Farsley Farfield Primary School

Farsley Farfield Primary School Inspection report

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107981 Unique Reference Number Leeds Local Authority 309559 Inspection number 26 °27 September 2007 Inspection dates Don Mason Reporting inspector

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

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Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 379 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Graham Foster Chair Mr Peter Harris Headteacher 24 March 2003 Date of previous school inspection Cote Lane School address Farsley Pudsey West Yorkshire LS28 5ED 0113 2146084 Telephone number 0113 2146121 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 26 °27 September 2007 Inspection dates 309559 Inspection number .

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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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Pupils to this school come from a wide range of social and economic backgrounds. Most are from White British families. Attainment on entry to the Foundation Stage varies from year to year but overall it is below the expectations for children of their age. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average overall but also varies considerably from year to year. The school accommodates before- and after-school clubs and a youth centre.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Farsley Farfield Primary School, 26 °27 September 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school which enables pupils to achieve well and thrive in their personal development. Pupils' enjoyment and good personal development are enhanced by the provision of the school farm, drama studio and the provision for information and communication technology (ICT). Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school and are particularly appreciative of the curriculum enrichment, the care for pupils with special needs and the high level of commitment of staff. One parent summed up the views of many stating, 'The large number of after-school activities is a great example of the staff's dedication.' Standards are above average at the end of Year 6 and pupils' achievement is good. Effective teaching and an outstanding curriculum ensure that pupils of all abilities, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, make good progress. Although teaching is good, there are some inconsistencies in its quality; for example, in the way teachers actively engage pupils

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Grade: 2

in their learning and in the marking of work. The care, support and guidance provided for pupils are good. The school's commitment to every child of whatever ability, and from whatever background, shines through. This is an inclusive school and the support for vulnerable pupils and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is exemplary. Pupils make a good contribution to the community through the work of the school council, the farm, charity fundraising and taking on responsibilities in school. The leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher provides strong, energetic leadership and is well supported by a conscientious staff team who rise to new challenges with enthusiasm and commitment. The school works extremely well with parents, other schools and agencies to promote pupils' well-being. Managers analyse the progress made by pupils very well and use the information to provide appropriate support for those who need

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Grade: 2

it. The school knows its strengths and weaknesses and makes an honest assessment of where its improvement work has been successful and where it has not. There are outstanding features in the school's work but these are not consistently applied well enough in all classes. The new curriculum teams are progressing well in their work but they have too few opportunities to visit classes and check the impact of their work to raise standards further. This means that an opportunity to widen the discussion about the quality of teaching, and how to share best practice in order to improve progress further and reduce inconsistencies, is missed.

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Grade: 2

Good teaching and interesting activities ensure that children in the Foundation Stage make good progress. Children join the Nursery with skills that are below those nationally expected for their age. The extremely positive and supportive atmosphere established by staff ensures that children settle very quickly, enjoy all aspects of their learning and make particularly good progress in their personal and social skills. A wide range of well-focused and resourced activities successfully promotes learning in the classrooms and outdoors. Staff make good observations of how well children are learning and 'know the children inside out', as noted by many parents. However, the extension of this process to identify clearly what individual children need to learn next is not fully established. Most pupils reach the level expected for their age in all areas of learning by the start of Year 1. The good quality of children's experiences gives them a secure

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Grade: 2

basis for their future learning. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Farsley Farfield Primary School, 26 °27 September 2007

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure curriculum leaders monitor teaching to evaluate its impact on pupils' learning in order to raise standards further. ■ Use the information gained from monitoring to iron out inconsistencies in teaching in order to improve pupils' progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enter Year 1 with standards that are as expected for their age. Throughout school all pupils make good progress and reach above average standards by the end of Year 6. There is some variation in the Year 6 national test results because of differences in individual cohorts of pupils. The school seeks to raise its standards further by improving achievement in writing particularly in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 and especially for boys. Last year a new system for teaching early reading and writing skills was introduced in Reception and a project to improve boys' writing was launched although it is too early to judge the impact of these initiatives. The school is effectively using its comprehensive assessment arrangements to monitor the impact of these, and other, initiatives.

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Grade: 2

Pupils grow in self-confidence because they know that their views, especially as expressed through the school council, are valued. They talk excitedly about their school farm and how their school could be an even better place for everyone. Their outstanding understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles is reflected in the importance they place on growing their own food: 'We get to eat what we grow, it's fresh, it's great'. In addition, a very high number of pupils take enthusiastic part in sporting activities and after-school sports and activity clubs. Attendance is well above average reflecting pupils' enjoyment of school. They value the opportunities offered and understand the difference between right and wrong. Pupils' development of spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is good because assemblies and lessons provide them with good opportunities to reflect and learn about relevant issues.

