Frettenham Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Strengthen the curriculum by ensuring that:
  • the high quality of writing seen in English books is promoted in all other areas of the curriculum
  • the most able pupils are sufficiently challenged in foundation subjects.
• Increase the proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in grammar, spelling and punctuation by:
  • securing the new approaches to teaching spelling that have recently been adopted.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Frettenham Primary School is a thriving place where pupils learn well. It has benefited from being a part of the Nebula Federation, which enables schools to retain their autonomy and their unique flavour, but provides additional strength and rigour, including experiences a small school might struggle to offer its pupils on its own.
• The executive team of the executive headteacher and the three executive deputy headteachers provides expertise and support, as well as rigour and challenge. For very small schools, such as Frettenham, this provides an invaluable resource. They bring inspiration and vision to the federation and encourage schools such as Frettenham to take on new initiatives and be bold. Leaders at Frettenham also share expertise with other schools in the federation.
• The school has a very caring ethos; the head of school embodies the friendly culture and high expectations that permeate its work. He leads by example in promoting excellence, for example by teaching mathematics to the older pupils.
• Teaching staff benefit from high-quality training across the federation. For example, the introduction of a programme to deepen pupils’ understanding, with a focus on questioning, has engaged pupils and encouraged them to take risks.
• Self-evaluation is accurate and plans for improvement identify the right priorities. All staff, both teaching and non-teaching, really care about their school and the progress that pupils make.
• The federation is innovative and outward-looking. This is reflected in the school’s curriculum, which has evolved over time and is imaginative and creative. It gives pupils opportunities in every subject area and opens their eyes to new possibilities. For example, a project on hares, linked to a campaign in Norwich, led to pupils setting up a virtual ‘hare sanctuary’.
• The curriculum builds up skills incrementally. Leaders have identified the need to challenge the most able pupils in the foundation subjects, extending the high-quality writing in the English books to the wider curriculum.
• Even though there are very few pupils eligible to receive the pupil premium, leaders ensure that it is well spent and that these pupils make good progress.
• The small number of pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities are well supported. Teaching staff make sure that their needs are met.
• The physical education and sport premium is spent effectively on improving and increasing chances for pupils to take part in competitions, and enjoy a wide range of sporting activities, such as cross-country, tag rugby and athletics. Pupils benefit from specialist teaching. They also compete with pupils from other schools in the federation and further afield. For example, they took part in an athletics tournament with 24 city schools.
• The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness effectively. It holds dedicated religious education days, when pupils of all ages work together on a common theme. This work is recorded in large, attractive ‘floor books’. The school develops pupils’ thinking skills and encourages them to reflect on their learning. Pupils celebrate their shared culture through, for example, performing a Shakespeare play at a theatre in the city. Pupils from Years 2 and 3 participated in the Nebula film festival and produced their own impressive stop-frame animation about a quest.
• Staff morale is high. This was reflected in very positive responses to the Ofsted survey. Teaching staff know the pupils very well as individuals and share ideas together freely.
• Parents are very happy with the school. Almost all would recommend it. Speaking for many, one parent said: ‘In my opinion, Frettenham is a well-run school where children of all ages and abilities are encouraged to mix and get along together. There is a real community feel and the children take pride in their school.’
• The school works successfully with outside organisations, such as the Viscount Nelson Educational Trust, and invites experts to visit to share best practice and introduce new ideas. This has been seen in the recent initiative to deepen pupils’ thinking skills.

