Fagley Primary Schooland

Children’s Centre

WITH ME IN MINDbecause I matter now and in the future

SELF EVALUATION DOCUMENT September 2015

‘We really care and want our children to be successful in all aspects of life, in order to be confident, independent, collaborative and

resilient learners in the ever changing society of today’.

WITH ME IN MIND at school, at home and in the community

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School Context

Fagley Primary School is an average primary school with 288 children on role (36 children are in the 2 year old room). Most children live in an area around the school, mainly made up of White British families (41%) and Pakistani families, (35.4%) with an increasing number of EU migrants and traveller families, many of whom have had no previous schooling. In an area that is extremely deprived (IMD – 22% of families living in the first 0-5% of the Index of Multiple Deprivation) of income, 35.2% lone parents of which 46.7% are out of work. This has an impact on role models for learners as few people within the community of Fagley go on to further education, and many have few or no qualifications.

Nursery baseline assessments indicate that attainment on entry is very low. Due to strategic planning in the Children’s Centre the attainment on entry is higher for the children who are not low or high ability. Most children have extremely limited skills and prior experience in key areas such as speaking and listening, visiting places of interest and physical development. Attainment on entry is gathered through home visits, observations and baseline assessments.

56.7% in Raise On Line of children take up Free School Meals with 50% of children eligible for Pupil Premium. The number of pupils on the SEN Register from Nursery to year 6 is 56 pupils (22%) and remains slightly above the National Average.

As a school we provide as many firsthand experiences and outdoor learning opportunities as possible for the children as part of the curriculum. Three Forest School Practitioners who are members of our staff team, provide a range of exciting opportunities for learning both in the school grounds and in our local woodland. A team of accredited staff have led a programme, ELKLAN, to support a deeper and broader development of vocabulary and language. A bespoke Food Technology Room benefits and equips children with differing needs with lifelong learning skills. Children have every advantage to success in Sport in both lessons and after school clubs. A dedicated ICT teacher is supporting the new computing curriculum to ensure that computing skills are integrated into all aspects of teaching and learning. Termly concerts entertain parents with highly skilled musical performances where reading, writing and mathematics progress is rewarded in an Oscar style ceremony including entertainment, engagement and enjoyment. All of which are alongside our intention to support all children to do their absolute best.

The school has a Local Authority Children’s Centre on site which is governed by the school’s Governing Body. A two year old provision is now established where the school and children centre work for the best possible start for our families.

The headteacher has recently returned from 1 year two terms as executive head to both Fagley Primary and Thackley Primary schools from January 2014. A recent Ofsted pilot at Thackley Primary recognised the good working partnership between the schools.

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EFFECTIVENESS OF LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The Leadership Team have established high expectations for outcomes for all pupils and are determined to ensure that all pupils achieve well, relating to their starting points. A shared vision statement focuses on learning making accelerated progress and challenging underachievement for pupils. Leaders give direction to the work of the school and have a strategic vision for future priorities to secure sustained school improvement. Self-evaluation is rigorous, systematic and at the heart of what we do. There is a strong sense of ‘can do’ throughout the school. It is with confidence therefore that the school believes it has a strong capacity to make further improvements as identified on the school improvement plan.

The Leadership Team use RAISEonline and LA data to support making judgements about the performance of children and to diagnose strengths and weaknesses. The school provided the authority with a 3 as its performance priority (1 requires most support, 4 the least); the LA judged the school to be a 4. The LA specifically says that the school is:

Maintaining good levels of achievement in challenging circumstances The extent to which leadership and the school support and lead good practice across

the East 1 partnership

Leadership is strategic and focussed on evaluating the impact of actions on pupil achievement. Our School Improvement Plan identifies clear actions to address areas for improvement, timescales to ensure actions are achieved and impact measured against pupil achievement.

Outcomes for disadvantaged pupils are key to the school’s success. The key worker policy and principles of inclusion ensure that the Pupil Premium funding is used effectively in ensuring the disadvantaged pupils achieve equally to others nationally.

Previous high achievements in English and Mathematics for disadvantaged children remains at the heart of schools self-evaluation through termly analysis and engagement of pupils in all curriculum and extra-curricular activities.

The Finance and General Purpose committee of the Governors regularly reviews the effective deployment of staff and resources, including the pupil premium, the sport premium and SEN funding as seen in Governors’ minutes.

Key staff present to Governors at each Governing Body meeting and School Improvement Committee so that key strengths and areas for improvement are shared with Governors with time for questions for examples the vision for mathematics for the year. Pupils report to Governors half-termly through the pupils’ Health and Safety Committee audits so that Governors have both staff and pupil views.

The Leadership Team use attainment and progress data effectively to identify and challenge all underachievement. We have worked hard to present data to the rest of the staff and Governors in a user-friendly way and as a result, all staff and Governors in the school know key groups of children and individuals who are to be targeted in order to close the attainment gap. Leadership capacity is strong throughout the team, including subject leaders. The Headteacher and the Deputy lead on pupil progress meetings, as well as carrying out regular monitoring and evaluation to measure impact of changes, identify areas for development and provide clear guidance for staff.

Where weaknesses in teaching are identified, school leaders modelled good practice and coached other professionals to raise the teaching and learning in their classrooms to at least good (2013-2015). There is a good link made between the school’s analysis of data and the expectations of individual staff in securing good progress. Teachers and the Leadership Team set challenging, individual targets for all children in Key Stage Two based on prior Key Stage attainment which is used to identify underachievement at the earliest possible stage and keep expectations high. The same strategy is applied for all children in Key Stage One based on end of Early Years Data (both GLD and subject specific) and Early Years GLD based on entry baseline data to nursery. Pupil Progress targets within Performance Management have raised expectations and accelerated pupil progress.

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Fagley Primary is a member of the East One Partnership. This partnership has been formed with fifteen other local primary schools and one upper school that work together to guarantee sustainability and development through targeted school improvement. Through this partnership we aim to develop CPD opportunities for all and feel strongly that one of our aims is to provide staff with the necessary skills to further progress their careers; whether that is through providing excellent support for NQT’s, or through leadership training for more experienced staff, there are development opportunities for all. These termly collaborate meetings enable staff and children to reflect upon strategies and new initiatives developed between the two schools.

Teacher assessment is accurate and robust. Close links with a partnership school enables the Leadership Team to develop staff’s pedagogy and accountability of their own classroom practice to impact on children’s achievement. It not only provides a more effective tool for monitoring by leaders, but teachers are able to use the outcomes of assessment to inform their planning so that provision meets the learning needs of pupils more precisely. All leaders are clear of their role in raising standards. Senior and subject leaders play an active part in all forms of monitoring and evaluation and pupil progress meetings; this ensures a clear overview of progress and attainment within their subject on whole school.

