Frithwood Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Frithwood Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Frithwood is a large, nurturing, inclusive primary school with a 'family feel.' The school's motto of 'striving for excellence, learning for life, achievement for all' is lived out here.

Staff have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils learn effectively and, in most subjects, benefit from a curriculum that prepares them well for the next stage of their education.

Pupils behave very well.

They are polite and respectful to adults and are kind and caring towards each other. Pupils concentrate and ...try their best in the classroom. They are enthusiastic about their learning and love to chat about all they enjoy at school.

Bullying is rare. If it does occur, pupils are confident to share their concerns with adults who they know will deal with them quickly. As a result, pupils feel safe, and are kept safe, at school.

Pupils enjoy the many ways they can take on responsibilities such as those of peer mediators, games makers and librarians. The school council takes its role very seriously, which includes raising money for the school and recently organising a talk from a Paralympian. A programme of exciting visits enriches the curriculum.

Pupils enjoyed their visit to the Houses of Parliament.

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

Leaders are ambitious to provide pupils with a high quality and well-rounded education. They have recently reviewed and refreshed the curriculum to ensure it matches the breadth and ambition of what is expected nationally.

Learning is carefully sequenced, providing many opportunities for pupils to build understanding through repetition and practice. For example, in mathematics, children in the early years learn to count to 10 and beyond. They count forwards and backwards with increasing confidence, developing a deep understanding of relationships between numbers and patterns.

Older pupils apply this knowledge to find fractions of numbers.

In a few subjects, the important knowledge and skills pupils need to know and remember have not been as carefully identified. In these instances, pupils do not develop as deep an understanding of important ideas.

Teachers typically have secure subject knowledge. They carefully design tasks and activities that enable pupils to learn the intended curriculum. Teachers use clear instructions and explanations to introduce new ideas and to support pupils to understand what is being taught.

However, leaders have correctly identified that some teachers are less confident in teaching some subjects. For example, assessment is not used consistently to check pupils' understanding of what they have learned. This results in misconceptions not being identified and corrected and learning moving on before pupils are secure in their knowledge.

Reading is given a high priority. Children start learning letter sounds as soon as they start in school. Staff are well trained and deliver the agreed phonics programme consistently.

Pupils' phonics knowledge is checked regularly, and those falling behind are given extra help to catch up. Books are well matched to the sounds pupils have learned. This helps to ensure those at the early stages of reading can read with fluency and confidence.

The school makes sure that pupils have many opportunities to practise their reading. Pupils enjoy talking about the diverse range of books they read in class and home.

Staff know pupils well.

They identify the needs of pupils with SEND quickly so they can provide the right support. Leaders ensure appropriate adaptations are in place so that pupils, wherever possible, can access the same curriculum as their peers. Those pupils who need a more bespoke offer benefit from tailored support.

Good attendance is a priority and staff work with families closely to follow up any concerns that arise. Staff teach pupils how they should behave and help them to manage their emotions. Pupils respect and follow the school's rules.

As a result, lessons are not disrupted by poor behaviour.

Leaders are passionate about pupils' broader development. The school provides a diverse range of trips, experiences and visitors to the school.

Pupils were keen to share their experience of singing at Wembley Stadium, a visit to the Verulamium Museum in St Albans, linked to their learning about the Romans, and a recent visit to the school by an author.

Staff well-being and workload are hugely important to school leaders and the governing body. Effective systems are in place and, as a result, staff morale is high.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, the curriculum does not sufficiently identify the important knowledge and skills that pupils need to know and remember. This means pupils do not build as deep a body of knowledge as in other subjects.

The school should ensure that the important ideas pupils need to know and remember are clearly defined so that pupils are helped to remember key content over time. ? In some aspects of the curriculum, teachers' subject knowledge is less well developed. As a result, assessment is not used as effectively to check understanding and address any misconceptions.

This means that some pupils' learning in these areas is less secure. The school should provide appropriate training and support to ensure subject expertise is strengthened to better implement the planned curriculum.

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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2015.