Governance of the school

• Governance is strong. The newly formed federation governing body has a wide range of experience and expertise. Some of the governors have local knowledge of Frettenham. Governors make regular visits to the school to see it at work, and to check how well it is making progress on its key priorities for improvement.
• The governing body provides a mixture of support and challenge to school leaders. Governors ensure that funds are well spent and that additional funding, for example for the pupil premium or for special educational needs, provides value for money.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

• Leaders ensure that the school has robust systems to keep pupils safe. Records are carefully organised and fully completed. The school works effectively with other agencies to ensure that all possible support is given to families facing difficulties.
• The school’s single central record of employment checks meets requirements. The chair of governors and the safeguarding governor undertake regular monitoring to satisfy themselves that everything is in order.
• All training is up to date. Staff have had training on the ‘Prevent’ duty to tackle extremism. The school is involved in Operation Encompass, which alerts staff about possible domestic abuse incidents so that they can support pupils.
• Pupils said that they feel safe, a view that parents support. Pupils know how to stay safe, and are taught about keeping safe online.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching is consistently strong across the whole school. Teachers know the pupils as individuals, meaning that the work is well matched to their abilities. This is especially the case in the core subjects of English and mathematics.
• Teachers make learning interesting and enjoyable. For example, the older pupils engaged in a lively discussion about a piece of descriptive writing. They considered where it came in the story and what it told them about what was about to happen.
• Teachers show imagination in the strategies they use. They involve pupils in practical activity, question well and pick up misconceptions straight away.
• The most able pupils are usually well challenged, especially in mathematics. They are given problems to solve that make them think, such as how long it would take to cut the grass of the field using a pair of scissors. Just occasionally, the topic work is too easy, for example when pupils were asked to cut and stick pictures to show a timeline, when they could have drawn it and described it themselves.
• Teaching assistants have a positive impact. They are well deployed and know the children really well. All staff, both teaching and non-teaching, take responsibility for the pupils.
• Parents approve of the homework. There is some online homework in mathematics. Pupils read regularly at home. They undertake a reading challenge every half term. They have a homework book, so it is clear what they have to do.
• The teaching of phonics is strong, an improvement since the previous inspection. Adults have good subject knowledge and high expectations. Consequently, outcomes in phonics have increased, with a greater proportion of pupils reaching the required standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check. A more rigorous approach to the teaching of phonics has been established in the early years, which prepares children better for Year 1.
• Pupils who read to the inspector were confident, enjoyed reading, read accurately and could summarise, infer and predict. They talked easily about the authors that they enjoy. Pupils read regularly at home. They view reading very positively. The school hosts a ‘reading dog’ once a week, which supports less confident readers.
• The impact of a new approach to reading has been considerable. It gives pupils plenty of opportunities to read every day and develops their skills effectively.
• The teaching of mathematics is very strong. As a result, standards have risen this year particularly. Teachers are successfully filling previous gaps in pupils’ knowledge. There is plenty of problem-solving and reasoning going on. Teachers ensure that pupils use mathematical language and deepen their understanding of concepts.
• An advantage of the mixed-age classes is that older pupils set an example to the younger ones. The younger pupils aspire to do as well as their older peers. Teachers are skilled at moving all pupils on in their learning, whatever their age or stage of development. Electronic learning journals, used by pupils as well as adults, enable pupils to gain a deeper understanding of how well they are doing.
• Pupils have stimulating things to write about. For example, Year 2 pupils wrote about taking part in a battle against the Romans as Anglo-Saxons. They learned about Grace Darling, the maritime heroine, and considered the question, ‘Should Grace’s father have taken her with him?’
• Books show consistently strong writing in English. The school’s next challenge is to capture pupils’ imagination to produce similar high-quality writing in other subjects, such as science and geography.
• While pupils generally spell accurately, the school has identified this as an area that needs further work, especially to enable pupils to excel in the end of key stage 2 spelling test. Recently, new approaches to teaching spelling have been adopted. It is too early to see the full impact of their implementation.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning. They are very enthusiastic and willing to ‘have a go’. They are reflective learners. They are used to weighing ideas and working together.
• Younger pupils watched the Class 3 performance and chatted about it on the way back to class. One pupil was overheard to say, ‘The Egyptians were disgusting!’
• There is a purposeful buzz in every classroom. The youngest children concentrate well. They are considerate of one another. They are very polite and courteous.
• The older children support the younger ones, both in class and around the school.
