Fountains Earth, Lofthouse Church of England Endowed Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Fountains Earth, Lofthouse Church of England Endowed Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils describe the school as 'a lovely place to be' and it is easy to see why.

Staff in school and across the federation have created a calm, friendly and safe environment to learn in. Leaders' ambitions for pupils go way beyond creating a safe haven. The consistency of leaders' messages, and the clarity of their plans and expectations, mean that their vision for excellence is lived and breathed by the school community.

Pupils are confident to talk about what they have learned across the curriculum. Federation Fridays are a highlight of... their week. They join with pupils from other schools in the federation to benefit from the expertise of teachers in subjects like music, art and physical education (PE).

They enjoy opportunities such as team games that they would otherwise not be able to take part in.

Pupils feel safe and nurtured. They trust the adults in school to keep them safe and to give them help when they need it.

They are confident to share their ideas. The 'flashback four' help them to practise and remember new things they are taught.

Pupils are overwhelmingly positive about behaviour.

They are supported to make good decisions through the 'CHAMPS' values of choices, honesty achievement, manners, perseverance and safety. Pupils know about bulling and why one person might do this to another but are very clear that bullying 'does not happen here'.

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

The new leadership team across the federation has set out a curriculum that addresses the needs of a small school while being ambitious and carefully sequenced so that pupils gain the knowledge that they need over time.

Leaders' plans are comprehensive, thorough and understood by all; they are rooted in research. They are clearly set out so that teachers deliver them consistently and so that leaders and governors know how to check their effect.

Leaders have carefully prioritised their curriculum improvement work.

Reading has been at the top of the list. Leaders have introduced a new curriculum for early reading. This is underpinned by a new phonics programme that is helping pupils to read well.

Staff are well trained and consistent in their delivery of the programme. Teachers know exactly what pupils need to learn next. Their careful attention to address misconceptions on the spot helps pupils to quickly gain fluency and accuracy.

Pupils love to read because one-to-one reading times are special. Adults give them the tools they need to be successful and give praise and encouragement 'by the bucket load'. Pupils apply the sounds they know to their writing and spelling with lessons that follow on seamlessly from reading sessions.

The same ambition is seen across subjects. Leaders have closely matched the checks they make on what pupils have learned and understood to the planned curriculum in subjects such as English, mathematics and history. Leaders have recently started to deliver lessons in wider subjects, such as music, art and PE across the federation so that pupils get content that is appropriate for their age.

Leaders know that the curriculum is being implemented in all subjects and have a precise view of how well pupils are progressing in subjects such as English, mathematics and history. They have identified that they have more work to do in establishing how well the curriculum in wider subjects taught on Federation Friday is meeting the needs of pupils' ages and stages.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well considered at each stage of the curriculum design and implementation.

Staff communicate well with parents and carers about their children's needs. Parents are confident in the education their children are receiving and the care and support they are given.

The well-considered personal development curriculum helps pupils to learn about the aspects of life they might come across outside their safe and secure village.

Pupils show respect and tolerance for others and demonstrate a good knowledge of how to be a great person in modern Britain.

The relatively new governing body understands the benefits and challenges of the school's context. They work closely with leaders to ensure pupils get the best deal.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Everyone in school, including pupils, is clear that keeping everyone safe is top priority. Leaders' high expectations are clear through the effective systems they have put in place and how they are enacted by the school community.

Pupils know how seriously leaders take safeguarding. They know about the systems that are in place to help them. There is a clear view that pupils could come across any issue, and therefore, that they and staff should know how to deal with it.

Staff are diligent in their checks and vetting processes for all adults who work in school. 'First monthly checks' by leaders and the safeguarding governor include conversations with pupils and staff to check on their knowledge and the effect that training or the curriculum has had.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Although leaders have a clear view of how well pupils are gaining the knowledge they need in many subjects, including early reading and mathematics, this work is still in development.

Leaders know that all subjects are being delivered, but have not had the opportunity, in all subjects, to see the detail of what this looks like for individual pupils, given their starting points. Leaders should continue their plans to work with staff to check that the ambition of the curriculum is being realised and that pupils are gaining the knowledge they need in all subjects.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in 26 to 27 April 2017.