The Ferns Primary Academy

The Ferns Primary Academy

Address: Plodder Lane, Farnworth, Bolton, Lancashire, BL4 0DA Unique reference number (URN): 138399

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged, make consistently secure progress through the curriculum. Consequently, many pupils achieve extremely well in most subjects by the end of Year 6.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children typically enter the school with lower-than-average starting points. Leaders place high priority on getting children in the early years off to a successful start. As a result, many children are ready for the demands of the Year 1 curriculum by the time that they leave the Reception Year. Those children who do not meet the typical level of development for their chronological age are supported well to ensure that barriers hindering their progress are addressed swiftly. This proactive approach continues throughout the school and, as a result, means that most pupils are ready for the next stage. This is particularly evident in the highly positive outcomes for pupils who are disadvantaged, those who have lower prior attainment and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Outcomes in these areas often exceed those for pupils who do not have SEND or are not considered as being

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Achievement Strong standard

disadvantaged. This shows the high level of impact that leaders have on helping pupils to achieve extremely well.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have implemented a rigorous curriculum which is set out precisely from the beginning of the early years to the end of Year 6. Pupils learn relevant and ambitious content across all subjects, such as a focus on significant women throughout history. Teachers receive extensive training on the approaches to use to deliver the curriculum well. This includes teaching vital skills and knowledge in English and mathematics, upon which the curriculum is built. Teachers deliver the learning in ways that help pupils to learn and retain new knowledge. They support and deepen pupils’ learning through carefully chosen activities which revisit and embed pupils’ subject knowledge. Teachers check pupils’ understanding and address any gaps in their knowledge quickly. This helps teachers to securely apply the whole-school approach of ‘keep up, not catch up’. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to their learning

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

typically access the same curriculum as their peers, often with tailored approaches to learning. Teachers are passionate about their role and deliver the curriculum very successfully.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders are acutely aware of the effectiveness of teaching and learning across all curriculum subjects. They understand how to bring about refinements where appropriate, and do so while maintaining high standards of teaching and learning. This means that any changes maximise learning opportunities for pupils and have a positive impact on expanding and deepening pupils’ knowledge across the curriculum.

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Early years Strong standard

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is sequenced carefully and rooted in children’s starting points. It is also highly responsive to the school’s context. Staff teach the curriculum effectively and use assessment well to identify and address gaps in children’s learning. Leaders act swiftly when children need additional support. This ensures that children learn the curriculum very well, including in early reading. From the start of Reception, children learn the phonics code securely and apply this knowledge confidently as they begin to learn to read and write.

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Early years Strong standard

Communication and language are embedded throughout the curriculum. Adults model high- quality language consistently well, including the teaching of new vocabulary. They engage in purposeful interactions that extend children’s vocabulary and deepen their understanding. As a result, children develop language confidently and use it with increasing independence in their play and talk.

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Early years Strong standard

Staff adapt learning effectively for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Adults work in partnership with children to guide and model learning so that children make sustained progress across the areas of development. Children benefit from rich opportunities to practise and apply their knowledge.

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Early years Strong standard

Leaders map each child’s learning journey carefully and work closely with parents and carers to support progress. Children typically leave the early years well prepared for Year 1, demonstrating the knowledge, confidence and readiness needed for the next stage of their learning.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders show unified determination to meet pupils’ academic and wider needs. They understand the school’s context well and set ambitious expectations for all pupils, including those who face additional barriers to learning. Leaders make considered, strategic decisions that focus firmly on pupils’ best interests. They identify priorities accurately, plan precisely to address them and monitor the impact of their actions closely. They analyse performance carefully so that they can evaluate provision accurately and act quickly to maintain consistently high standards across the school.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders at all levels contribute strongly to school priorities. They actively develop staff expertise as a central part of improvement. For example, leaders have invested time and resources to strengthen leadership capacity to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This work is already starting to have a positive impact.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The school has experienced significant changes, particularly in leadership, yet the systems that leaders have embedded ensure that standards remain high. Staff feel very well supported and describe a positive, collaborative culture in which morale is high. Leaders have created a highly effective professional learning culture in which staff continually refine their practice. Access to specialist learning and qualifications through the trust enhances this further. Staff development draws on the best available evidence and aligns precisely with school and individual priorities. Leaders allocate time for staff to collaborate within school and across other settings to promote effective practice.

