Fagley Primary School

and
Childrens Centre

WITH ME IN MIND
because I matter now and in the future

SELF EVALUATION DOCUMENT

October 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

The School Self Evaluation is written in light of the Ofsted framework

for good and outstanding schools.

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 Childrens 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 Childrens Centre on site which is governed by the schools 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 recent experience of Executive Headship to both Fagley Primary and Thackley
Primary. A recent Ofsted pilot at Thackley Primary recognised the good working partnership between
the schools.
The schools vision is regularly referred to with Governors, staff parents and children.

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 LA judges the school to be a
priority 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 schools 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.
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 extracurricular 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
noted 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 opportunity for
challenge. 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 all 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 model good practice and coach other
professionals to raise the teaching and learning in classrooms to at least good (2013-2015). There is a
good link made between the schools 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.
Fagley Primary is a member of the East One Partnership. This partnership has been formed with
fifteen other local primary schools, two childrens centres 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 NQTs, 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. A recent
development within the partnership is that schools have been strategically placed to support and
challenge in groups of 3.
Teacher assessment is accurate and robust. Close links with Thackley Primary have enabled the
Leadership Team to develop both school staffs pedagogy and accountability of their own classroom
practice to impact on childrens achievement. This collaboration not only provided a more effective
tool for monitoring by both school leaders, consequently teachers to use the outcomes of assessment
to inform their planning so that teaching met the learning needs of all 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.
Extra-curricular opportunities for children in a range of artistic, creative and sporting opportunities
are available to children during breakfast club, lunchtimes and evenings.
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 years cultural calendar both wacky and deep to engage all learners in the school. Equally
British Values are at the heart of the schools 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 childs 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 childs 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).

Safeguarding procedures are highly effective in school. Graded outstanding in a recent school review.
Procedures are known by 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.
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 schools 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.

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 teachers
confidence in adapting their teaching in order to respond effectively to childrens 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 schools 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 is an integral part of the teaching and learning process. Pupils know
where they are and what they need to do to further improve.
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 weekly talking prompt.
Teachers are very clear with parents at each consultation day with regard to homework expectation.
Transition between classes and key stages 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 school and Thackley school.

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. Pupils
behaviour in lessons and around school is very good, with much being exemplary. Outstanding learning
behaviour charts are in every classroom. Parents are contacted via text message to inform them that
their child has received outstanding learning behaviour and commendation 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 Lets Celebrate assembly where
each class chooses a child to receive the Outstanding Behaviour Award. Parents 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, 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 raised by school staff and by other adults in the community and
their consent then 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 takes 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 familys 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 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. Equally governors have also received in school esafety training.
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 areas from within 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
childrens understanding of other peoples 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. The school works closely with the safe guarding lead from Bradford
Mosques.
School has designed and incorporated a food technology room and appointed a specialist teacher who
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 schools 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 which then
has a fundamental impact on learning and life long choice.
Stand up Speak out

For children to debate big issues and understand other peoples point of view

Mosaic
Police Summer Camp

covering respect and equality.

Promotes leadership, citizenship and future aspirations.
Teaches respect, responsibility, future careers, looking after the environment

Culture Fusion

and promotes respect of the Emergency response teams.

Promoting safety when children move to upper school by teaching about using

Zoo Lab
Blast Project
Barnardos

public transport and how to sign up for bus passes.

Discuss aspirations for the future. Teaches empathy towards animals.
Supporting sexual exploitation in young boys (linked to NSPCC)
Supporting transition to Year 6 pupils from the beginning to the end. Support

Families First

for families in making good choices.

Outside support agency to prevent absences, violence in the home, ASBOs and

Family Action

general family support around behaviour.

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

Where in the World

therapy sessions.
Display in school. For all new children to school from an EU country. Discuss

(EU)

where they have come from with their class. Helps others to understand the

Induction

wider community.
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.

Birthdays

Teaches the children to take care of one another.

Each childs 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.

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 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 standards over the
next year.

In Mathematics, standards at the end of KS2 continue on a rising trend with regard to APS,
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. One child (4%)
achieved level 6 in mathematics.

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 schools 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.

10

Progress across KS2

KS2 (years 3, 4 and 5) generally match the National expectations at 35% in reading, 33% in writing
and 35% in maths above expected progress, when measuring childrens 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 3 and year 4 although at National in year 5 with 34% children making more
than expected progress.

KS2 (years 3, 4 and 5) is less strong at expected progress, when measuring childrens 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, 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 Key Stage 2 shows that the schools position continues to be well above the
national average (using national KS2 %)

In reading, when considering the proportion of pupils who made expected or better across KS1, the
school improved on its 2014 position achieving 100% 2 levels progress and 56% 3 levels progress
(KS2 national 91% 2 levels progress and 35% 3 levels progress).

In writing, when considering the proportion of pupils who made expected or better than expected
progress across KS1 was above national at 100% 2 levels progress and 56% 3 levels progress (KS2
national 96% and 33%).

In mathematics, when considering the proportion of pupils who made expected or better than
expected progress across KS1, was above national at 96% 2 levels progress and 59% 3 levels
progress (KS2 national 92% and 35%).

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.
Please see Progress Matrixes from EYFS to the end of the year to support the above
information at the end of the SEF.

Progress and attainment across the curriculum of disadvantaged pupils

The attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils matches or is improving to that of other
pupils. (in KS2 54% of the cohort are disadvantaged with one child representing 7% (rounded)).

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils attaining level 4 or above at the end of KS2 is 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.

11

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 %. (In KS1
55% of the cohort are disadvantaged with one child representing 7% (rounded)).

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:

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% of SEN children 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 across all subjects.

At the end of KS2 all SEN 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.

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

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

12

This concludes Fagley Primary School SEF. The following pages are subject rationales written
by teachers and TAs at Fagley Primary School.
CONTENT OF SUBJECT RATIONALE

Art at Fagley Primary School

Page 15

Computing

Page 16

Elklan

Page 16

Engaging Families at Fagley Primary School

Page 17

Food Technology

Page 18

Forest Schools

Page 18

13

Maths

Page 18

Mosaic

Page 19

Family Links

Page 19

PE

Page 19

Phonics

Page 19

RE

Page 21

SMSC

Page 22

Reading

Page 23

Speech and Language

Page 24

Talk for Writing

Page 25

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

14

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.
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.

15

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 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 21 st 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 childrens 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 childrens achievement and self-esteem.

16

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 childrens 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.
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, selfconfident 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

17

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.
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.

Mathematics
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 nonroutine 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

18

children are provided with resource booklets which they can refer to throughout the course and
beyond.
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.
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

19

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 Sainsburys 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?
Nursery
In 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
childrens capacity to listen, concentrate and discriminate between sounds and also to prepare children
to enunciate sounds correctly.
Reception
In 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 childrens 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 1
Phonics 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 are incorporated into teaching in

20

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 2
It 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.
Religious Education
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 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 others 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 childrens 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.

21

SOCIAL MORAL SPIRITUAL CULTURAL

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 childrens understanding of how to keep themselves safe from relevant risks by ongoing ESafety lessons and safety questions of the week. We also have a focus on Black 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

22

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 1s 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 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

23

to sustain, and in response to, childrens interests. Teachers model reading with expression so that
children understand the expectation during Guided Reading sessions.

Knowledge of each classs

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.

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.
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 childs speech and language development.
I look forward to continue working collaboratively with the staff in Fagley Primary School to support
the students SLCN.

Talk for Writing

At Fagley Primary School, we recognise that good writing relies on childrens 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

24

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.
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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