The curriculum has been reviewed over the past year to increase pupils’ engagement and feedback, as monitoring and evaluation indicates that they are now taking greater ownership of their learning. Last year has seen the school working towards the new curriculum that is enabling children to make links between the subjects and develop key skills within meaningful contexts; future work will see us focus on challenge within individual subjects and ensure outcomes are of the highest quality with the new national curriculum. Links between subjects are made to add relevance and allow for greater opportunities to apply English, Mathematics, communication and computing skills in a wide range of contexts.

Leaders have provided pupils with the opportunities to learn and reflect about all faiths through regular family faith days and recognising key faith celebrations throughout the year. The moral development of pupils is supported through the personal, social and emotional development teaching where all teaching assistants have received an accreditation through hard work and rigorous training by the Local Authority (usually accredited to teachers). Leaders have worked closely with staff to develop a year’s cultural calendar both wacky and deep to engage all learners in the school. Equally British Values are at the heart of the school’s work where every opportunity is taken be it planned (School Council nominations and elections, the British Cities Week) or spontaneous ( as in the playing of Rule Britannia in a music assembly at the time of the Last Night of the Proms) promoting a patriotic ethos in the school.

Leaders and Governors promote equality of opportunity and diversity through all aspects of school life with both focused meetings / training for example around preventing radicalisation and extremism and looking to provide children with safeguarding skills at school, at home and in the community.

School engagement with parents and carers is very good and families value the positive relationship with the school. The school has an Inclusion Manager and Parental Link Worker who support vulnerable families across the school, in particular with issues around care and attendance. The school regularly seeks the view of parents/carers on issues relating to school. Parent Consultation days, held three times a year, inform parents/carers about their child’s progress and help them to support learning further. Opportunities to talk to parents are valuable and key workers from nursery to year 6 develop these relationships to the benefit of children understanding that school and home work hand in hand. Parent classes are run regularly; this has helped to encourage parents as volunteers, then as Parent Champions leading to employment in education. Parent classes support families to develop an understanding of their child’s learning, what their child is learning about and learning for parents in the form of English and Maths accreditation, Family Links, Mosaic and ESOL classes. The school has achieved the ‘Engaging Families Award’ (2015).

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Safeguarding procedures are very good in school. Procedures are known to all staff and there is a clear leadership responsibility in relation to Child Protection. The school promotes equal opportunity for all and tackles all forms of discrimination. Policies on tackling all forms of prejudice, together with records of bullying, racist incidents and any other serious incidents, together with any actions taken are carefully logged. The Single Central Record is in place and is regularly monitored and updated. The health and safety policy is implemented effectively, accidents are dealt with swiftly and all incidents are reviewed in order to adjust practice if necessary. The Leadership Team and Governing Body ensure that the well-being of children is central to its thinking. Staff and children play an important role in ensuring that the fabric of the building is safe, regular checks are made of the premises with concerns reported to the Governing Body. As a result of this, children feel safe in school and are confident to share any concerns they have.

The school effectively promotes pupil understanding of safety through the curriculum so that children have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe and know who to go to if they need advice, guidance and support. The school is proactive in working with other agencies e.g. the Nursing Service to reduce the risk of harm to pupils. Risk assessments are robust.

Overall the effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being is good. The school has developed strong partnerships with other agencies such as the Education Psychology Service to promote the well-being of all pupils. These partnerships have enabled barriers to learning to be removed for a large number of children, enabling them to make better progress. Any child experiencing personal or family difficulties is well supported by the Inclusion Manager who has an excellent knowledge of individuals and personal circumstances.

The School Council is respected by staff and children and have four committees that are based around the Every Child Matters agenda with children interviewing new members of staff, reporting to the Health and Safety Governing Body Committee and other such roles to develop both confidence and responsibility.

The Governing Body shares the school’s vision, understands and challenges the strategies that the school employs to impact positively on school improvement. The Governors apply their knowledge of data dashboard, key facts in Raise-On-Line and in school data to fulfil their role in both full Governing Body meetings, committee meetings and visits into school.

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QUALITY OF TEACHING LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT

The quality and impact of teaching has remained ‘good with a number of outstanding features’ as stated in the last Ofsted Inspection in February 2012. There has been an increase in outstanding practice and no inadequate practice. Our continuing aim is to ensure greater consistency of impact throughout school so that learners can raise attainment further.

When teaching is good or better pupils are engaged at all times, pupils’ responses reflect high quality attitudes to learning with work being appropriately challenging, including for the most able groups of learners. This is also applicable to our disadvantaged children (49%) and our other key groups specifically our disadvantaged White British children. Assessment for Learning strategies are applied effectively and skilful questioning as well as timely intervention from teachers and support staff is ensuring that learners make good and better progress. There is clearer evidence of children using improvement strategies in marking to ensure they make progress in lessons and over time with daily reflection of their learning in planners which they share with parents.

Teachers confidently share good practice and analytical discussion through the process of Lesson Study and Breakfast Meetings which lead to additional good practice. This has included teacher’s confidence in adapting their teaching in order to respond effectively to children’s needs.

Through our continuing work on ‘Outstanding Learning Behaviours’ which are based on the seven habits from ‘Leader in Me’ staff and children develop in both personal and lifelong learning skills. We prepare our children for the future with skills to be successful beyond reading, writing and maths through an innovative curriculum which is skill based with themes that interest both staff and children with exciting literature, newly designed activities and experiences to explore and enjoy. This approach is the core element to our teaching and learning curriculum which is to develop excellent attitudes to learning, as well as the impact on achievement against national standards.

Highly effective systems for ensuring good behaviours of learning combined with an atmosphere of mutual respect supports the school’s positive ethos.

The Leadership Team has a clear view of what the strengths and priorities are of teaching and learning and assessment. To address these priorities a tenacious programme of internal CPD and peer support is in place; this continues to develop a high quality consistent approach to ensuring teaching and learning is good or better throughout school. The head and deputy undertake the majority of lesson observations; the outcomes are triangulated with scrutiny of the work in pupils’ books and the pupil progress data to ensure that the Leadership Team have an accurate picture of the impact of teaching over time. Observations of teaching are linked to the School Improvement Plan and focus on this alongside progress being made within lessons and how teachers develop progress over time. Subject leaders play at integral role in all aspects of school improvement.

The use of assessment to support learning is good. The school has rigorous systems in place for collating and recoding assessment information, data is used highly effectively to inform and impact on the quality of teaching and rates of learning for pupils. The school is making good use of Afl strategies in classrooms and in the most effective teaching, assessment is an integral part of the teaching and learning process. Pupils know where they are and what they need to do next to succeed further.

Homework is set throughout school in line with the agreed approach. This focuses on a piece of writing (diary or blog writing), spellings/phonic practice, times tables, reading and the

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weekly talking prompt. Teachers are very clear with parents at each consultation day with regard to homework expectation.

Transition between classes and key stages, through the wide range of strategies in place, enable teachers to meet pupils’ needs. Children are equally prepared for the next stage in their education and adult life. This builds on the strong, mutual trust between the staff that exists within the school.

