Fairway Primary School

Inspection Report Fairway Primary School

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106046 Unique Reference Number Stockport LEA 277475 Inspection number 14 June 2006 to 15 June 2006 Inspection dates Mr Keith Bardon CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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The Fairway School address Primary Type of school Offerton Community School category Stockport, Cheshire SK2 5DR 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 0161 4831873 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0161 4839880 Fax number 216 Number on roll Mrs A Walker Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs L Boyle Headteacher 4 October 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277475 14 June 2006 - 3 to 11 15 June 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This average sized primary school is located in a suburban area of Stockport. It draws its pupils from a number of surrounding districts. These have a wide range of social and economic characteristics and approaching one in eight pupils live in disadvantaged areas. About one in ten pupils is from a minority ethnic background and a very small number are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. The building is too small for the number of pupils and provides a poor learning environment; a new one is currently under construction. A Nursery has been added since the school was last inspected.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Fairway Primary School, 14 June 2006 to 15 June 2006

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Grade: 3

Inspectors, senior staff and governors are in agreement that Fairway Primary is a satisfactory school with good features. At present, the school is prevented from being any better than this owing to the poor accommodation. On entry to the school most children have the expected range of basic skills. They make satisfactory progress and leave at the end of Year 6 attaining standards that are broadly average. This represents satisfactory value for money. Children achieve well in the Foundation Stage and in Year 2 because the teaching and the provision made for their learning is good. Teaching, learning and pupils' progress in other classes are satisfactory. The school takes good care of its pupils and makes effective use of its links with other organisations to promote their well-being. Pupils attend regularly and behave well. These are the bare facts and to gain a fuller picture, the conditions under which staff and pupils are

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Grade: 3

working need to be understood. The school is housed in a building that is too small, has mainly open areas instead of classrooms and has poor access from one part to another. It is also stuffy and has little natural light. People moving about the school and the unavoidable noise from adjoining classes regularly interrupt lessons, particularly those for older pupils. These difficulties restrict the methods teachers are able to employ, limit the contributions pupils can make to lessons and adversely affects their concentration and progress. Despite these problems, the steps the school has taken to improve attainment by Year 6 are beginning to work and standards are rising. Poor accommodation is about to become a thing of the past. A completely new school building, far more suited to the needs of primary children and which staff and governors have helped to design, is nearing completion. Everyone concerned with the school is

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Grade: 3

eagerly awaiting the opening and the opportunities that will be created. Managers and governors make regular checks of how well pupils are achieving and have a secure overview of the school's strengths and weaknesses. However, action plans for development often lack the detail teachers need to help them to raise standards. Even so, a combination of factors: the new building, established good practice for younger pupils; rising standards and the increasing effectiveness of staff give the school good capacity to improve in the future.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Use the facilities of the new building to develop a wider range of teaching strategies and to provide pupils with more opportunities to work cooperatively and to contribute to lessons. • Plan for improvement in detail so that all members of staff know precisely what they are to contribute to the raising of standards.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' achievement is satisfactory overall, and standards meet national expectations. Most children enter Nursery with the expected range of basic skills. They achieve well 2 Inspection Report: Fairway Primary School, 14 June 2006 to 15 June 2006 in the Foundation Stage and by the end of Reception, most are working within or above the expected levels for their age. The good progress pupils make in Year 2 moves standards above average. In 2005, Year 6 pupils did not perform as well in the national tests as might have been expected, particularly at the upper level, and the school missed the targets it had set. Results were broadly average, but pupils did not repeat the high standards they had attained in Year 2, although pupil absence and new entrants to the school skewed the results somewhat. The school has made a concerted effort to raise standards by Year 6 and this is starting to bear fruit. Pupils' attainment

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Grade: 3

in both English and mathematics is improving and the school is confident it will meet the challenging targets it has set for 2006. The weak performance of boys has been a particular concern. Here too, improvement is evident, and the difference in attainment between boys and girls has narrowed substantially. Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities maintain similar rates of progress to other pupils, good in Foundation Stage and Year 2 and satisfactory in other classes.

