Frogmore Junior School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Governors and leaders should ensure that all most able pupils are challenged consistently to achieve the higher standards in writing and mathematics.
• Ensure that all pupils are provided with the right support to develop the skills and knowledge needed to be self-assured and independent learners.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher’s high aspirations for all pupils to thrive and achieve well are shared widely by senior leaders and staff. As the headteacher stated, ‘There is no ceiling here.’ Senior leaders monitor the quality of teaching through regular visits to classrooms and by looking at pupils’ work. Staff morale is very high. Training opportunities are chosen strategically, welcomed by staff, and help them to accelerate pupils’ progress effectively. Staff work together closely to share good practice. As a result, the standard of teaching and learning is improving constantly.
• Leaders have established detailed procedures for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress, and these systems are kept under constant review. Teachers know how pupils are achieving. Those who are at risk of falling behind are identified, and extra help is provided as needed.
• The curriculum is broad, providing a range of carefully selected and useful first-hand experiences. Pupils enjoy learning and make strong progress. Good links are made with children’s literature. For example, Year 3 pupils study Far Eastern civilisations in geography and history linked to the novel ‘The firework-maker’s daughter’. Year 4 pupils explore old tapestries and embroidery in art lessons and then experiment with needlework techniques.
• A programme of visits and visitors brings learning to life. Pupils in Year 4 benefit from visits, such as to the Greenwich Observatory when learning about the solar system. Year 6 pupils take part in a range of adventurous outdoor activities while on residential visits. Pupils and parents appreciate the variety of extra-curricular clubs. These activities are attended very well by pupils and contribute effectively to their learning.
• The school’s values, including respect, listening to and caring for others, and doing your best, are understood by all, governors, staff and pupils. These key values reflect British values and strongly influence the culture of the school. Pupils learn about democracy through the school council, for example, helping to choose worthwhile causes, such as hedgehog preservation. They learn how to manage responsibility as digital and sports leaders. Pupils learn about different faiths, for example through celebrating the Chinese New Year and learning about the features of Sikhism.
• Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to reflect and listen to the views of others. As a result, pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted effectively, and the curriculum prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.
• Leaders ensure that pupils have equal opportunities to achieve well. For example, the counselling organised by staff helps pupils to cope with challenges. A wide range of experiences are chosen deliberately to help widen pupils’ horizons. Pupils who have difficulty completing home-learning projects are supported in school.
• Much good work has been done since the previous inspection to improve provision for the most able pupils. In 2018, their outcomes were above the national average. However, current pupils do not attain the higher standards in writing and mathematics of which they are capable.
• Disadvantaged pupils’ progress is similar to other pupils, their attainment in 2018 being above the national average. The sports and PE funding is used well, for example to train pupils as sports leaders. The school has been given a gold award for sport. As a result, pupils enjoy taking part in a wide range of sporting opportunities, and many pupils participate in competitions with other schools.