Moderation in reading, writing and maths along with classroom environment requirements and training has lead to positive pedagogical discussions in staff teams between Fagley and Partnership Schools.

The robust, rigorous half termly pupil progress reviews identify underachievement and actions are promptly taken to address this. Such rigour and clearer lines of accountability (attainment and progress of key groups; attainment and progress of individual children; end of year and KS targets; ongoing combined data through Venn diagram and a better understanding of national data) is ensuring staff develop a strong understanding and ownership of the data and address concerns at the earliest possible stage.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT, BEHAVIOUR AND WELFARE

The behaviour of the children and their attitudes to learning is a real strength of the school. Pupil’s behaviour in lessons and around school is very good, with much being exemplary. Outstanding learning behaviour boards are in every classroom. Parents are contacted via text message to inform them that their child has received outstanding behaviour that day at school. Pupils are always well behaved in lessons and make a strong contribution to the school as a learning community. Outstanding learning is also recognised at the weekly ‘Let’s Celebrate’ assembly where each class chooses a child to receive the ‘Outstanding Behaviour Award’. Parent are invited to the assembly to celebrate with their child. There is a highly positive ethos based on achievement, learning and celebration. Through our approach to focus on learning behaviour, there has been excellent improvements in general behaviour over the past four years, with the number of incidents reduced markedly as documented in the Purple Logs,

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Parent Log and Governors Reports. Where interventions have been put in place to manage the behaviour of individual pupils they have been very successful. We have developed a culture of celebrating excellent learning. Incidents of exclusion are extremely low as most children respond to an alternative solution and all pupils demonstrate respect for the school learning environment.

Parents are made aware of concerns and their consent sought in accordance with local procedures with the emphasis being on a positive outcome for both parent/s and child/ren. When parents raise concerns these are addressed and logged promptly with follow up feedback to ensure all queries or worries have been addressed. From the last round of questionnaires and information from parent view from the last academic year, parents are very positive about school. 100% of parents say that their ‘child is well looked after at school’ March 2014.

Learners demonstrate a high level of concerns for their own safety and that of others, including showing compassion for children with disabilities. Children know they have to take care when using certain equipment, including the use of ICT. The school operates a zero tolerance approach to racism, violence and prejudice, the impact of this is that bullying is rare and pupils know that seeking the support from staff through key workers or the Inclusion Manager is the best route to dealing with any concerns they have. All classroom are equipped with worry boxes and a feelings chart to tell adults how they are feeling whether it be happy, unhappy or unsafe. Staff ask questions about safety with the children and children know their identified keyworker with whom they can have a one to one chat with if needed.

Each class visits the positive lifestyle centre and every November the school take part in celebrating Anti Bullying Week. School also recognises Road Safety Week and Internet Safety Week. Stranger danger and other agencies come into school to help the school promote positive reflection of feeling safe, not just at school but at home too. A weekly safety question is sent home via text and the school newsletter for them to discuss at home with their families. Children share their family’s discussions and these are recorded in floor books. ChildLine comes into school each year to promote safety and the Inclusion Manager has a box where children can request a meeting if they feel unhappy or unsafe.

The school has not had any racist or bullying incidents as low level unkind behaviours (being mean) are dealt with so that this prevents escalation where this could happen. Exclusion is low and related to one incident by one child. Children are rewarded as excellent role models i.e. School Council representatives, Class leadership roles, House Captains and Deputy House Captains, Play Leaders and Environmental Managers and they recognise what an important role they play in school. Children are eager to participate and take on responsibilities, playing a very active role in improving school life. Children express their views through School Council, contributing to the development of the school. The school has a ‘House System’ where children are put in houses named after famous Bradfordians; the impact of this is that learners are developing a stronger community and cultural pride and work together to achieve collective goals; discussions with the vast majority of learners share the pride that they feel in being part of Fagley Primary.

Attendance levels dipped in 2013 – 2014 for the first time in three years to 94%. After deep analysis throughout the year it was identified that extended holiday leave had the most negative impact on attendance. The Inclusion Manager has worked to ensure that children know why it is important to attend school daily and to ensure that they arrive on time. Attendance is recognised weekly at the celebration assembly and half termly children with good attendance are placed into a prize draw to win a bike. The school has recently revised its attendance policy to further improve attendance. Last year schools attendance increased by 0.6% but we are aware that we need to continue to improve this figure.

Inclusion is an integral part of success at Fagley as is the professional development and support for all staff from induction meetings at the start of their career, through to further development as they stay with us.

Child Protection policies and procedures are securely in place and the school has a robust system of monitoring and record keeping. Systems in place meet the needs of vulnerable groups and individuals including those exhibiting negative social and emotional behaviours, mental health needs, LAC, Child Protection, obesity, Children in Need and also low attainment

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and most able when affecting their attainment as identified at pupil progress meetings. The school has a very good relationship and is well regarded by outside agencies evident in reports and feedback from a range of professionals. Children are guided to make sensible choices regarding their personal health and safety though the curriculum and two visits each year to the Positive Lifestyle Centre. The Inclusion Manager visits each class most days so that developed relationships secure positive outcomes.

E-Safety is discussed with children regularly in both computing sessions, PSHE lesson and whole school assemblies. E-safety meetings are offered to parents to help support online safety at home. All staff are trained to identify dangers on the internet and to look out for signs of grooming, child exploitation, bullying, extremism and radicalisation.

For children in Year 6 transition is happening throughout the school year to prepare them not only for secondary school but ready for life in work. Over the year the children visit Universities, colleges and job fairs. Guest speakers come to school to discuss careers and future aspirations with the children. Last year the children were visited by an Olympic athlete for the Great Britain Olympic team. At the beginning of the school year children in Year 6 are interviewed about what they hope to achieve in the future and how school can help them to achieve this.

Each half term school identifies with the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning. Assemblies are delivered to the children in an age appropriate way. Staff follow up the assemblies with class discussions. The children have access to books and stories helping to further develop the children’s understanding of other people’s feelings and thoughts.

The celebration of ‘Faith Days’ each half term helps to support diversity within the community. The children have weekly RE lessons to help promote a better understanding of the cultures in the wider community. The school invites leaders from the local Mosques into school to help develop relationships within the community. Supporting the RE curriculum are weekly PSHE lessons and My Place In The World lessons which help children to understand the dangers they may come up against in life and ideas on how to deal with them.

School is fortunate to have a food technology room which promotes healthy eating lifestyles to the children. Parents are invited to a cook and eat sessions to continue to promote this at home. Visits to the Positive Lifestyle Centre have also supported this. School has adopted a healthy eating policy and has received the school Healthy Schools Status. Children are involved in choosing the school’s lunchtime menu through the school council this helps them to think about making the correct healthy choices. The school has also discouraged children from eating crisps at break times and encouraged them to replace it with fruit (provided free of charge by school) or their own healthy snack.

