Friday Bridge Community Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 23 June 2026

Pupils are happy to attend this school. They arrive enthusiastically in the morning to be greeted personally by staff who know them all well. Pupils explain how their experience of school has improved over the last year. They know that their teachers are teaching them more clearly than in the past. Pupils describe how behaviour has improved significantly. They are a close knit group, with a family feel. Pupils really enjoy their playtimes. They cooperate and work together building structures and dens. Both the youngest and the oldest enjoy digging in the sandpits and dressing up. Leaders ensure that any extra-curricular activities, such as learning to ride a bicycle or going to the panto, are offered to everyone. Pupils feel safe. They know who they can talk to if they are worried about something. Pupils know that if others are unkind, adults will help to resolve problems if the older pupils who are peer mediators cannot. On the rare occasions that bullying happens, staff deal with this appropriately and effectively. Some pupils' attendance is lower than it should be. Staff at all levels work closely with families to support these pupils getting into school more and not taking term-time holidays. Families of children in the early years have close regular contact with staff to work together on meeting their children's needs. Although teaching is improving, pupils are not taught consistently well. This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they should. They still have many gaps in their learning. This includes pupils who are vulnerable and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The barriers that these pupils face are beginning to be overcome, but this work is at an early stage.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that teachers develop stronger skills in how to effectively deliver the curriculum, including adapting the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Leaders should ensure that attainment at all stages of the school improves, so that more pupils gain the knowledge needed for the next stage of their education.
• Leaders should continue to review and further develop their strategies to reduce absence and persistent absence, so that more pupils attend school regularly.
• Leaders and those responsible for governance should further develop positive working relationships with parents and carers so that more parents have an understanding of the school's work and are supportive of this.

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