Frinton-on-Sea Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school immensely and are keen to participate in all that it has to offer. They are happy to be in school and want to achieve the very best they can.

Pupils live up to the school's high expectations of behaviour in lessons and around the school. They become quickly engrossed in their learning and are always ready to work with others.

The strong sense of community within the school provides an environment within which pupils grow in confidence.

Pupils feel very safe at school and are confident that should they have any worries or concerns staff will deal with these. Pupils say they are taught how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Pupi...ls say they all get on and that bullying is rare.

School leaders encourage all pupils to try to do their best. Pupils have lots of opportunities to take on responsibility. Many older pupils lead clubs or support younger pupils, for example through the 'reading buddies' programme.

Frinton-on-Sea Primary School is a happy place where pupils' successes are celebrated daily.

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

Leaders are ambitious for pupils to do well and to achieve high standards across the whole curriculum. Leaders have worked successfully on improving the quality of the education in all subjects, including reading and mathematics.

The curriculum meets the needs of pupils in the school, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well.

Leaders ensure that teachers and other adults are trained to a high standard so that they can support pupils educationally and personally. Well-trained teachers and teaching assistants make sure that pupils learn phonics in a systematic way across key stage 1 and the early years.

As a result, pupils make good progress in developing their early reading skills to become confident readers. Teachers make sure that pupils read books that are at the right level for their ages and abilities. Teachers move pupils on when they are ready and provide effective support for pupils to catch up if they are at risk of falling behind.

Leaders have worked effectively to develop pupils' enjoyment and love of reading. Pupils read with enthusiasm and are curious about what will happen next in the story they are reading. They have been introduced to a wider range of books to extend their reading.

Older pupils talked with enthusiasm about the new authors and genres they are exploring. Pupils are clear about the positive impact that reading more widely is having on their vocabulary. They say that it is also helping them to write more creatively.

Leaders' planning of the curriculum ensures that pupils build on what they have learned and deepen their knowledge and understanding so they learn more. In science, for example, pupils in Year 5 are working out how to carry out their own scientific investigations after having followed instructions when carrying out experiments previously. However, in a few subjects the planning is not as well developed.

There is more to do in history, modern foreign languages (MFL) and religious education (RE).

The curriculum for children in the early years meets their needs well. They receive a well-planned start to their early reading, writing and mathematics development.

Children are encouraged to explore books and to develop their learning through activities such as role playing going to the shops. This helps them to practise what they are learning about numbers when buying or selling and their writing by making up shopping lists. Children enjoy the practical activities provided both indoors and outdoors.

They particularly enjoy 'Welly Wednesday' when they go out to the local play area.

The school provides many opportunities for pupils to develop their personal and social skills to broaden their horizons. These include producing a 'pop-up' art exhibition in the local community, where they met their local Member of Parliament, running a science club and celebrating World Book Day.

The school acknowledges that there is more to do to develop their understanding of the cultural and ethnic diversity in Britain today.

Governors provide strong oversight of the school and its performance. They ask challenging questions to monitor leaders' work but also support them to achieve ambitious aims.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The school has a positive culture of safeguarding, where staff look out for pupils and follow up on any concern no matter how small. Staff know the pupils and their families well.

They work closely with external agencies to ensure the safety of all.

The school's work on well-being and mental health is a strength. Where pupils have social and emotional needs, they are extremely well supported to address the underlying causes.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

While the quality of education is good, the school's curriculum is not yet coherently planned in all subject areas. The plans in some, such as history, MFL and RE, do not help build pupils' knowledge sequentially.Leaders need to use the actions they have already taken successfully to ensure that all subjects are well planned.

Leaders should check that the content of each subject is well chosen and builds upon what pupils have learned previously.Leaders are working on widening their understanding about diversity. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum develops sufficient opportunities for pupils to improve their understanding of cultural diversity to prepare them well for life in modern Britain.