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Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being are good. Pupils enjoy coming to school but wish they had more opportunities for practical and collaborative group work. Attendance is satisfactory. The behaviour of the pupils is good. Pupils feel that any incidents of bullying are dealt with well and they feel safe and cared for in school. Pupils make healthy choices about the food they eat and many join the staff each morning for 'wake up and shake up' aerobics as a healthy start to their school day. Pupils readily take up many tasks in school including the school council, 'buddies', play leaders and serving in the 'healthy tuck shop'. Pupils willingly help each other and readily contribute to the wider community by raising money for a variety of charities. These activities help to prepare the pupils for the world of work. Enjoyable assemblies provide pupils with time to reflect and to consider important issues about

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Grade: 2

themselves and others, which they do with great respect. Personal, social and health education is taught regularly across the school, helping pupils to understand how to look after themselves and work and play with others. Pupils appreciate the variety of world cultures and religions and this is well supported by images and resources around the school.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. The teaching in the Foundation Stage and in Year 2 is good. Foundation Stage staff provide children with well structured and lively activities which stimulate their interest and engage them fully. This promotes effective learning and gets children away to a good start at school. Year 2 pupils learn well because they enjoy being challenged and work hard to meet 3 Inspection Report: Fairway Primary School, 14 June 2006 to 15 June 2006 the targets the teacher sets. They have a proper classroom that enables them to concentrate closely on demanding tasks. The quality of teaching and learning in other classes is satisfactory. Lessons are planned thoroughly and have clear objectives. Frequent questions keep pupils engaged, but the poor accommodation stifles pupils' spontaneity and creativity and places many constraints on what teachers can offer.

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Grade: 3

Role-play, for example, is out of the question and many forms of group work are not practical. As a result, teachers spend a large proportion of lessons talking to the class which leaves little opportunity for pupils to develop independent learning skills. In discussion, Year 6 pupils related the difficulties they experience retaining their concentration in the open areas and how they would welcome more group practical work.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and meets requirements fully. Weaknesses in information and communication technology (ICT) identified in the last inspection have been comprehensively addressed. Many subjects are linked together to make the learning both interesting and enjoyable for the pupils. Good provision is made for literacy and numeracy and the needs of different groups of pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and from minority ethnic backgrounds, are well catered for. A good range of educational visits and visitors, plus themed weeks that focus on other religions and cultures add enjoyment and stimulus to pupils' learning. The wide range of extra-curricular activities offered by the school caters successfully for the variety of pupils' interests. These are attended well and visiting coaches, through the links with the high school and local sports clubs, run several of them.

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Grade: 2

The school provides good care, guidance and support. Pupils are well cared for by the staff and are encouraged to look after each other. Risks for the pupils are constantly assessed to ensure that school is a safe place. Child protection procedures are effective and full checks are made to ensure that all staff are suitable to work in school. Pupils said, 'We feel safe because the teachers are there to protect you.' Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language are well supported by staff, and the school draws on outside agencies when necessary. Pupils' progress is tracked carefully. They receive praise for their achievements and are shown what they need to do to improve further. Pupils are set short-term group and individual targets that provide a clear focus for their literacy and numeracy work. The 'achievement postcards' pupils take home each half term play an important part

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Grade: 2

in keeping everyone, including parents, fully up to date. 4 Inspection Report: Fairway Primary School, 14 June 2006 to 15 June 2006

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides the school with clear direction and purpose. Under her leadership, the school runs smoothly despite the difficult conditions, and staff and pupils remain positive and enthusiastic. Staff work cohesively as a team and carry out their management responsibilities conscientiously. The school is calm and orderly and has a positive and pleasant ethos. Procedures for checking how well the school is performing provide senior staff and governors with a clear and accurate picture. However, action plans for improvement often contain superfluous information and lack the detail that teachers need to implement them fully and precisely. Since the last inspection, the school has made satisfactory improvement with good development taking place in ICT and the Foundation Stage. High standards have been maintained in Year 2. The headteacher and governors have

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Grade: 2

worked hard for many years to address the accommodation problems and their diligence is about to be rewarded with the completion of the new building. All staff have been consulted about its structure and contents and there is a real sense of pride and ownership that bodes well for the future. Plans to widen the provision the school offers to the local community are well conceived and will take the school into a new era. The school's capacity to improve is good. 5 Inspection Report: Fairway Primary School, 14 June 2006 to 15 June 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Fairway Primary School, 14 June 2006 to 15 June 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 3 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 3 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 3 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you very much for the very friendly welcome you gave us when we visited your school recently. Although we were with you for only two days, we thoroughly enjoyed finding out about the work you do, and a special thanks to those who talked with us about the school. We were impressed by the way you put up with the uncomfortable school building without complaining and simply get on with the job of learning. Looking at your books and the things you were doing in class, we can see that the quality of your work is steadily improving. Your behaviour is good and everyone gets on well. We know you feel safe and well cared for because you told us so. You know how to keep fit and healthy and thoroughly enjoy the many after-school activities. You clearly get a lot of pleasure from 'wake up and shake up' at the start of each day. Everyone is excited about the impressive new building. Teachers plan to use the better facilities

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to provide you with a wider variety of lessons and to do things that are not possible at present, including more group work. We feel sure you will enjoy these lessons and can help to make them even more interesting by working sensibly with others, sharing your ideas and asking thoughtful questions of your own. We have also asked the staff to look at the way that they plan for improvement so that the school will become even better.

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