Fairburn Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

At Fairburn, pupils' exceptional conduct and attitudes are evident across the entire school.

The 'Fairburn Promise' sets out key qualities such as perseverance, being inquisitive and being polite. Pupils of all ages embody these qualities. They have commendable attitudes towards one another.

Pupils demonstrate high levels of empathy and understanding towards others. They are happy and safe. They are proud to attend this school.

The school establishes high expectations for pupils' achievement. All pupils receive the support they need to reach these high expectations. As a result, achievement is high.

Behaviour is extremely positive. Where some pupils ...may find this more difficult, the school puts sensitive and effective support in place. This has had a notable impact on the behaviour of those children.

Pupils contribute strongly to the calm and purposeful learning environment across school. Friendship and harmony are prevalent.

Over their time in school, pupils develop a strong sense of community.

They make highly positive contributions to the school and the village of Fairburn. Leaders and other staff work as a team. They engage with parents and carers to create a tangible sense of 'family' within the wider community.

Comments from parents frequently refer to the school's work around building pupils' confidence and how everyone feels valued.

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

From children's starting points in Reception, well-trained, highly knowledgeable adults craft meaningful and stimulating learning opportunities through play. Children develop firm foundations in phonics and mathematics.

A clear focus on communication and language develops children's speaking and listening skills. They develop into articulate and inquisitive learners.

Pupils at the early stages of learning to read build on the secure foundations they develop in Reception.

Where pupils may struggle to keep up, skilled staff put effective support in place. As a result, pupils across school become fluent, confident and highly capable readers.

Across the school, an exceptional curriculum offer is in place.

Teachers know exactly how to help pupils to develop their skills and knowledge as they teach the carefully designed curriculum. Staff have secure knowledge of the subjects that they teach. As a result, sequences of lessons contribute strongly to children and pupils achieving the aims of the curriculum.

For example, early years children used their prior mathematical knowledge, practical measuring skills and dexterity to create festive paper chains, and then looked at different ways to measure the length of each chain. Other pupils built on their prior learning when looking at the properties of shape in a mathematics lesson. Older pupils used music software with confidence to create a melodic repeating loop, based on a C major scale.

The school has developed a systematic and thorough system for identifying pupils' needs. This includes those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are otherwise disadvantaged. Staff benefit from focused professional development to enable them to put effective support in place for these pupils.

This support has had a demonstrable impact on the development of pupils with SEND and those who are otherwise disadvantaged.

The quality of the school's curriculum offer combines with the warm and positive relationships that pupils develop with adults. This means that pupils enjoy coming to school.

As a result, attendance is high. Pupils' behaviour in school is of a very high standard. They are kind, considerate and polite to all.

Their attitudes towards others are exemplary.

An exceptional programme for pupils' personal development sits at the centre of all the school does. Pupils are encouraged to develop eight key life skills during their time in school, including problem-solving, staying positive and teamwork.

They engage in numerous opportunities to contribute to the wider community. For example, older pupils help to run the village 'pop up café' for one day per week in the summer. Other pupils have regular opportunities to engage with elderly residents.

They clearly articulate the impact these rich experiences have. Pupils have a remarkable understanding of acceptance and tolerance. Regular visits from leaders of different faiths help pupils understand the impact that discrimination can have.

As a result, pupils are resolute in their determination to ensure that this does not happen in school. The school's provision for clubs is based on pupil voice. Attendance at these clubs is high.

Pupils benefit significantly from having their talents and interests nurtured and celebrated in school.

Over time, the school has developed robust systems for ensuring consistently high-quality provision. The tenacity with which these systems are implemented means that this level of provision has been maintained through a period of change to the staff and governing body.

Leaders take intelligent decisions in the best interests of both staff and pupils. Governors are an integral part of the school's strategic work. They offer support, challenge and hold the school to account.

Staff are very well supported in their workload and well-being. There is a real sense of 'team' at Fairburn.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.