Fishwick Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 December 2024

The school is ambitious for what pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), should achieve. However, these ambitions are not fully realised. In part, this is because some curriculums are not designed or delivered well. This sometimes causes pupils to become disengaged in their learning. It also prevents pupils from achieving consistently well across the curriculum. Pupils are happy and safe at school. They value the positive relationships that they have with their teachers. They are cared for and looked after. Pupils get along well with one another. They enjoy using the range of equipment available at breaktimes and lunchtimes, such as the outdoor gym and ball games. Pupils enjoy the extra-curricular clubs available to them. These range from sports clubs to science, arts and crafts, and homework club. Pupils also enjoy the school trips that take place each year. These experiences include a trip to a nearby castle and a trip to a nature reserve. Pupils value being part of the school council. However, pupils do not develop a well-rounded understanding of the differences between themselves and others. This is because the curriculum content linked to this aspect of learning is not delivered well.

What the school should improve

• The school has not designed some subject curriculums well enough, including the curriculum used in the SEND provision class. Also, the school has not thought sufficiently about adapting content for pupils in mixed-age classes. As a result, staff lack the guidance that they need to design suitable lessons that help pupils acquire the intended knowledge and skills. The school should guide staff on delivering curriculums and assessing learning effectively.
• The phonics programme is not delivered consistently well. This means that pupils do not develop fluency in their reading as quickly as they should. The school should ensure that it introduces new sounds to pupils in an effective way and ensure that pupils routinely read books that are suitably matched to the sounds they know and need to learn next.
• The school does not do all that it reasonably can to improve attendance. The school, including governors, does not have a secure analysis of the school's attendance rates. There is no clear strategy for raising the profile of attendance further. Consequently, pupils' attendance is not as high as it could be. The school should analyse any patterns in punctuality and attendance. It should also have a robust strategy to make attendance a priority for all.
• The school does not cater for some aspects of pupils' personal development well. This means that pupils develop a superficial understanding of the differences and beliefs of others. It also means that they have a limited understanding of fundamental British values. The school should improve how it supports pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and how it promotes fundamental British values.
• The school does not have sufficient oversight of how well curriculums are designed or delivered. Furthermore, it does not have a robust evaluation of the impact of the curriculum. The school is not alert to the curriculum deficiencies that hamper pupils from developing a rich body of knowledge in several subjects. The school should improve how it evaluates the quality of its curriculums. It should also ensure that curriculums are delivered as intended and have the intended positive impact on pupils' learning.
• Some governors do not have the knowledge or expertise to fulfil their roles effectively. In some cases, they do not provide robust challenge or support. They are not sufficiently assured about the impact of the school's work on pupils' quality of education. Governors should ensure they gather the necessary information and develop the required knowledge to carry out their strategic work and challenge leaders effectively.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)