• Pupils are not afraid to make mistakes. Very strong relationships between pupils and staff make a big difference. It means that pupils have the confidence to take risks, knowing that they will be supported. Pupils have given their views to governors about new initiatives in teaching and learning. They told the inspector, ‘Teachers make everything fun.’
• In general, pupils take a pride in their work and it is neatly presented. This is an improvement from the time of the previous inspection, when handwriting was an area for development.
• Pupils take leadership responsibility seriously as prefects, school councillors and members of the eco-committee. They are currently going for the Eco-Schools Bronze Award. They are preparing a presentation about reducing the use of plastic. The school council met with a Broadland district councillor about their proposals for a new play park in the village. They submitted designs they had chosen. Pupils raise money for different charities. They are outward-looking. For example, they decorated leverets as part of a hare conservation project, which are on display in Norwich.
• Pupils take plenty of exercise. They run a ‘golden mile’ before school. They all took part in a sponsored run to help raise funds for new sports facilities nearby. This was a large-scale event, involving pupils from all the schools in the federation.
• After-schools clubs are accredited to the Children’s University. Pupils all have a passport and graduate when they meet the requirements. They take part in enterprise projects. An electrician came in to show pupils how to wire the school racing car. Pupils benefit from projects it would be difficult for a small school to take part in on its own, such as singing at the O2 Arena in London.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. They manage their own behaviour extremely well, both in class and around the school. Pupils get on very well together. For example, Year 6 pupils happily play with pupils of all ages. They said, ’We hang out with the younger children.’
• Pupils love coming to school. This is reflected in above-average attendance and hardly any persistent absence.
• Pupils are well prepared for transition to secondary school. Past pupils come into school to do a presentation. Pupils are used to talking to any adult, as they know all the teaching and non-teaching staff. They embrace new challenges.
• Frettenham pupils get together with pupils from other schools in the federation. They are not anxious at meeting large numbers of other pupils. This year the Year 6 pupils went on a residential visit with pupils from two of the other schools.
• Pupils say that bullying is not an issue for them. They are confident that adults will sort out any problems.
• Military veterans regularly come in to do character-education programmes, such as the Junior Prince’s Award. These develop teamwork, confidence and self-esteem. Pupils take part in an overnight camp.
• The school ensures that pupils have opportunities to raise their aspirations. For example, pupils visited the Aviation Academy at Norwich Airport for an awards ceremony.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• In this very small school, numbers in each year group vary from year to year, so that it is not possible to identify trends over time. There are too few disadvantaged pupils or pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities to make realistic comparisons with published information. However, the improvement in consistently strong teaching means that outcomes have strengthened.
• Year 6 outcomes in 2018 were very strong, particularly in mathematics. The proportions of pupils reaching the higher standards in reading and mathematics were well above average. This was a marked improvement since the time of the previous inspection, when challenge for the most able in mathematics was an area to improve.
• Current pupils make good progress from their different starting points. Staff know how well they are doing over time. Where individual pupils do not do so well, staff can explain the particular circumstances that have contributed to this. They ensure that these pupils receive support to help them catch up quickly.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress. They are well supported. Staff know exactly what they need and ensure that the curriculum is adapted to suit them.
• Outcomes in phonics have improved this year. The teaching of phonics is more systematic and rigorous, especially in the early years. Year 1 pupils reap the reward of two years of consistently strong teaching.
• Outcomes in reading are consistently strong because of the good quality of the teaching and pupils’ enthusiasm. Teachers have changed their approach to teaching reading, including focusing more on the higher-order skills of inference and deduction.
• There is effective problem-solving and reasoning to enable pupils to go deeper in their mathematical understanding. Teachers’ subject knowledge in mathematics is very strong, which enables them to challenge pupils appropriately.
• Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, both academically and in resilience. They are self-assured young people. This was demonstrated in the production performed by the older pupils for parents and the school on a theme of Ancient Egypt. Pupils were confident and clearly enjoyed making the more gruesome details of that culture known to their enraptured audience.
• The school’s work to review and shape the curriculum to meet pupils’ needs, and to build their skills, enables pupils to make links in their knowledge and understanding. This has given pupils a much more positive approach to their learning and deepened their understanding of different subjects. Nonetheless, the quality of writing in other subjects and curriculum themes is sometimes not as strong as it is in English books, and occasionally the most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged.
• Spelling remains an area the school is developing, especially so that pupils do themselves justice in the end of key stage 2 spelling tests as part of English grammar, spelling and punctuation.