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Grade: 2

Behaviour is generally very good although some pupils say that the behaviour of a few outside at lunchtime, could be improved. Good skills in literacy and numeracy and the outstanding opportunities to develop their ICT skills prepare pupils well for the future.

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Grade: 2

Lessons are well planned and learning objectives are made clear to the pupils. The pace of lessons is usually good ensuring that pupils make good progress. Teachers know the pupils very well and assessment information is clear. This knowledge is used effectively to set work which matches the needs of different groups of pupils. Pupils behave well and usually enjoy their lessons, although they say that they much prefer to be active rather than listening. Teachers do not always engage pupils fully in their learning. They sometimes talk for too long to the whole class with the result that pupils lose concentration and then have insufficient time to work on activities. This hinders the progress they make. Relationships between adults and 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Farsley Farfield Primary School, 26 °27 September 2007 pupils are very good and less able pupils benefit from good support provided by able teachers'

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Grade: 2

assistants. The school raises standards successfully by providing extra support to targeted groups of pupils.

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Grade: 1

The outstanding curriculum allows all groups of pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to achieve well. Key skills in literacy and numeracy are successfully developed. Boys' writing is improving because the school is making good use of ICT programmes, and film, to stimulate their interest. Pupils thoroughly enjoy the 'computer aided learning' sessions where they work individually, on carefully selected programmes, to reinforce aspects of their learning. Subject 'focus weeks' and other events, often linking well with the local area, bring learning to life and are extremely popular - 'My son particularly enjoys the focus weeks and shares his learning enthusiastically'. The outstanding range of out-of-school activities broadens pupils' experiences and enhances their personal and social development, including their exemplary awareness of how to lead healthy lives. Some developments are particularly innovative. The recently established school

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Grade: 1

farm is a most exciting project which is already an important aspect of school life.

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Grade: 2

Pupils feel safe and secure in school and say that any problems that do arise are quickly resolved by teachers. This is overwhelmingly confirmed by parents and carers. Child protection procedures are in place and arrangements for health and safety are robust. Close working relationships with a range of agencies provide pupils with the support they need to overcome their barriers to learning. The learning mentor provides excellent support for the most vulnerable pupils, who thrive in a safe and caring environment. The quality of academic guidance provided for pupils is good overall but inconsistent. Pupils have individual targets but their impact on learning is variable. There are examples of outstanding marking, especially in writing where pupils are given clear advice about how to improve their work. However, much marking is just congratulatory.

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Grade: 2

The school is well managed ensuring a friendly, calm, purposeful atmosphere. Good leadership ensures that all groups of pupils make good progress in their learning and well-being. This is a school in which all pupils are treated equally and are well supported in their learning and emotional needs. The school knows its strengths and weaknesses very well and is accurate in its appraisal of its work to bring about improvements. This process is aided by an exemplary system for tracking pupils' progress. The information is used to identify pupils requiring support and to set challenging targets for improvement which the school meets with increasing success. As a result, the school has good capacity for further improvement. Teachers in the new curriculum teams offer good support and training to colleagues. However, they have not had sufficient opportunities to visit classes to see the impact of their work on pupil achievement and to widen

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Grade: 2

the debate about how to improve the quality of teaching and learning even further. Governors 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Farsley Farfield Primary School, 26 °27 September 2007 provide strong support and have the confidence and expertise to help the school to move forward by asking challenging questions when necessary. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Farsley Farfield Primary School, 26 °27 September 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Farsley Farfield Primary School, 26 °27 September 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

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

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Farsley Farfield Primary School, 26 °27 September 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Farsley Farfield Primary School, 26 °27 September 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I wish to thank you for being so helpful and friendly and helping us with the inspection. We really enjoyed our visit to your school. We particularly enjoyed visiting your classrooms, seeing the work you were doing and talking with you. We found that your school provides you with a good education. We were particularly impressed by your super school grounds, the farm, the studio and the opportunities you have to use computers. Good things about your school

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You make good progress in your work and standards are above average at the end of Year 6. ■ Your attendance is good. You behave well in school and get on very well with each other.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The teachers check your progress very well and provide you with extra support if it is needed.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are rightly proud of your school and the outstanding range of after-school clubs and events which the teachers provide for you. ■ The adults in school know you very well and take good care of you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your headteacher is always thinking of new ways to make the school an exciting place for you to work and play in. What we have asked your teachers and the headteacher to do now

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Give the teachers more opportunities to visit classes to see for themselves how well you are progressing and to see if the changes they are making are helping you to reach higher standards in your work. ■ For your teachers to make sure that every one of your lessons are of equally good quality to help you do even better. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Farsley Farfield Primary School, 26 °27 September 2007

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