Fairway Infant School, Copthorne

Overview

Fairway Infant School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at its previous inspection. The report describes a school where "community, achievement and a sense of belonging are at the heart," fostering an environment where pupils feel welcome and their individual needs are nurtured. Leaders have successfully maintained high expectations and a positive culture since the last graded inspection.

Strengths

• Relationships between staff and pupils are "warm and trusting," with pupils demonstrating kindness and respect for others.
• The curriculum is "effectively designed and sequenced," ensuring pupils gain necessary knowledge and skills from Reception to Year 2.
• Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength, with "highly effective support" enabling successful progress.
• Reading is central to the curriculum, with effective phonics teaching helping children become "confident, fluent readers."
• Carefully planned transition activities, such as the annual ‘pea fair’, help reduce anxiety for new starters.

Areas to improve

• Teachers do not always check what pupils know and can do "precisely enough," meaning some pupils are not learning as much as they could.
• Work to improve attendance is not yet impacting widely enough, with absence rates remaining "significantly higher" than in similar schools.

Safeguarding

The report states that "the arrangements for safeguarding are effective."