Fairway Primary School

Fairway Primary School Inspection report

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106046 Unique Reference Number Stockport Local Authority 324321 Inspection number 10–11 March 2009 Inspection dates Graham Martin Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 216 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Julia Tait Chair Mrs Lynn Boyle Headteacher 14 June 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection The Fairway School address Offerton Stockport Cheshire SK2 5DR 0161 483 1873 Telephone number 0161 483 9880 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 10–11 March 2009 Inspection dates 324321 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. 2 of 12 Inspection Report: Fairway Primary School, 10–11 March 2009

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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 and draws its pupils from a number of surrounding districts. About one in seven pupils live in areas considered to be less advantaged than the national average. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is a little below average. About one in ten pupils are 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 similar to the average. Since the last inspection the school has completed a move to new premises, which includes shared accommodation for Nursery and Reception children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The school holds a national award for its work to promote information and communication technology (ICT) skills. It also holds an Activemark award and has achieved the Stockport Healthy Schools standard. There is

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Description of the school

a before- and after-school provision on site which was inspected separately.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 12 Inspection Report: Fairway Primary School, 10–11 March 2009

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Grade: 2

Fairway Primary is a good and rapidly improving school. School leaders have a clear vision for improvement. Their good impact on the school's climate for learning promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well. Good leadership and teamwork, aided by much improved accommodation since the last inspection, promote good achievement, leading to rising standards. Standards rose in 2008 and current assessments indicate that this trend is likely to continue. Most pupils achieve well, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Standards are above average overall but in English and mathematics they could be higher still because some gifted, talented and higher ability pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Pupils enjoy school. Their attendance is satisfactory. They have good attitudes to learning, reflected in their consistently good behaviour and their interest in lessons. Pupils speak

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Grade: 2

enthusiastically about the wide range of learning opportunities their school provides, including enjoyable and well attended before and after-school clubs. They acknowledge and appreciate how visits and visitors add interest and excitement to their lessons and assemblies. They say that learning is fun and comment on how well their teachers encourage them to do their best. Pupils have a good awareness of how to keep safe, such as making their own assessments of risk before going on any visits. They appreciate the value of a healthy lifestyle, understanding the importance of good nutrition and healthy exercise. They are proud that good health and fitness help them to succeed in local, friendly sports competitions. Pupils are well cared for; arrangements to safeguard them meet current requirements. Parents show good support for the school; they are happy with the care shown to their children and how well staff deal with

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Grade: 2

any concerns. 'Fairway is a lovely place to grow and learn, you can feel the warmth as you enter; the children are happy and motivated,' was a typical comment. Teachers have high expectations and provide lessons that keep pupils interested and on task. As a result, teaching is good and pupils learn well. They enjoy the challenges their teachers provide because activities are mostly matched well to their learning needs. However, in some lessons more able pupils do not always have the kind of challenges that would stretch their learning well enough to raise standards further. Pupils understand well how their teachers' guidance can help them improve, as seen in the good use of marking in English to improve pupils' writing. The discerning use of teaching assistants supports the work of teachers well, enhancing pupils' confidence and learning skills and providing good support to enable pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to achieve well.

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Grade: 2

The school's delegated budget has been used effectively to cushion the cost of moving from the old to the new building. Pupils enjoy good resources for learning in their new accommodation. Governors and school leaders use funding well to ensure that resources are kept up to date and meet pupils' needs. There are good partnerships with the wider community through, for example, charity fundraising. This, together with well established links with other schools, including one in Kenya where funds raised by the school were used to train a teacher, promote good community cohesion. School leaders use their skills well to ensure that their work sustains school improvement. Senior leaders model good school self-evaluation skills for those staff at an early stage of developing their leadership skills. However, middle leaders are not all fully aware of how evaluations of their work can be used to identify further improvement

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Grade: 2

opportunities. Governors, though, have good systems for actively checking and supporting the 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Fairway Primary School, 10–11 March 2009 work of school leaders and its impact on school improvement. The school's capacity to improve, therefore, is good overall.

