more detailed answers and to consider alternative points of view. This helps them develop into confident and articulate learners.

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

There is a sharp focus on vocabulary. Pupils regularly use and apply new vocabulary until they have learned it securely. This helps pupils, including those with SEND and those who are new to English, to develop their language and communication. For example, in art, pupils first learn how to use the words pattern and shape to talk about different types of art and artists. By Year 6, pupils can apply terms such as proportion and scale to talk about a range of art forms including sculpture and architecture.

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

Leaders, staff and those responsible for governance, work together to ensure that the school’s vision for success is implemented effectively. There is a robust programme of professional development. The extensive induction programme supports new staff, including those early in their teaching career, to understand the trust’s approach. Staff at all levels receive expert coaching to help develop their leadership skills. This contributes considerably to the high level of consistency in how the curriculum is delivered.

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

Through the curriculum, pupils learn important life skills, such as how to create a personal budget and how to be critical consumers. For example, they learn how products are marketed and how to balance cost against other considerations such as quality and ethics. There is an extensive pupil leadership programme which has high status in the school. Pupils take great pride in their roles as school parliament members or subject ambassadors. Older pupils take part in schemes that promote citizenship and develop artistic talent.

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

Pupils are highly engaged in their learning. Behaviour does not disrupt learning. Pupils are clear about what is expected of them. This starts in the Reception Year, where children are taught how to follow rules and routines. They learn how to engage with tasks and activities with great independence. This prepares them very well for Year 1. Pupils with SEND are quickly identified. Staff are skilled in providing the most appropriate support to enable pupils with SEND to learn the curriculum.

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

The school is successful in fostering a love of reading. Pupils enjoy talking about the wide variety of books they have read. There is a highly effective phonics programme taught by skilled and experienced teachers. Pupils’ outcomes for phonics in 2024 were well below the national average. This is because the school supported an exceptionally high number of pupils who joined the school after the Reception Year. Pupils who join the school mid- year make rapid progress towards becoming confident and fluent readers. This is reflected in the strong outcomes in reading by the end of key stage two. 3 and 4 June 2025

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The school has changed its approach to attendance. As a result, pupils’ attendance has improved considerably. Monitoring is rigorous and staff take swift action when attendance dips. The schools’ work with pupils, families and wider agencies is having a positive impact.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 December 2019.

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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. 3 and 4 June 2025

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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). 3 and 4 June 2025

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School details

Headteacher Amanda Jennings (Executive Lead)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 3 and 4 December 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Strive 4 Academy Trust.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The number of pupils on roll has reduced significantly since the last inspection.

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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.  The inspector met with senior leaders, the CEO, members of the trust and the governing body, teachers and support staff. 3 and 4 June 2025

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector examined a range of documentation provided by the school.  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 spoke to some parents and considered the responses to the Ofsted online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also reviewed the responses to the Ofsted staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Polly Haste, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 3 and 4 June 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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