Frogwell Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Frogwell Primary School is a friendly place where staff warmly welcome pupils into school each day. Extra support for those who find coming to school difficult is helping pupils to attend more regularly.

The school has raised its expectations of what pupils can achieve.

However, the curriculum is not always delivered well enough to ensure that pupils gain a deep body of knowledge. Pupils do not achieve as well as they should. In contrast, pupils attending the specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (specially resourced provision) get precise support for their needs which builds their independence.

Pupils are... courteous to one another and to adults. They speak with confidence and are eager to share their views. There is a calm, harmonious atmosphere around school.

Pupils are confident that staff will help them with any issues they have. Bullying is not common and is never tolerated.

The school enhances pupils' knowledge of the wider world.

For instance, work with the local police service helps pupils to understand how to be a good citizen. Experiences such as visits to the library, museum, safari parks and outdoor education centres help pupils to develop their interests and broaden their horizons.

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

Leaders have identified the right areas to focus on in order to improve the quality of education at the school.

They have made sensible choices when they have needed to revise their priorities due to staffing difficulties. The school has experienced a period where there have been significant challenges, particularly around staffing.

The curriculum has been redesigned in all subjects.

It now identifies what pupils need to know and remember. Learning is ordered logically so that pupils can build on what they know already. Staff have the subject knowledge they need and know exactly what pupils need to learn and when.

However, the school is at an early stage of implementing its improved curriculum. It is not yet having the impact leaders intend. This is evident in the school's published outcomes for key stage 2.

Teachers check pupils' learning. Gaps in pupils' knowledge are usually identified and closed quickly in lessons. However, some pupils struggle to remember what they have learned so they do not build their knowledge securely.

This prevents them from successfully progressing through the curriculum. The methods used to teach pupils are not always effective. When this is the case, pupils become frustrated or confused.

This hinders their learning.

Staff do not know how best to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in mainstream lessons. They do not get enough guidance on effective approaches for specific needs or what individual pupils with SEND need to work on.

Consequently, the help given to pupils does not always enable them to learn the intended knowledge.

The high level of care and focus on language and communication skills in early years means children quickly settle in school. Counting and time telling are a strong feature of the daily routines in Reception class.

As a result, children develop a good understanding of number and measurement.

The school has prioritised reading. There is a consistent approach to phonics to teach reading to early readers, including older pupils who do not read well enough and those attending the specially resourced provision.

Pupils, and children in the early years, enjoy being read to by staff. Pupils read widely and often in school. Many are now enthusiastic readers in their free time.

The school has increased the support in place for pupils who do not attend well enough. As a result, fewer pupils are now persistently missing school. Leaders continue to work closely with pupils and their families who need further support to improve their attendance.

Pupils usually behave well in lessons. When learning is interrupted by poor behaviour, most staff manage it well and it does not persist. Pupils are encouraged to make positive choices through the school values and rewards systems.

Most do.

Pupils know how to stay safe online and how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. They learn about caring for themselves and others and building healthy relationships.

Leaders make sure that all pupils, including pupils with SEND or pupils who are disadvantaged, take part in trips and visits.

Governors are new to their roles. They are committed and supportive.

However, they do not consistently hold the school to account for the quality of education and outcomes. Leaders have ensured that staff feel supported with their well-being and workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Staff do not have sufficient information about the targets of pupils with SEND in mainstream lessons or how best to support them. Consequently, pupils with SEND in mainstream lessons are not able to learn as well as they could. The school needs to ensure that all staff know how to best support all the pupils that they work with.

• Teachers' teaching knowledge is not always sufficient to ensure that they teach the curriculum effectively. This means pupils do not learn as effectively as they could. The school should ensure that all teachers deliver the ambitious curriculum to the standard leaders expect.

• Monitoring and evaluation of the quality of the school's work does not provide an accurate view. This means leaders do not always know what is going well and where further development is needed. The school needs to make sure that it knows the result of the actions taken and adapts approaches when needed in order to bring about improvement.

• Those with responsibility for governance do not yet have sufficient knowledge of their role. This prevents them from carrying out their roles and responsibilities as effectively as they could. Governors need to develop their strategic oversight so that they can challenge school leaders as well as support them.