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Grade: 2

Parents rightly have good confidence in the work of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Their children get off to a good start and parents say they are pleased with their children's progress. Generally, children start Nursery with skills and knowledge in line with those expected for their age although some children are less well prepared. However, all the children make good progress because they listen well and develop good speaking, listening and number skills. The children mostly reach the early goals for their learning as they leave Reception, although some do not progress well enough in matching letter sounds to letter names, which hinders their achievement in writing. The children are cared for well and enjoy coming to school. They have fun and learn well indoors and outside. Teachers make good use of the classroom and an exceptionally good outdoor learning area to enable the children to develop confidence and independence. Outside,

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Grade: 2

children run, climb, jump and pedal cycles happily and safely, enjoying fresh air and exercise. They take an active part in building large structures, such as a Viking long ship, excitedly pretending to sail away and explore the ocean. Inside, children work with good concentration, counting and matching numbers, practising letter formation and painting colourful pictures of Viking ships. Teachers intervene well with individuals and groups to encourage learning in specific, essential skills, such as using creative tools or construction equipment. Similarly, when children are ready to begin writing or matching objects to numbers, teachers nurture their interest. The children play board games fairly together, sharing the game and taking turns well. They have great fun matching numbers on dice to the jumps that Incey Wincey Spider needs to make up the water spout, keen for visitors to join in and share their fun. All this shows the

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Grade: 2

good development of their social, communication and number skills. Teachers assess and record the children's progress carefully, giving them a good picture of how well each child is reaching the key steps in their learning. A photographic record of key learning experiences, stored on computer, supports these assessments and is available for parents to review so that they can share in their child's daily learning. Good leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage enables the provision to improve well alongside the improvements of the rest of the school.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Provide sufficient challenge for gifted, talented and higher ability pupils that reflect raised expectations and support higher standards in English and mathematics. ■ Improve the way children in the Early Years Foundation Stage link letters with sounds, to raise standards in writing. ■ Strengthen the emerging skills of middle leaders in evaluating their work and judging what next steps need to be taken to further the school's improvement.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well. When they enter Year 1 the average level of skills is similar to those expected nationally, other than in writing, where standards are below what is expected. Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 1, including in their writing, and by the end of Year 2, standards are above average in reading and mathematics and average in writing. Most pupils sustain good progress in Key Stage 2 so that by Year 6, standards are above average in English and 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Fairway Primary School, 10–11 March 2009 mathematics and well above average in science. In 2008, unvalidated test results show that the school marginally failed to reach its own challenging targets for the Year 6 English and mathematics test results, mainly due to some gifted, talented and higher ability pupils missing the higher level (Level 5) by one or two marks. This is reflected in some samples of pupils' work,

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Grade: 2

which show that gifted, talented and higher ability pupils are not always stretched to attain as well as they should in writing and mathematics. Clear, manageable targets resulting from sharply focused assessments help pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to make good progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Their positive attitudes reflect their interest and enjoyment in school. Relationships are good. Pupils are consistently polite. They understand the importance of respecting one another and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, enjoying exercise in an extensive and varied range of activities. Pupils know how to keep themselves and others safe. They speak of the trust they have in staff at all levels. They are reassured by the speed and efficiency any incidents, including bullying, are dealt with, aware of who to go to if a problem occurs. Parents say that, 'children are polite and well behaved', and that they are 'encouraged to be respectful of each other and their surroundings'. Pupils are proud of their efforts in charity fundraising, especially those to provide a teacher for a school in Kenya. They participate well in community events such as the carol service at

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Grade: 2

the local Methodist Church, strengthening community cohesion. Pupils increasingly take on independent and team responsibilities such as librarians and play leaders. Residential visits for Years 5 and 6 promote team and leadership skills well in good preparation for life at secondary school.

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Grade: 2

Lessons have a brisk pace with a good range of interesting and motivating activities. Pupils engage fully with learning and work well independently and collaboratively. Pupils tell us that that their teachers expect them to behave but are always fair. They comment that they enjoy learning practically and experimenting in science. Younger pupils value their 'Golden Time' reward for working well. Teachers' good subject knowledge often results in lessons that meet the needs of individual pupils. Teachers' expectations are mostly high enough, although in some lessons the level of challenge for gifted, talented and higher ability pupils is too low to help them achieve as well as they should in writing and mathematical problem solving. Teachers work very well with classroom assistants to support all pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, ensuring that their needs are fully met. Relationships are good,

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Grade: 2

which leads to a productive learning climate and positive behaviour in lessons. Parents appreciate the regular communication with teachers about their children's learning targets that enables them to be active partners in their children's education. 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Fairway Primary School, 10–11 March 2009