Governance of the school

• Governance is effective. Leaders, governors and the academy trust have a strong shared vision for the pupils to succeed. Their strategic overview has ensured rapid improvement since the last inspection. Together with leaders, governors and the academy trust enjoy the respect and confidence of the community to lead the school forward successfully.
• Governors are thoughtful, and constantly seek to improve. They receive regular reports on staff training, and attend good-quality training themselves. They work closely with the trust and similar schools. They make good use of these activities to help them fulfil their role.
• Governors systematically monitor the school development plan. They are aware of their responsibility to oversee pupils’ standards, and visit the school regularly. They ask leaders challenging questions. As a result, governors know the school well, and are aware of the need to continue focusing on mathematics and writing.
• Governors monitor school expenditure regularly to ensure improvements in pupils’ outcomes, including additional funding, both for disadvantaged pupils and for PE and sport.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders have successfully created a safe culture in the school. They maintain careful records, and staff know what to do if they have any safeguarding concerns. Leaders ensure that staff and governors attend up-to-date training, including about the prevention of radicalisation. Robust procedures are in place when staff are appointed and when volunteers come to help in school. Pupils feel safe, and the majority of parents are confident that their children are safe.
• Pupils are cared for well. The majority of pupils are confident that there is someone to talk to should they have any concerns. They know that any issues raised will be taken seriously by staff and dealt with swiftly. Leaders work closely with families and external agencies to ensure that pupils get help as and when necessary.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have strong subject knowledge. Most teachers have high expectations. They plan lessons, provide equipment and lead discussions with pupils effectively. Staff are very positive. They encourage pupils to ‘have a go’, and to learn from their mistakes. Pupils enjoy being challenged. Most pupils participate well in lessons and are keen to learn.
• Teaching is focused on helping pupils develop their understanding, and increasingly, to help pupils extend and deepen their thinking. Consequently, most pupils make strong progress in the key areas of learning.
• Additional adults fulfil an important role in the classroom. They help those pupils facing difficulties with challenge to move their learning on effectively. They are also successful in providing appropriate praise and encouragement, which is well targeted to help pupils individually or in small groups.
• Pupils’ progress is enhanced by activities linked to a range of experiences that have been thoughtfully chosen. For example, a trip to Yateley Common is part of a science project on plants, with opportunities for orienteering, and a visit by a theatre workshop brings ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare to life. Pupils use these opportunities well to learn new vocabulary, and to use literacy and numeracy skills in an increasingly wide range of contexts.
• Teachers provide a range of homework projects, in accordance with school policy, twice each term. Pupils enjoy these challenges, which give them the opportunity to practise these skills at home, alongside their families. For example, pupils prepared an Asian meal and designed ‘a tourist leaflet for the Great Wall of China’ as part of their work on Far Eastern civilisations,
• Parents are kept up to date about their children’s progress, and the majority of parents are happy with the information they are given. Consequently, parents are able to support their children with school activities at home, and the projects enrich and contribute successfully to pupils’ learning in school.
• The careful use of equipment, together with the variety of tasks and the quality of adult support, help most pupils, including those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities, to succeed in lessons. When activities and questioning are less well matched to pupils’ needs, then pupils, especially the most able, lose interest and wait patiently for the lesson to move on. Pupils say that they want lessons to be even harder.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Staff know pupils as individuals and work closely with families to organise relevant individual support, when needed. Planning for pupils with specific individual needs, including medical needs, ensures that they play an active part in the life of the school and learn effectively.
• Pupils feel safe and are taught how to keep themselves safe. They speak confidently about how to use computers safely. Some pupils are selected for training as digital leaders, and lead presentations to pupils in other schools. The majority of parents who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, were satisfied that their children are safe and that any concerns are dealt with successfully.
• Pupils have trust in staff to deal with incidents swiftly and effectively. The majority of pupils are happy to talk to staff about any concerns they might have.
• Pupils speak confidently about how they eat healthily, and some pupils help to run a healthy snack shop at breaktime. Pupils keep fit by participating regularly in a wide range of sports, and many participate in competitions with other schools.
• Pupils talk enthusiastically and articulately about their school. They enjoy participating in the broad range of activities on offer, such as competing in curling events and making pizzas in the outdoor bread oven. Parents welcome the wide range of activities organised by the school. One parent wrote, ’The after-school clubs are very well run and bring additional skills and interest.’
• Staff provide positive role models, and relationships at all levels are very good. The ‘rights of the child’ are understood by all and threaded throughout school activities. The school has been awarded a UNICEF bronze award for promoting values. Pupils have thoughtful and considered discussions, for example when discussing the features of friendship. Through activities such as building robotics and planting trees, pupils have opportunities to work as members of a team and contribute to the community. Assemblies, such as one based on Diwali, give pupils valuable opportunities to learn about other cultures. As a result, pupils are very considerate of each other, tolerant of differences and work together very well.
• Pupils are not consistently proactive in their own learning. For example, older pupils do not make the most of opportunities to improve in their work, and need prompts to use dictionaries. As a result, many pupils are still developing the skills and knowledge needed to be self-assured and independent learners.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Staff share clear expectations of behaviour, and provide very positive and encouraging support to pupils. As a result, pupils behave very well in lessons and in all parts of the school. Low-level disruption in classrooms is rare. Pupils move around the school extremely sensibly and calmly, constantly demonstrating self-discipline, and cooperate well in the playground. Pupils benefit from a wide range of outdoor activities organised at playtimes, both by coaches and by pupils trained as sports leaders. They enjoy learning circus skills, handball and playing in the wild area in the school grounds.
• Pupils have very positive attitudes to school. They take great pride in themselves and their school. They are very keen to attend school regularly and as a result attendance is above the national average. Pupils enjoy coming to school and arrive punctually. Leaders follow up absence promptly and work closely with individual families to provide support when needed. As one parent commented, ‘My child always looks forward to school… I look forward to our newborn attending the same school in the future!’