Early years provision Good

• Children are happy and settled and engaged in purposeful learning activities. They make good progress from their different starting points in the early years.
• Phonics is taught well. In recent years, the approach to teaching children how to form their letters and sounds has changed. This means that they are better prepared in reading as they leave the Reception Year.
• There is a good range of resources both inside and outside. The new garden area is stimulating for children, and enables them to find out about the natural world.
• Children benefit from being in the mixed-age class because they aspire to emulate their Year 1 classmates. They learn to socialise and follow classroom routines quickly.
• Children work purposefully and can concentrate for sustained periods of time. For example, pupils were designing new coats for hares in preparation for their forthcoming visit to see the school’s decorated leverets on display in Norwich.
• Books and learning journeys show that children make strong progress over time, including in developing mathematical skills. For example, a child independently made a pictogram of the class’s favourite colours.
• Children are curious. They enjoy trying out new things. They are confident and well supported by teaching staff. As a result, learning becomes enjoyable and successful.
• Children are excited by the different topical themes that adults build into the curriculum, such as the World Cup. The role-play travel agents enabled them to explore the different destinations that teams came from.
• Children are safe and behave well. They are well cared for and move sensibly around their classroom.
• Assessment is strong. Staff know the children very well, and therefore plan next steps tailored to their needs. They use an electronic system to record children’s achievements that parents can access and use.
• Leaders are confident and well organised. Staff benefit from sharing with colleagues in other schools and from the support of the executive deputy headteacher for the early years. They receive high-quality training and visit other settings to learn from best practice.
• Leaders have identified that children need further work in developing their fine motor skills, as there are high expectations for handwriting across the federation. Children are now encouraged to join their letters from the start.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 120809 Norfolk 10053882 This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 73 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Judy Leggett Ashley Best-White (executive headteacher) Gyles Longhurst (head of school) Telephone number 01603 737405 Website Email address www.frettenham.norfolk.sch.uk headofschool@frettenham.norfolk.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 25–26 September 2014

Information about this school

• The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• Frettenham joined the Nebula Partnership in September 2015 and the Nebula federation in December 2017. It is one of six primary schools that have worked together since September 2015. There is an executive team of an executive headteacher and three executive deputy headteachers. There is a head of school. Since December 2017, the federation has had a single governing body.
• Almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who receive support for their SEN and/or disabilities is below average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector visited all classrooms jointly with the head of school, the executive headteacher or one of the executive deputy headteachers.
• The inspector looked in detail at work in pupils’ books and listened to pupils read.
• The inspector observed pupils at breaktime and at lunchtime, and as they moved around the school.
• The inspector held meetings with the head of school, members of the executive team, other leaders, teachers, other staff and governors. The inspector also met a representative of the Viscount Nelson Educational Trust.
• The views of 29 parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, were taken into account, as well as 20 free-text responses and the 10 responses to the staff questionnaire. The inspector also held informal discussions with parents in the playground at the start of the inspection.
• The inspector looked at a range of school documents and information. These included the school’s development plan, checks on the quality of teaching, curriculum plans, minutes of meetings of the governing body and pupils’ behaviour and attendance records. He also looked at arrangements for safeguarding procedures, including relevant records.
• During the inspection, pupils were taking part in a charity sponsored run to support a local sports project away from the school site. The inspector visited this activity. He also observed the school’s end-of-year production.

Inspection team

Nick Butt, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector