The Ferns Primary Academy

The Ferns Primary Academy is a smaller-than-average primary school within The Kite Academy Trust that is improving rapidly after a previous inadequate judgement. Inspectors found a school where pupils are happy, feel safe and respond well to high expectations. Behaviour has been transformed, pupils focus well in lessons and respectful conduct is evident across the school. The curriculum has been redesigned to be broad and ambitious from Reception to Year 6, reading is a clear priority, and support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is well considered and effective. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. Leaders have made many positive changes since the previous inspection, and staff appreciate them. Pupils now benefit from a curriculum that helps them revisit and remember learning, and teachers generally present new information clearly. Children in Reception settle quickly and make a strong start, including in phonics. Personal development is supported through trips, workshops, visitors and age-appropriate learning about healthy lifestyles and relationships. Attendance is improving, although some pupils still do not attend as often as they should, and the school is using effective strategies to address this. The main area for improvement is assessment. Teachers do not always check pupils' understanding precisely enough, and sometimes planned checks do not happen. As a result, some pupils can develop misconceptions or gaps in knowledge before moving on to new learning. Published test results from recent years have been too low, but the report notes that the school's improvements are making a real difference and that pupils now achieve well, even though results do not yet reflect this.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, feel safe and strive for success.
• Behaviour has been transformed, with pupils focused and respectful.
• The curriculum is broad and ambitious from Reception to Year 6.
• Reading is a clear priority, and phonics teaching is strong.
• Pupils with SEND are identified precisely and supported effectively.
• Teachers have secure subject knowledge and present information clearly.
• Pupils benefit from well-planned opportunities to revisit learning.
• Personal development is enriched through trips, workshops and visitors.
• Children in Reception settle quickly and learn routines well.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• The school uses effective strategies to improve attendance.

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers' checks on pupils' understanding are not always precise enough to identify gaps before moving on.
• Planned checks on pupils' learning sometimes do not happen.
• Some pupils develop misconceptions or gaps in knowledge that are not addressed promptly.
• Some pupils still do not attend school as often as they should.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at The Ferns Primary Academy attended 92.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 4.7% of pupils at The Ferns Primary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 The Ferns Primary Academy had 15.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 17.2% of pupils at The Ferns Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 11.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 The Ferns Primary Academy received £9,709 and spent £10,826 for each of its 85 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £30,000 (£355 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of The Kite Academy Trust, income was £7,546 and spending £7,640 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Farnborough · Hampshire local authority: places and applications

The Ferns Primary Academy is part of The Kite Academy Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• The Grove Primary Academy Camberley
• Cross Farm Infant Academy Camberley
• Lakeside Nursery & Primary Academy Camberley
• Sandringham Infant & Nursery Academy Frimley
• Mytchett Primary & Nursery Academy Camberley
• Holly Lodge Primary Academy Ash Vale
• Hale Nursery & Primary Academy Farnham
• Folly Hill Infant Academy Farnham

What is The Ferns Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Ferns Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was The Ferns Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Ferns Primary Academy was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does The Ferns Primary Academy have?

The Ferns Primary Academy has 87 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Ferns Primary Academy cover?

The Ferns Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are The Ferns Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 55% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Ferns Primary Academy?

The Ferns Primary Academy is at Field Road, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 9FX.