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Expected standard

Governors and trustees use their expertise to offer consistently high levels of challenge and support. Leaders maintain a culture of high expectations and professionalism that ensures positive outcomes for pupils and a cohesive, reflective, development-focused staff team.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders demonstrate a clear understanding of the school’s context. They have designed a personal development programme that is carefully sequenced and highly relevant to pupils’ lives. Pupils report that they feel safe and trust adults to support them. Pupils learn how to keep healthy, including learning about healthy relationships. They can explain in depth the practical steps that they take to maintain their wellbeing. This learning is firmly embedded.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils have a secure understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They talk knowledgeably about staying safe online and in their locality, and they can relate this learning to their own lives. Leaders provide a rich and varied range of experiences that broaden pupils’ horizons. Trips, visits and clubs enhance pupils’ social, cultural and physical development, including opportunities to try specialist sports that encourage pupils’ interests beyond school. Leaders monitor participation closely and remove barriers so that disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from the full offer.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils relish opportunities to take on responsibility and speak proudly about roles such as supporting lunchtime routines or contributing to the junior leadership team. They engage very positively with a programme of challenges that enhances their character development and deepens their understanding of fundamental British values. For example, pupils often mentor younger pupils, represent their school at competitions and take part in residential visits. Pupils demonstrate respectful understanding of different religions and cultures, reflecting the school’s embedded commitment to equality. Pupils become socially and morally aware. They actively seek opportunities to support others, for example through charity fundraisers to raise awareness of pertinent issues.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders prioritise pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. Pupils understand their emotions and seek help when needed, supported by highly effective pastoral care. Leaders work sensitively with families and encourage parental engagement. The school’s inclusive and coherent approach ensures that pupils develop confidence, resilience and a deep sense of belonging, equipping them with the characteristics that they need for future success.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders’ work is successful in creating a culture in which pupils value coming to school. Clear policies, consistent expectations and celebrations of good attendance ensure that pupils and parents and carers develop positive habits. Leaders monitor patterns closely and act quickly when concerns arise. This includes working with external agencies to support the small proportion of pupils who are severely absent. Attendance for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities remains below national figures. Nonetheless, leaders have identified this as a priority and are securing improvement. Their detailed knowledge of pupils and their families, alongside targeted support, demonstrates a committed and effective approach to raising attendance for all groups.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils throughout the school typically behave well. Low-level disruption, when it rarely occurs, is addressed promptly. Consequently, pupils recognise that staff deal with issues effectively. Although the behaviour policy is clear, the approaches that staff use are occasionally not applied uniformly. This means that a small number of pupils receive inconsistent guidance and support on how to improve their behaviour. Classrooms are purposeful, and pupils show positive attitudes to learning, listening attentively and taking great pride in their work. Staff know pupils well and they have created a caring, supportive culture that helps pupils to feel safe and valued. Leaders’ rigid stance against bullying, including discriminatory or offensive language, is evident in the swift and decisive way that isolated incidents are managed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders understand the school’s context and use this knowledge to set ambitious expectations for pupils who face additional barriers to their learning or wellbeing. This is realised through the effective use of pupil premium funding. Staff create a positive environment where pupils feel valued and cared for. Leaders identify pupils’ needs quickly and reduce barriers to learning through strategic and appropriate support. They provide reasonable adjustments and ensure that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), typically access the curriculum well.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have identified that some adaptations do not precisely match the individual needs of a small number of pupils with SEND. Where this happens, these pupils do not embed their learning securely.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff training includes how to identify pupils with additional needs and specialist programmes such as speech and language therapy. Staff are generally confident in applying this knowledge to enable pupils to access the curriculum.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders monitor progress to evaluate the impact of interventions. They work closely with families and external professionals to implement support and to ensure that pupils with SEND and who are disadvantaged achieve well. Leaders deploy support particularly well for pupils with complex needs.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils at The Ferns are enthused to attend this friendly, thriving school. They arrive happily each morning and quickly settle to their studies. Pupils relish their time in school and place a high value on their education.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Leaders meticulously ensure that any barriers to learning are identified and addressed swiftly. As a result, pupils typically achieve very well across the curriculum. Leaders focus sharply on ensuring that pupils gain the knowledge that they need for the next stage of their education. This applies from the beginning of the early years through to the oldest pupils. Consequently, pupils learn the curriculum content securely and extensively. This is reflected in the school’s published outcomes, which show that most pupils achieve above the national average. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged, across most subjects with published outcomes.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are confident and welcoming, showing interest in visitors’ wellbeing and interacting politely. In lessons and at breaktimes, pupils typically behave well, demonstrating consideration and kindness. They benefit from the caring relationships that they have with adults and each other. Pupils are confident that any issues, including bullying, should it occur, would be dealt with promptly. This helps them to feel safe.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils, including those with SEND and who are disadvantaged, also benefit from a carefully chosen range of exciting and enriching learning experiences. From the early years, pupils learn meaningful topics that prepare them very well for life in modern Britain. These include visits to places of worship to learn about different religions and beliefs. The school welcomes visitors who share their experiences, such as authors connected to significant historical figures and local professionals who help to inspire pupils’ career ambitions. The school maintains high aspirations for every pupil, both academically and personally. As a result, pupils are motivated and knowledgeable. They are also highly respectful of people's different backgrounds.

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Next steps

• Leaders should continue to embed the school’s adaptive practice so that support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is consistently highly effective. • Leaders should ensure that behaviour expectations and approaches to behaviour management are consistently applied by all staff.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Northern Education 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), Jane Wilson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mark Sanders OBE.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our updated inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the principal, vice principal and several other leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator, during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The lead inspector also spoke with the CEO, the senior executive principal for the primary phase of the trust, as well as the vice chair of the board of trustees and members of the local governing body.

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Team inspectors:

Louise Smith, Ofsted Inspector Kathryn Nichol, Ofsted Inspector Alex Reed, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school: The school has undergone a significant change in leadership since the last inspection. The current headteacher took up the role in September 2025.

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What does this mean?

Principal: Sarah Hambley The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2022/23 (final) 79% 73% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 5.2% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.2% 5.5% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 5.5% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 12.3% 13.3% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 14.5% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 15.8% 16.2% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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