Freemantle Church of England Community Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Freemantle Church of England Community Academy continues to be a good school.

The headteacher of this school is Nina Myszkowski. This school is part of The Freemantle Church of England Community Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the executive officer, Kevin Barnett, and overseen by a board of directors, chaired by Valerie Caldwell.

What is it like to attend this school?

The Freemantle school values of creativity, fellowship and courage are reflected in the daily actions of pupils and staff. Pupils celebrate each other's uniqueness as individuals. They welcome with open arms a community of over 5...7 different languages and enjoy learning from the rich knowledge this brings.

Pupils' behaviour around the school and in lessons is excellent. They play happily with their friends at playtimes and make full use of the unique environment, including the many model dinosaurs around the school.

The school is ambitious for pupils to achieve well.

Many pupils join and leave the school at different times, some with little or no English. Staff ensure these pupils are quickly given the support to succeed. Overall, by the end of key stage 2, pupils make strong progress to achieve broadly in line with the national average.

Pupils benefit from a range of carefully considered trips and visits. They fondly recall many of these, especially the trip on a steam train. The school provides many opportunities which broaden pupils' understanding of physical and mental well-being through bespoke first aid and food hygiene training.

The mental health ambassadors have a high profile. They make a tangible contribution to support fellow pupils on the playground.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school have developed an ambitious curriculum.

The important knowledge, skills and vocabulary is precisely mapped out from early years to Year 6. The curriculum ensures that pupils' learning precisely builds on what they already know to deepen their understanding. Staff have considered how each key stage links together.

For example, clear end goals have been identified for children in early years to ensure they are Year 1 ready. Pupils' learning is routinely checked and where there are gaps in knowledge, teachers ensure rapid support is put into place. Staff consider the information from these checks and use it to inform their teaching.

However, although the curriculum intention is ambitious, some pupils' work in a couple of subjects does not reflect these high aims. Some disadvantaged pupils do not currently achieve as highly as other pupils.

Teachers understand the most effective ways to support all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

They use a range of resources which support all pupils in the classroom. The SEND team are quick to identify needs and offer advice to staff. New arrivals to the school are supported well to close any gaps in learning.

Children in early years consistently revisit prior learning. For example, staff provide many opportunities to count and secure an understanding of number. This supports the acquisition of a strong vocabulary and understanding of key concepts, ensuring they are ready for Year 1.

This approach to revisit learning continues in the rest of the school, where many opportunities are given to pupils to recall and practise past learning.

Reading is a priority for the school. Leaders were quick to respond to low phonics screening check outcomes last year.

They have rapidly implemented a new approach to teaching phonics. Staff have been provided with high-quality training and follow the new scheme closely. Teachers routinely check pupils' knowledge and provide additional support for struggling readers.

Books are carefully matched to the sounds pupils know.

Attendance is too low for some pupils. The school is working with families and external agencies to identify and remove any barriers to attendance.

This is a focus for leaders at all levels to ensure the school do all they can to improve attendance. Pupils behave well in school. They understand the behaviour expectations of 'ready, respectful and safe'.

They focus well in the classroom and engage well in lessons. Children in early years are able to concentrate for sustained periods of time.

Pupil leaders embrace the opportunities to deliver assemblies on the themes of protected characteristics.

Because of this work, pupils have a strong sense of identity and report that everyone is welcome in their school. The school provides an enriched personal and social curriculum offer, which ensures that pupils understand how to be safe, including when online and in the city. There are many enrichment opportunities, including a range of clubs and visitors.

Leaders at all levels understand that the well-being of staff is a priority. Staff appreciate the actions taken by leaders to ensure they are supported with a range of training. Most recently, the phonics training has equipped staff with the skills to be able to teach early reading well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some of the curriculum is new and so the task design is not fully refined. This means that some pupils' work does not reflect the full ambition of the curriculum.

The school should continue their work to ensure that task design supports all pupils to learn and remember the most important knowledge and skills.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good. we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2018.