Fagley Primary School offers a wide range of after school sporting activities and children identified as obese are encouraged to attend the weekly ‘Fagley Fitness’ class along with parents form the local community.

Children and staff celebrate high levels of achievement both academically and in other aspects in school life. This culminates in termly celebration of achievement, with bands, singing and the ‘Red Carpet’ with parents readily applauding the successes of their child/ren.

We want our children to be proud and safe and engage with a variety of outside agencies.

Stand up Speak out For children to debate big issues and understand other people’s point of view covering respect and equality.

Mosaic Promotes leadership, citizenship and future aspirations.

Police Summer Camp Teaches respect, responsibility, future careers, looking after the environment and

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promotes respect of the Emergency response teams.

Culture Fusion Promoting safety when children move to upper school by teaching about using public transport and how to sign up for bus passes.

Zoo Lab Discuss aspirations for the future. Teaches empathy towards animals.

Blast Project Supporting sexual exploitation in young boys (linked to NSPCC)

Barnardo’s Supporting transition to Year 6 pupils from the beginning to the end. Support for families in making good choices.

Families First Outside support agency to prevent absences, violence in the home, ASBO’s and general family support around behaviour.

Family Action Service for parents requiring support for their children that have been victim or witnessed demotic violence, bereavement or social abuse. Also offer family therapy sessions.

Where in the World (EU) Display in school. For all new children to school from an EU country. Discuss where they have come from with their class. Helps others to understand the wider community.

Induction Promote a sense of belonging. All new children to school greeted with a card in their language and given a gift to welcome them to the school. Display board for other children in school to know who is new and to make feel welcome. Teaches the children to take care of one another.

Birthdays Each child’s birthday is celebrated in school. All children receive a birthday card, sticker and books mark. It is delivered personally and the whole class celebrate their birthday.

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OUTCOMES FOR PUPILS

Key Stage Two (based on 2015 data)Attainment Standards at the end of KS2 in 2015 have continued on a rising trend in mathematics,

reading and writing. The average point score is less than 1 point difference to National in all subjects (combined), mathematics and writing; the difference in reading is 1.2 aps (hopefully moving all blue from Attainment Average Points Score at Key Stage 2 page 37 in Raise On Line). In 2015, the percentage of children who achieve a Level 4 in English and Mathematics was 71%, an improvement on previous years. Mathematics is on the school action plan so as to improve over the next year.

In Mathematics, standards at the end of KS2 continue on a rising trend subsequently closing the gap on National to 0.8aps and at 79% Level 4, attainment is similar when comparing APS but wider when using percentages. The Leadership team are keen not to ‘mask’ results when using APS. Further work is needed to ensure that a greater number of children achieve at Level 5 as in achieving above end of KS2 age related expectations.

In Reading standards at the end of KS2 continue on a rising trend where the gap to National is now 1.2 APS and above National at 92% at Level 4 (National 89% at Level 4). Level 5 (29%) in reading is higher than in Level 5 mathematics (21%).

In Writing standards rise on the previous year to 27 APS which is 0.9 APS below National with 83% achieving Level 4 (close to National 85%).

IN GPS standards at the end of KS2 continue on a rising trend from 54% at Level 4 in 2014 to 67% at Level 4 in 2015. 18% at Level 5 in 2014 to 38% at Level 5 2015. Actions to address attainment in GPS (particularly spelling) is a focus on the School Improvement Plan 2015 – 2016.

Progress (Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2) Progress through KS2 shows that the school’s position continues to be well above the

national average. In reading, when considering the proportion of pupils who made expected or better

progress across KS2, the school improved on its 2014 position (which was above National), achieving 100% 2 levels progress and 62% 3 levels progress (National was 91% and 35%). One child, 4% made 4 levels progress.

In writing, when considering the proportion of pupils who made expected or better progress across KS2, was above National at 100% 2 levels progress and 43% 3 levels progress (National was 96% and 33%).

In mathematics, when considering the proportion of pupils who made expected or better progress across KS2, was above National at 100% 2 levels progress and 33% 3 levels progress (National was 92% and 35%). Two children, 8% made 4 levels progress.

Progress across KS2 Across KS2 (years 3, 4 and 5) generally match the National expectations at 3 levels

progress, when measuring children’s progress from the end of KS1 to the end of their year group, with Mathematics showing less progress than Reading and Writing in each year group although at National in year 5 with 34% children making 3 levels progress.

Across KS2 (years 3, 4 and 5) is less strong at 2 levels progress, when measuring children’s progress from the end of KS1 to the end of their year group, with the low ability children lowering the class % progress.

Key Stage 1 (based on 2015 data)Attainment Overall attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 has continued to rise and more rapidly so in

2014 – 2015. Attainment in reading and writing shows an improving trend. However,

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further improvements are needed to ensure that a greater number of children achieve a 2a in all subjects. The overall KS1 points score is similar to the previous year (with reading slightly better).

Progress Progress through KS1 shows that the school is in a good position. Progress in Year 2 shows

progress in reading to be 5.4 aps, in writing 4.5 APS and in mathematics to be 4.3 APS.

Progress and attainment across the curriculum of disadvantaged pupils

The attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupil’s matches or is improving to that of other pupils with the same starting point.

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils attaining level 4 or above at the end of KS2 was at national in reading 92% and below by one child in mathematics and writing at 85% in both.

At the end of Ks2 100% of disadvantaged children made expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics. 60% made more than expected progress in reading, 50% in writing and 20%in mathematics.

In Years 3, 4 and 5, Year 4 disadvantaged pupils showed most progress across reading, writing and mathematics.

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils attaining level 2 at the end of KS1 has increased by APS and % in reading on the previous year. In writing the APS has remained the same and increased in % on the previous year. The APS has decreased slightly in mathematics and more so in %.

Progress for disadvantaged children is good. At the end of KS1 100% made expected progress in reading and writing and 92% (one pupil missed out) in mathematics. In reading 55% of disadvantaged children made more than expected progress 46% in writing and 43% in mathematics.

Progress and attainment across the curriculum of Special Educational Needs:

For pupils who have special educational needs, progress is above average across nearly all subject areas.

The attainment of SEN pupils at the end of KS2 is moving towards national in reading, writing and above in mathematics.

The percentage of SEN children attaining Level 4 or above at the end of KS2 in reading is 75% with 50% achieving Level 5. In writing those achieving Level 4 or above is 50% with 50% achieving level 5. In mathematics 100% SEN children achieved Level 4 and 25% Level 5.

Progress of children with special educational needs is better than good.

At the end of KS2 all children made two levels progress in reading, writing and mathematics. In reading 75% made more than expected progress, 50% in mathematics and 25% in writing.

In years 3, 4 and 5, Year 4 SEN pupils showed most progress across reading, writing and mathematics.

The attainment of SEN pupils at the end of KS1 is close to national in reading and writing and well above national in mathematics.

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At the end of KS1 100% made expected progress in reading and writing and 80% (1 pupil narrowly missed) in mathematics.

