Frisby Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Frisby Church of England Primary School Hall Orchard Lane, Frisby-on-the-Wreake, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE14 2NH

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Outcome

Frisby Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want the very best for pupils at this small village school. They are helping pupils to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need for the future. Pupils say they are rewarded for showing positive behaviours. Leaders have ensured that well-being support is available for pupils who need additional help.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say they are happy to come to school because they enjoy being with their friends. They feel safe in school and say that bullying is rare. If there are any issues, pupils use a ‘worry box’ or talk to staff. Parents feel that the school is ‘friendly’ and staff are ‘caring’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils generally behave well in lessons and around school. They work well together in lessons. They help each other to play cooperatively. Leaders are proud of how the older pupils support younger ones during social times. As one pupil commented, ‘It’s really good fun and we are like a big family here.’ Pupils enjoy the range of activities that are provided for them at lunchtime.

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

Leaders have ensured that curriculum development is a key focus. Curriculum plans set out what pupils need to know. However, these plans do not always precisely identify what pupils, including in the early years, need to know. This means that teachers cannot accurately check whether pupils have developed the knowledge to improve in a subject. Leaders’ actions have been hindered due to staffing issues and COVID-19 (coronavirus).

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

The mathematics curriculum is strong. Teachers ensure that small steps of knowledge are taught so pupils know and remember more over time. They make checks on what pupils have remembered. Leaders have adapted plans to ensure that pupils receive additional support to recall number facts and times tables. Teachers ensure that pupils who need additional support are given extra help. 21 September 2021

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Pupils say they enjoy reading. They can talk about books and authors they enjoy. As one pupil recalled, ‘It makes our imagination grow.’ Pupils also commented on how reading books supports their vocabulary development. Teachers ensure that pupils listen to high- quality books daily. When pupils need additional help with reading, teachers ensure that they receive extra support.

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Staff ensure that the youngest pupils, including children in the early years, practise their phonics knowledge daily. The teaching of early reading is in a period of change at the school. Leaders plan to move to a new phonics programme. Teachers will receive additional training. Currently, books do not match the sounds pupils have learned in lessons. Sometimes pupils are encouraged to use unhelpful strategies to read unfamiliar words.

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Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are provided with a wide range of opportunities in school. Adaptations are made to help pupils who need additional support access the school environment. Teachers make regular checks on what pupils with SEND know. However, curriculum plans do not detail how the knowledge can be broken down to enable pupils with SEND to know and remember more.

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Pupils in the early years are encouraged to develop their language through songs and rhymes. Adults listen to pupils and ask questions to help them develop their understanding. Pupils are encouraged to develop social skills with their peers.

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Pupils enjoy the opportunities leaders provide beyond the curriculum. They explore ideas such as democracy through the school council. Leaders ensure that pupils have opportunities to visit places that are different to the local community. COVID-19 has decreased the range of extra-curricular opportunities on offer. Plans are in place to ensure that they resume quickly.

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Staff say that leaders are considerate of their workload. They are given time to complete any additional work. Leaders have developed links with local schools to support teachers in their professional development. Governors provide support for the headteacher as well as holding leaders to account for how school finances are used.

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In discussion with the headteacher, the inspectors agreed that early reading and curriculum planning may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection. 21 September 2021

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

As a small school, leaders and staff know pupils and families well. There is a culture of care and vigilance at the school. This means that staff are quick to respond to concerns, however small. Staff are alert to risks for their pupils. Leaders ensure that the curriculum supports pupils in understanding risks online and offline. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained in safeguarding matters.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work closely with families who need extra support. They work with other agencies to ensure that families get the support they require.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Reading books do not consistently match the sounds that pupils know. Staff do not consistently encourage pupils to use phonic knowledge when reading unfamiliar words. As a result, pupils who need additional support to learn to read do not quickly develop the knowledge and skills to become successful readers. Leaders need to implement and establish the new phonics programme quickly. They should ensure that all staff are provided with training, so that the programme is implemented rigorously.  Curriculum plans in some subjects, such as geography, do not precisely set out what all pupils need to know and remember over time. Plans do not include what pupils in the early years or pupils with SEND need to know. This means that teachers are unable to provide pupils with small steps in learning or make checks on what they know. Leaders need to continue to refine curriculum plans to ensure they clearly set out what all

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

pupils need to know from Reception to Year 6.

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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 a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that a good school could now be better than good, or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2016. 21 September 2021

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 21 September 2021

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 June 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The school is a voluntary-controlled Church of England school in the Diocese of Leicester.  Since the last inspection, there has been significant change in governance. Currently, there are five vacant posts in the governing body. A new deputy headteacher has been appointed.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders, the special needs coordinator and curriculum leaders. A meeting was held with representatives from the school’s local governing body.  The inspectors looked closely at the quality of education in early reading, mathematics and history. This involved speaking with leaders, staff and pupils. The inspectors visited 21 September 2021

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lessons and reviewed samples of pupils’ work. Subject plans and samples of pupils’ work for geography were reviewed.  The inspectors considered a wide range of documents, including those relating to safeguarding, behaviour and minutes from governing body meetings. A meeting was held with pupils and staff to evaluate the school’s safeguarding culture. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school was considered.  The inspectors considered the views of parents and pupils shared through the Ofsted surveys. Views were also gathered through meeting staff, pupils and parents during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Shaheen Hussain, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Fielding Ofsted Inspector 21 September 2021

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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