Higher Failsworth Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 July 2024

Pupils were overwhelmingly positive about this school. They described it as 'a kind, welcoming and caring school' where each and every one of them matters. Pupils, including children in the early years, are happy. They said that they feel safe because teachers really care about them. Pupils' behaviour and attitudes to learning are excellent. They are kind and considerate. Pupils display impeccable manners. They are highly respectful to one another and to staff. The school knows the needs of each pupil well. It provides effective support to those pupils who find it more difficult to manage their emotions. The school is ambitious for what pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), should learn. More recently, the school has taken the necessary steps to create a culture of high expectations for pupils' achievement. Pupils apply themselves to their learning diligently and, typically, they achieve well. The school provides pupils with a rich range of experiences that enhance their learning. For example, pupils go on a variety of visits to the local area and further afield. They enjoy representing the school, for example in sporting competitions and the local choral speaking festival.

What the school should improve

• In a minority of subjects, some staff do not select activities that support pupils to learn the knowledge in the curriculum sufficiently well. On occasion, this hinders how well pupils make sense of new learning. The school should ensure that staff are equipped to design learning that supports pupils to acquire knowledge well so that they know and remember more across the curriculum.
• In a few subjects, the school's processes for monitoring the impact of the curriculum are in the early stages of implementation. This prevents the school from having an in-depth understanding of how well pupils are learning. The school should ensure that the monitoring processes in these subjects provide staff with sufficient information about how well pupils are learning and where adjustments to the curriculum may be necessary.

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