60% of SEN children at the end of KS1 made more than expected progress across all 3 subjects.

This concludes our SEF. The following pages are subject rationales written by teachers and TA’s at Fagley Primary School.

Art at Fagley Primary School

Sketchbooks are used in KS2 to make preliminary drawings and sketch out ideas in preparation for a more involved piece of art work. They are also occasionally used for observational drawing which may occur outside of the classroom. 

From reception upwards children are encouraged to use a wide range of materials and to consider an appropriate use of colour when using paint or coloured pencils. A range of coloured paint and pencils are available to the children but they are taught and encouraged to mix primary colours to make secondary colours and tertiary colours at KS2. 

Our school has been involved with many art projects which are usually an extension of and follow the current topic that is being studied within the classroom at the time. The art work produced maybe two dimensional in nature using an appropriate medium such as paints, coloured pencils, collage etc but could be three dimensional also. Examples include clay Viking ships made by class 3 and cardboard Viking ships made by class 4 painted with Viking specific colours. A World War Two Spitfire plane was made by class 5 as well as a large Anderson shelter. This follows the general trend of staff and children taking pride in researching and making  objects which add to and enhance the topic specific displays within the class room, to create a more enriched learning environment for the children. 

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Children are often introduced to artists who make a link with their own work such as Lowry when Class 3 made Lowry inspired mills for their Victorian/mills topic made from pastel coloured sugar paper with details and shading added using pencil, pastels and charcoal. All the children's work was combined to make one single townscape which was then selected to be displayed at Cartwright Hall in Bradford. David Hockney provided the inspiration for a large painting based on his painting of Salts Mill by class 3 which was exhibited at Future House in Bradford. 

There has been certain times when artwork produced has been more ambitious and technically challenging due to a larger scale, requiring a complete control of materials to ensure quality and sturdiness. This was evident in the culmination of work produced by every class in the school for the purpose of a whole school exhibition based upon a specific book each class was studying. Class 4 produced an amazing giant seat made from newspaper and art straws inspired by Roald Dahl's George's Marvellous Medicine which was proudly put on show at Future House in Bradford. Class 5 created an Iron Woman inspired by Ted Hughes's book made from a metal bin, car head lamps, nuts and bolts and chicken wire displayed in the grounds of the school. 

Each and every class was involved in producing a picture of a poppy for Remembrance Day in November 2014. Some classes made observational drawings/paintings from actual poppies we had growing in the school grounds, whilst reception/nursery made paper poppies that stood up. All the pictures were then carefully laid side by side row on row taking up most of the school hall, creating a poignant and dramatic scene. 

The most recent artwork to involve the whole school was a carefully considered piece produced for refugee week by each class from reception up to class 6. The work was based around a specific theme being common ground/shared dreams and was proudly exhibited at the Kala Sangham community arts centre in Bradford. Class 2's picture of a dove was selected to be used as a motif on all the advertising for the event itself. 

Often competitions which may be seasonable are entered by each class, such as designing a Christmas card or Christmas nativity scene for which a pupil from class six was chosen for first prize and a pupil from class five won second prize. Artwork was selected from several classes to be exhibited at Idle in connection with Idle Art Studio. 

Art coordinator meetings are periodically attended to keep up to date with current local art practice and to be informed of up and coming exhibitions and competitions. 

Computing

At Fagley Primary School our children have access to state of the art digital resources to support their understanding of information technology, digital literacy and computer science as part of the Computing curriculum. Children also frequently use technology as cross-curricular tools for learning in a range of other subject areas. Our children know how to use devices safely and appropriately and receive regular online safety lessons and instruction, through Computing lessons, PSHCE lessons, assemblies and through other events that carry a specific online safety theme.

We are proud to deliver weekly Computing lessons to every class from Nursery to Year 6 in our purpose built Computer Suite which comprises 16 high specification touchscreen Windows desktop computers as well as a large digital screen for sharing pupils’ work and for demonstrating activities. By embedding a culture of high expectations and by delivering lessons to children in groups no larger than 16, children are able to make rapid progress as they develop a range of digital skills and competencies.

We believe it is important for children to have access to a range of digital ecosystems and as such also provide access to 30 iPads that are shared across our Key Stage One and Key Stage Two classes. These devices are primarily used by pupils in lessons for the purposes of carrying

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out internet research and for creating a range of digital artefacts such as interactive presentations, videos, animations and simple computer programs.

Children also have access to a portable suite of 16 Windows laptop computers that are accessed flexibly across the school for a variety of purposes. The number and breadth of devices available in school that children have the opportunity for one-to-one access to an internet-enabled device whenever the need arises.

We place great emphasis on children becoming the creators of high quality digital content rather than just consumers of it, and as such we devise many opportunities for children to understand the true value of this, whether through inviting children to deliver interactive presentations they have authored to their classes, through celebrating their successes in our weekly Celebration Assemblies or in our annual Digital Showcase Event, at which every child in school exhibits an example of their best digital work in an immersive gallery space in the school hall. We know that these examples create a culture that values the digital world and shows children its real value in 21st Century Britain and around the globe.

Elklan

We initially started Elklan as our school had a high proportion of children with speech and language difficulties. We wanted school staff to become more aware of the importance of speech, language and communication for all children. It was an opportunity to give teachers and teaching assistants practical strategies to make the school more communication friendly.

A big part of Elklan is to consider questioning. We introduced blank questioning to be used in school especially when dealing with behaviour. Strategies such as mind maps, word wise whizz, multiple meaning trees, spidergrammes and venn diagrams were introduced to extend children’s vocabulary.

Each classroom was asked to create a visual timetable for the class. We discussed visual routines for specific children and the benefits of keeping this visual. E.g. task plans, routine cards.

Engaging Families at Fagley Primary School

Engaging Families is an accreditation achieved by Fagley Primary School in July 2013.

The accreditation recognises the quality of work school does with families. It has enabled our school to: Recognise, celebrate and assure the quality of existing partnerships with families, develop and improve our work with families and evidence the impact, remove barriers to learning for all family members and help to support families in developing their children’s achievement and self-esteem.

The assessors report recognised the exceptional work carried out daily at Fagley Primary School. They reported that family partnership is deeply embedded throughout school.

Parents reported that they always feel very welcome in the school and children’s centre and that their opinions are listened to and valued. There was good evidence that parents receive as warm reception when they visit school and the school responds to their opinions and needs.

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The award recognised that school provides high quality information to parents and gives outstanding support to many families including those facing difficult and challenging circumstances.

Engaging families will remain high on the schools proprieties and will invite the assessors for inspection when the award is due to be reviewed every 3 years.

Food Technology

At Fagley Primary school we believe in providing pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum. We want children to be successful in all aspect of life in order to be confident, independent, collaborative and resilient learners. One of the many valuable skills we teach pupils is ‘Food Technology’.