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils make strong progress in reading, and standards in 2018 were above the national average. Pupils read with confidence and use a range of strategies. They enjoy reading a variety of exciting texts, and read regularly, both in and out of school. They can also discuss texts and consider the author’s intentions.
• Standards in 2018 were above the national average in writing and mathematics. Most current pupils are making strong progress towards achieving similarly high standards.
• Disadvantaged pupils’ progress is carefully tracked to ensure that they make similar progress to other pupils. Well-organised additional support helps them catch up where necessary. A range of activities, such as educational visits and clubs, is provided to widen pupils’ life experience and help them develop as individuals.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress. They are individually known to staff, and their families are supported effectively. Individual plans provide appropriate support, and are reviewed regularly.
• Current pupils’ work across the school shows that they are making strong progress in a range of other subjects, including music, sport and computing. Pupils have opportunities to apply literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum. The broad curriculum, providing pupils with valuable first-hand experiences, such as late-night star-gazing, and a ‘Mexican day’, contributes successfully to pupils’ outcomes. Leaders are now improving the curriculum further to help widen pupils’ vocabulary.
• Although progress is good overall, and Year 6 standards were above the national average in Summer 2018, some of the most able pupils are currently not being challenged consistently. A new scheme is being introduced to develop deeper learning in mathematics. However, this is still being implemented with varying effectiveness. Additionally, teachers’ expectations in writing are not consistently high enough. As a result, too few pupils are attaining the higher standards in writing and mathematics.
• Staff promote a ‘can do’ attitude, and pupils are positive about learning from their mistakes. The recent rise in standards, together with pupils’ positive attitudes to learning, ensures that pupils are prepared well for secondary school.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 139944 Hampshire 10053380 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Junior School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy sponsor-led 7 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 178 Appropriate authority Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address The University of Chichester Multi-Academy Trust Professor Jane Longmore Mr Carl McCarthy 01252 873 054 www.frogmorejuniors.co.uk adminoffice@frogmore-jun.hants.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 4–5 May 2016

Information about this school

• The local governing body is accountable to The University of Chichester Multi-Academy Trust.
• The school is slightly smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage.
• A slightly lower proportion of pupils than the national average is eligible for the pupil premium.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and the proportion with education, health and care plans are both above the national average.
• There is a breakfast club and after-school club on site, run by an external provider.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited every class, sometimes jointly with the headteacher, to observe teaching, learning and assessment.
• Inspectors talked to pupils, looked at their work with senior leaders, and listened to pupils read.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, the chair of the governing body and three other governors, the chief executive officer and two representatives of the trust, and the school’s senior and middle leaders.
• Inspectors took account of the 56 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and considered the 24 free-text responses provided.
• Inspectors also spoke to parents and carers during the inspection.
• Inspectors considered 20 responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire and 17 responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire.
• The inspectors observed the wider work of the school, including an assembly, playtimes and lunchtime.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents including: minutes of governing body meetings; leaders’ and external evaluations of the school’s effectiveness; the school development plan; information about leaders’ monitoring of teaching and pupils’ progress; school policies, behaviour and safety records, safeguarding policies and procedures; and the single central record of recruitment checks made on staff.

Inspection team

Rosemary Addison, lead inspector Kate Redman

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector