Ferney Lee Primary School

Overview

Pupils are described as happy and respectful, inspired by the school’s ‘rainbow’ values to be ‘responsible, adventurous, independent’ and ‘well mannered’. Leaders maintain high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, fostering a warm and supportive environment where children develop confidence and self-esteem.

Strengths

• Leaders provide a ‘broad and interesting curriculum’ with clear learning intentions, supported by effective staff training and engaging activities like outdoor learning and clubs.
• Relationships between pupils and staff are ‘warm and respectful’, with leaders acting quickly to resolve rare instances of bullying and supporting pupils’ mental health.
• Early years provision is strong, with a focus on speaking and listening; children ‘flourish’ in stimulating indoor and outdoor learning areas.
• Pupils with SEND follow the same ambitious curriculum as their peers, with appropriate adaptations ensuring they are ‘happy, settled and achieve well’.
• Governors ‘hold leaders to account effectively’ and are working to better represent the diverse school community.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should implement strategies to ensure teachers consistently identify gaps in pupils’ learning across the curriculum, particularly in newer foundation subjects.
• Leaders must ensure reading books given to pupils catching up contain a high proportion of familiar words, as some current books are too challenging and hinder fluency.
• Leaders should continue supporting parents to understand the impact of poor attendance, as some pupils still miss too much teaching.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff reporting concerns promptly and leaders being ‘tenacious in engaging the help of outside agencies’ to ensure pupils receive necessary support quickly.