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Grade: 2

The curriculum promotes pupils' learning and enjoyment well, providing a good breadth of experience that helps them to succeed and make good progress. Visits and visitors provide enriching activities, such as art and drama workshops. These develop essential skills of cooperation and collaboration in good preparation for pupils' future learning. ICT is used exceptionally well to help pupils achieve more effective, such as enabling those who find writing difficult to draft and redraft work to improve their skills and raise their attainment. The school's work to integrate English and mathematics skills into other subjects has a good impact on pupils' enjoyment and achievement but this development of the curriculum is not yet fully embedded. Popular and well-attended extra-curricular activities, such as cheerleading, 'try-golf', cricket and 'fitness for kids' sessions, give pupils exceptionally good benefits, particularly to

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Grade: 2

The care, support and pastoral guidance of pupils are strong. Safeguarding procedures, including child protection, meet statutory requirements. The academic guidance provided for some pupils is good but there is a relative weakness in that not all pupils are stretched, academically, well enough. Staff have good relationships with pupils and know them well. Close attention is paid to pupils' welfare and a careful watch is kept on those who may be vulnerable. Pupils know that, if they have a problem, there is always someone there to listen and help. Procedures for managing behaviour are clear and effective, ensuring that the school is calm and orderly at all times. Pupils' progress is assessed regularly and tracking systems provide a picture of the gains they are making. Pupils are set targets for improvement in mathematics and English and they understand how to achieve them. The quality of marking is good, giving pupils clear guidance

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Grade: 2

on how to improve their work. The school promotes attendance by ensuring that those at risk of being absent or late have appropriate support. Pupils benefit from extensive guidance on leading a healthy lifestyle, such as the 'protection' theme evident in assembly, which focused on fitness and nutritious food.

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Grade: 2

Senior leaders have an effective system for checking teaching and learning. From this, senior staff are aware of where strengths exist and where developments are needed. There is a good emphasis on evaluating the impact of teaching on pupils' progress. Staff share evaluations of teaching, guided by the good expectations of senior leaders to bring about improvement. Not all middle leaders have yet established the skill of using these evaluations to identify the next improvement steps. Assessment data are used well to identify and address weaknesses in pupils' learning, leading to good improvements in their achievement. Staff share a common goal and vision, the achievement of which is well supported by the reflective work of governors, who support and challenge school leaders well. Positive links between the school and its local partners, frequently involving pupils in decision making, promote good community cohesion.

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Grade: 2

The school has established good links to support its rapid improvement, such as the 'Building Learning Power' (BLP) partnership with other schools that is helping to raise standards. All this 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Fairway Primary School, 10–11 March 2009 is lifting expectations of what the school can achieve, giving it good capacity to improve further. It provides good value for money. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Fairway Primary School, 10–11 March 2009 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Fairway Primary School, 10–11 March 2009

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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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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 capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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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/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: Fairway Primary School, 10–11 March 2009

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Fairway Primary School, 10–11 March 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of Fairway Primary School, Stockport, SK2 5DR Thank you for your warm welcome and for helping me so much when I inspected Fairway School recently. I enjoyed discussing your lessons with you and looking at your work and your learning. I was pleased to discover that your school is a good place to learn and achieve. The adults look after you well and your parents are pleased with how well you are cared for. You behave well and this helps to make the school a happy and safe place in which to learn. You know a lot about how to stay fit and healthy and told me how much you enjoy many opportunities for sport, art and other creative activities. You do a lot to help your school and the wider community. I can imagine how proud of you the children at Lenkisem village in Kenya must be, knowing that you helped to train one of their teachers. You make good progress with your work because the teaching is good. The opportunities you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

have for learning are interesting as well, with many visitors and clubs. Also, you appreciate the good opportunities you have to visit places of interest that help you to learn more. Your headteacher and the other adults work hard and are keen to make your school even better. To help with this, I have asked them to do the following things:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ make sure that everyone in school is given work that stretches them and helps them to achieve even better ■ make sure the Nursery and Reception children improve how well they learn their letters, and the sounds letters make ■ make sure that the teachers all make careful checks on how their work is helping you to be better learners and reach higher standards. You can help by continuing with always doing your best. Thank you again for helping me to learn from you how good your school is and how well you are helping it to improve. 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Fairway Primary School, 10–11 March 2009

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