At Fagley Primary school we have a state of the art food technology room which allows groups of children to work with a specialised teacher to not only develop their cookery skills but expand their use of language, provide them with opportunities to write for a purpose and to help develop their mathematical skills.

In Food Technology we seek to develop in our pupils a sound understanding about food and the important role food plays in a healthy lifestyle. We teach the basic practical cookery skills and focus particularly on Healthy Eating, Safety and Hygiene, Diet and Nutrition. Pupils are encouraged to be independent learners, creative thinkers and team workers through their food studies

Forest School

Forest School at Fagley Primary aims to engage children with the outdoors fostering a love, respect, understanding and responsibility for our environment. It promotes the development of social interaction, emotional intelligence, self-esteem and an independent, intrinsically motivated, self-confident approach to learning.

Every child in KS1 and KS2 attends weekly Forest School sessions for a term each year. The sessions are a minimum of two hours long giving children the time to explore, discover, problem solve and enter a flow state of learning. The Forest School Practitioner is supported by the class Teaching Assistant enabling class learning to be enriched and consolidated through outdoor experiences. The children pursue paths of learning that interest and challenge them. They set their own goals and work towards them at their own pace, reflecting on their progression and deciding on their next steps for learning. Achievements are acknowledged and celebrated, whilst a culture is fostered in which is accepted that sometimes things go wrong (and when they do, the group work together to find solutions). Showing respect for the environment, each other and ourselves is at the heart of the Forest School ethos. The children learn how to express and vocalise their needs and feelings and demonstrate empathy for one another. The high adult to child ratio during sessions allows the children to be supported in their decision making and beneficial risk taking.

Sessions take place in biodiverse ancient woodlands within walking distance from the school. The children learn to take pride in this local community asset and are encouraged to use it in their leisure time with their families.

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Fagley Primary is an active member of the Bradford Forest School Network, meeting regularly with Forest School providers in the district to share skills and help to maintain best practice.

Maths

At Fagley Primary, we create a maths culture that has fluency, reasoning and problem solving at its heart. Every child has the opportunity to access problem solving and reasoning activities on a regular basis and demonstrate mathematical understanding at a deep level by applying their skills and knowledge to different problems, contexts and subjects. We believe that every child can and will achieve.

A variety of concrete materials are used across the school to ensure mathematical understanding, especially when new concepts or methods are introduced. This allows children to develop a depth of understanding and fluency. More able children are challenged through demonstrating their knowledge in greater depth while less able children are given the support they need to grasp concepts and methods. Staff focus on the mathematical understanding, reasoning and fluency while ensuring the listed content is covered appropriately. This is reflected in the long term plan for each year group, which also breaks down each objective in to appropriate steps, taking in to consideration gaps in prior knowledge. Links are also made with other subjects where appropriate and real-life contexts.

Weekly ‘Up for a Challenge’ lessons ensure methods of problem solving are taught and children are challenged to reason mathematically by applying their knowledge to a variety of routine and non-routine problems.

Recall of mathematical facts is a focus, with children having half termly targets which are regularly visited in class and children given the opportunities to use these facts in a range of problems. Every fortnight, there is a times table challenge for specific year groups to promote learning times tables and to celebrate children that can recall facts.

Mosaic

The programme seeks to equip young children with the skills to connect education to work at an early age through mentors from professional backgrounds acting as role models, and so children girls can aspire to careers in a range of different sectors. Parents/carers also participate in lessons that raise their awareness of the importance of education and how to support their children through school and beyond.

The programme itself is ten weeks long, with a weekly hour-long session where the children cover themes such as confidence, communication, and role models, whilst the adults look at themes such as citizenship and understanding the British education system. To complement the sessions, adults and children are provided with resource booklets which they can refer to throughout the course and beyond.

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Included in the programme is a special university visit to provide exposure to further education. Hosted by student ambassadors, all participants attend a prominent university to participate in workshops, a tour of the campus and a presentation on university life.

http://www.mosaicnetwork.co.uk/mentor/primary-school-programme/

Family Links

Family Links believes every child and parent deserves the best chance in life – at home and at school. The 10 week programme enables parents to become more effective, caring and confident in raising their children and it helps those children to become more emotionally resilient and socially responsible. The dynamic approach tackles the root causes of social problems through the Nurturing Programme, which challenges intergenerational dysfunction.

The national charity provides training to enhance the skills of:

• practitioners working with parents individually or in groups

• schools, teachers and universities to create emotionally healthy learning environments where everyone can aspire, flourish and achieve.

https://familylinks.org.uk/sg-cms/pdf_docs/Introducing_Family_Links_Leaflet.pdf

PE

With the introduction of PE funding following the London 2012 Olympic Games PE lessons and sport at Fagley Primary school now has a renewed sharp focus.

The sports premium along with school funds has this year seen the employment of two sports coaches. The coaches deliver 2 hours’ worth of high quality PE lesson to all children across the different year groups each week.

The sports coaches provide lunchtime sporting activities that the children can choose to engage in further more providing opportunities to develop their skills and fitness levels.

A small part of the funding is used to promote pupils health and wellbeing including providing help for those pupils who were overweight or obese. A specialised ‘Fagley Fitness club’ meets weekly and has been set up to help tackle childhood obesity. Parents and friends of the school can also attend helping to build community cohesion.

PE at Fagley has many strengths with a wide selection of afterschool clubs available to all children free of charge. After school clubs include athletics, basketball, hockey, football, gymnastics, Frisbee and golf. All children are welcome to attend clubs. Keyworkers encourage disadvantaged children to attend at least one club weekly. Attendance is monitored by key workers and senior leaders to ensure all children are engaging in the physical activity provided.

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The uptake in extracurricular sporting activities has increased and all clubs run at full capacity. Sports (UK) Ltd have arranged competitions and festivals, with children attending after school clubs which work up to these competitions. Some of our children have won awards for both winning and team work. We have also worked closely with the Hanson Partnership and the Sainsbury’s School Games and have also arranged friendlies in Tag Rugby, Rounders and football.

Physical education contributes directly to development and competence and fitness at Fagley Primary School. It also helps pupils to make informed choices and understand the value of leading as physical lifestyle. The good physical education we offer has a positive impact on both academic learning and physical activity patterns of our pupils. We believe that a healthy, physically active pupil is more likely to be academically motivated, alert and successful in life skills.

What does Phonics look like at Fagley Primary School?

What do we use to inform our teaching?The Letters and Sounds document is used throughout school to inform the progression and teaching of the different phases.

What does Phonics look like across the school?

NurseryIn Nursery there is a great emphasis on developing speaking and listening skills individually and in small or larger groups. Phase 1 phonic activities are included as part of everyday teaching activities and then introduced more formally in small group sessions. There is a strong focus on developing the children’s capacity to listen, concentrate and discriminate between sounds and also to prepare children to enunciate sounds correctly.

ReceptionIn Reception, Phases 2 and 3 are introduced and taught in discrete sessions. Though initially taught as a whole class, children are then grouped according to attainment to meet the needs of the children. The classroom environment reflects the age related expectation. This way, children who need extra support still have exposure to the full range of phonemes taught.

As well as discrete teaching, children are encouraged to apply their phonic knowledge for a purpose in the daily provision. This might range from reading captions or environmental print to writing in the role play area. Writing materials are widely available for the children to use and children can access books at all times as well as take them home to read.

At the beginning of the school year, parents/carers are invited to a phonics session where they can see how phonics is taught and the correct pronunciation of sounds is modelled. Activities are provided to model how to blend and segment sounds to read and spell words and to show how these can be easily done at home to support children’s learning. Activities are also provided to show how this then progresses into reading simple captions and sentences. Parents/carers are also made aware of the expected phonic level for that year group.

All staff in Reception have received phonics training and have an understanding of how phonics should be taught effectively.

Key Stage 1Phonics is taught every day in a discreet 20 minute lesson. Children are grouped according to their phonics attainment and are taught by the teacher and teaching assistants. Planning is provided by the teacher. Both Year 1 and Year 2 teach the age related phase. This level of phonics is the expectation and as a link to ensure application, the particular phonemes taught

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are incorporated into teaching in other areas of the curriculum so that children can use and apply what they have learnt in phonics sessions within other subjects.

In addition to learning particular phonemes for the week, there is also an expectation that children will learn to read and spell the high frequency words. Word boxes have been distributed to each year group and all children within Key Stage 1 have a word box containing the first 100 high frequency words. These boxes are checked regularly by both the teacher and teaching assistant to ensure children learn the words. Known words are then placed into a word book and are revised as appropriate. Once the first 100 high frequency words can be read, children are then moved onto the next 200 common words. It is expected that children will learn these words at home and progress through them at a good pace.

All members of staff within Key Stage 1 have received phonics training.

Key Stage 2It is recognised that phonics teaching and learning does not finish at the end of Key Stage 1. As children move into Key Stage 2, they begin the Support for Spelling program. However, children identified on the phonics tracker that are still working on the phases as outlined in the Letters and Sounds document, are provided with a tailored catch up and revision program alongside the age related expectation for the year group. Key word boxes are also provided and checked regularly for these children.

How is phonics tracked in school?All year groups from Reception to Year 6 use a tracking sheet that breaks down the different skills required in each phase in the Letters and Sounds document. It is used to track the recognition of different phonemes and also the reading and spelling of the tricky words from each phase. These detailed trackers are updated regularly and are used to identify areas of development for children. The information from these is then used to inform teaching and also provide catch up sessions tailored to the needs of those children that are not making expected progress. It also allows children to be moved quickly within groups as they progress through the different phases. This information is also passed onto the next teacher at the end of the academic year so that learning can continue at a fast pace. Phonics trackers will continue through Key Stage 2 as appropriate to inform teaching alongside support for spelling work.

How do we assess phonics in school?At Fagley Primary School there is a strong belief that spelling tests do not play a part in the assessment of children’s abilities to spell. Therefore the way children demonstrate their ability to apply phonic knowledge in their reading and writing is the main source of the assessments made.During the writing process, teachers model sound talking of words within their teaching so that children will hopefully see the purpose of phonics sessions and apply that knowledge in their writing across the curriculum. When writing is assessed using the Chris Quigley ‘Assessment criteria for writing’ document, there are sections based around spelling which can be used to identify how children have applied their phonic knowledge in their independent writing.

When planning guided reading, a decoding objective from the Bradford Reading Record is incorporated alongside objectives from other reading strands. These objectives clearly show what phonic skills children should be demonstrating in their reading and the phase at which these skills occur. The strategies and knowledge that children use can then be observed and recorded. In this way teachers can obtain a rounded picture of children’s phonic attainment.

RE

Each year group covers specific religions and themes throughout the year, in order to broaden their knowledge of the six major faiths. Visits to places of worship or visitors into school are arranged to embed learning and foster a deeper understanding. Pre and post learning sheets are used at the beginning and end of RE lessons, each term, so the children can see their progression. Each half term we have a family faith day to celebrate a festival from one of the

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faiths. Each festival has been carefully selected to promote equality and diversity and also works alongside our outstanding learning behaviours. During the faith days, children (from each class) are put into their house groups where they work alongside any family members they have in school. Parents and carers are invited to come into school and take part in the celebration and achievement with their children, and can learn to respect each other’s cultures and differences together.

As a school we promote British values in a number of different ways. We have an annual school carol concert in the local church, Reception children hold a nativity play and we have a whole school Christmas dinner that parents and carers are invited to. For Harvest, we collect donations of tinned and dried food for the Bradford Food Bank. Some children have previously taken part in the Believe in Bradford conference, where they have participated in activities around identity, values, commitments and beliefs. The conference encourages children to learn from each other and share their experiences in order to promote community cohesion, through an understanding of shared human values, and also promote children’s Social Moral Spiritual and Cultural development.

The positive culture we promote throughout the school is empathised through activities such as; Stand Up Speak Out and Make a Difference. This involves the children training to become ambassadors for either the Anne Frank or Kokeshi exhibition. This training encourages and improves self-confidence and awareness in challenges faced by others from past to present. The skills they learn help to prepare them for the next stage in their education.

SMSC

As a school we take pride in having SMSC in the heart of everything throughout our school. We understand the importance of the children being aware of and excepting the diversity of Britain and the world around them. This is promoted by using a range of life issues as assembly focuses each week, such as; safeguarding Week, Remembrance Day, Fairtrade Day and Friendship Month.

Each year we have a focus on raising awareness of a variety of different charities. Children contribute in lessons such as; cooking and forest schools, to help with fundraising. This year we are holding a McMillan Coffee Morning (parents are invited), Farm Africa-Welly Walk, Children in Need and Comic Relief.

We support children’s understanding of how to keep themselves safe from relevant risks by ongoing E-Safety lessons and safety questions of the week. We also have a focus on Black

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History Month in October, Anti Bullying Week in November and Internet Safety Day in February. ChildLine workshops are delivered in upper key stage 2, and we ensure every child throughout the school has the opportunity to share any concerns. Worry boxes and feelings charts are in every classroom and a keyworker is assigned to each child. Continued learning of these and other life issues are focused on during My Place in the World; a subject that covers relevant issues from around the world, activities to promote self-confidence and self-awareness, careers advice and guidance about education, employment and training, general health and well-being and also all other aspects of PSHE and Citizenship. Newsround is also watched to encourage children to be aware of global issues. Annual visits to the Positive Lifestyle Centre help to install learning around keeping safe and transition to secondary schools. As a school we understand the importance of transition to new classes as well as new schools and know how difficult it can be, especially for many of our children at our school. In order for things to run smoothly and for the children to feel more confident, we hold a transition week in July so the children can spend time getting to know their new teacher and classroom. Year 6 transition is ongoing throughout the whole of their final year with visits to career fayres, universities and also visits from a variety of professionals such as; Olympic athletes, sea cadets, nurses and Zoo Lab.

Each class has a different focus on Bradford during the spring term; these include gaining knowledge on Bradford City Football Clubs fire disaster, mills and transport, changing industry in the area and the Bronte sisters. We have house mornings each half term that are named after Bradfordian people who have had a positive impact on life today. Each house group takes part in an activity to help develop their learning and life skills. These activities are covered through library, City Hall and museum visits, forest school, cooking, IT, art and circus skills workshops.

British Values are promoted throughout the curriculum, and we also have specific events purely based around these values during our British Values week. Each year group focuses on one of the values throughout the week and then their work is displayed in our British Values Gallery. We have afternoon tea, on one of the afternoons, for the whole school, sandwiches, buns and scones are made and served by children. This is a fantastic opportunity for the children to embrace being British and the values held by all. The week is topped off with a whole school rendition of the national anthem and parents are invited to walk around our British Values Gallery of work. This year we are also focusing on British cities in order for the children to improve their knowledge and understanding of the great cities within our country and to develop their geography knowledge. Saints Days are covered in Literacy lessons to also embed British values.

Our school is taking an active role to become a school of sanctuary for refugees and asylum seekers. Children are continuing to gain knowledge, empathy and understanding on the unfortunate events taking place in our world today. Last year, the whole school took part in Refugee Week. Each year group created a piece of artwork around the theme ‘common ground and shared dreams’. The artwork was then displayed in Kala Sangam for the public to view. Year 1’s collective artwork of the ‘dove of peace’ was used on flyers and posters to promote the exhibition throughout Bradford. City of Sanctuary meetings, for schools, are hosted here so that we can share our good practice.

We continually encourage our children to let their voice be heard and to have a say on things that happen in our school. This is done through our School Council, who have been chosen fairly by children and staff after applying for the position and being interviewed. The successful applicants then take suggestions from the children in school on issues such as; changes to

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school dinners and new equipment for outdoors. The School Council are also involved in interviewing potential new staff, safeguarding and attendance, finance and fundraising, healthy lifestyles and health and safety. They then report back to the rest of the school regularly through School Council assemblies.

Reading

At Fagley Primary, we seek to not simply teach our children to read, but to want to read, to choose to read and then to love to read. We recognise that building this ethos involves sharing this attitude across all subjects and all year groups.

Children in our Foundation Stage take part in daily shared reading, in which books, information and stories are discussed and celebrated. Books are a means for children, especially those with little English language exposure, to develop their vocabulary and detect sounds and rhythms – with the focus being on the enjoyment of the experience. This is where the love of what books have to offer is born.

Key Stage One empowers our children to want to read. Continuing from Reception, children in Year 1 and 2 have daily phonics lessons which enable them to move to independent reading. This growing confidence and competence is supported through building on our strong links with parents and carers: children practise their skills and share books at home. All children have access to good quality and challenging texts, regardless of their home background.

In Key Stage Two, phonics teaching continues in interventions for those children who have not yet understood each phase of the Letters and Sounds programme so that all children, regardless of ability, want to read because they can. Children in Years 3 to 6 also continue to complete a Reading Record at home to ensure communication continues between school and home. It is in Key Stage Two where children also learn to choose to read.

Learning at Fagley Primary ensures the children are introduced to rich and varied texts - not just in English lessons, but throughout the curriculum, including in assemblies. Teaching around these texts allows children to discuss, embed and apply new vocabulary: books are the vehicles to creating more articulate learners. Reading for pleasure is developed through Shared Reading sessions in each class in which teachers, and subsequently children, model stating opinions about texts. Teachers select texts to sustain, and in response to, children’s interests. Teachers model reading with expression so that children understand the expectation during Guided Reading sessions. Knowledge of each class’s interests is also built into weekly library sessions; classroom staff accompany children and ensure books are chosen for interest yet remain accessible. The library time is an opportunity for children to engage with books slightly above their independent reading level – we allow children to choose to read.

Understanding of what is read is the key to a love of reading. Each class has at least three Guided Reading sessions per week. Children of all abilities are taught to retrieve information from texts they can access and analyse information and events. Children who have mastered these skills and have experienced all we have to offer at Fagley Primary truly do love reading.

Fagley Primary School

Speech & Language Therapy

I have been working in Fagley Primary School as a Speech & Language Therapist since November 2013. This input has occurred on a weekly basis.

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Working as part of the school team in Fagley has enabled me to provide holistic care for each student on my caseload by working alongside the SENCo, class teachers and teaching assistants. School staff have been trained to support the students’ speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) through individual and group speech & language therapy (SLT) programs or as a whole class approach. As a result staff know which pathways to follow in order to support the students’ SLCN and feel more confident when leading interventions. This integrated approach has supported the students’ ability to access to the curriculum.

Early intervention has also been targeted within the school and children centre setting. This early intervention has had a positive effect on the students’ speech and language development, which is evident from the reduced number of older children needing support in school.

Working in Fagley Primary School has allowed me to also support families, who may not have been able to attend community appointments. By building on the established parental links in school Parents of children with SLCN have attended meetings, training sessions and therapy sessions. By building on Parents’ confidence and knowledge around Speech & Language development this has enabled them to better support their child’s speech and language development.

I look forward to continue working collaboratively with the staff in Fagley Primary School to support the student’s SLCN.

Talk for Writing at Fagley Primary School

At Fagley Primary School, we recognise that good writing relies on children’s ability to have an element of fluidity in their language and communication skills. Talk is the foundation skill to allow coherent, clear and engaging writing.

Many of the children who attend our school struggle with Language and Communication skills along with poor vocabulary. As a result of this, we adopted the Talk for Writing (T4W) approach to bridge the gap, equipping children not only with an array of text structures but also with the vocabulary and language which could be applied in different contexts.

Each half term, both a fiction and non-fiction text is taught using the T4W method. Texts are selected carefully to link into curricular themes. As a whole school, we follow the progression document published by Pie Corbett (recently updated to fit the new National Curriculum). This indicates the kind of key language that should be taught in each year group.Texts are re-written accordingly to feature key learning that is needed based on prior assessment and known gaps.

Story or text maps are made by the teacher and actions are used to learn the text by heart. This is appealing to visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learners. Any key language taught has an action. These are displayed in class as a reminder for future learning and application. Each year, all the displayed actions get passed up along with the class so that the next teacher can build on that learning.

Children are taught how to innovate the text learnt in order to create a new one. This is done primarily through shared and guided writing.

Our hope as a school is that children will have a bank of different text structures and vocabulary that can then be used in the invention stage. This is where children are able to write an array of texts using what they have learnt along with what they have picked up through reading.

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To heighten the profile of T4W, dedicated class assemblies are held where year groups are encouraged to share some of their story / text maps and perform the texts learnt. This allows for both teachers and children to see the impact and progression throughout the life of the school.

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