Frogwell Primary School

Inspection of Frogwell Primary School Derriads Lane, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 0DG

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Inspection dates: 30 November and 1 December 2021

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 30 November and 1 December 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and well behaved. Some pupils have extra support from staff to show them how to get along with others. This is working. Pupils learn and play well together in class and during breaktimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff make sure the learning environment is safe. Pupils talk to staff if they have a worry. Adults help pupils to ‘sort it out’. However, some pupils do not know the difference between bullying and falling out. Staff are helping them to understand what bullying is and is not.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Each year, leaders carefully plan for pupils’ personal development. The ‘Frogwell 20’ sets out activities each pupil can experience beyond the curriculum. For example, pupils take part in sports festivals. Pupils enjoy the range of after-school clubs. They say trips and educational visits are ‘fantastic’. Pupils are elected by their classmates to the school council. They are proud of this role and take their responsibilities seriously.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s English and mathematics curriculums are well planned. Nevertheless, pupils have gaps in their knowledge in other subjects.

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better?

Leaders have rightly made learning to read a priority. Staff have a secure knowledge of phonics. They check that pupils say the letters and sounds correctly. Books are well matched to pupils’ phonics knowledge. Teachers quickly spot pupils who need extra help. Additional practice sessions help pupils to build their phonics knowledge, fluency and accuracy well.

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better?

Staff share their love of reading with pupils. Class books are carefully chosen to increase pupils’ vocabulary and inspire their writing. Teachers skilfully use class discussions to encourage pupils to practise using new words. In the Reception Year, staff develop children’s communication skills and skills for life well. For example, children learn to share and take turns when playing party games in the well- thought-out role-play area.

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better?

Subject leaders identified curriculum content not covered during the national lockdowns. English and mathematics leaders worked with teachers to ensure that pupils do not miss important knowledge. However, the essential knowledge pupils must know and remember in science and other subjects is not clearly identified. In addition to this, insecure teacher subject knowledge means that teachers cannot check if pupils have any gaps in their knowledge.

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better?

Teaching in these subjects does not help pupils to make connections or secure new knowledge. For example, pupils use incorrect vocabulary in science, such as magnets ‘sticking’ to objects, and this reinforces misconceptions. Pupils also repeat 30 November and 1 December 2021

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learning activities where they have secure knowledge instead of building new knowledge.

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Appropriate external agencies help staff to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. For example, staff work alongside speech and language therapists to deliver additional sessions that accurately match pupils’ needs. Where pupils’ individual targets are well thought out into small steps, they develop secure knowledge swiftly.

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Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. This begins in Reception Year. There are clear routines that children follow. However, some older pupils occasionally give up too easily when they find their learning tricky. Staff are working with these pupils to help them to be more resilient and to develop a more positive attitude. Leaders have prioritised training for staff to help them accurately identify pupils’ needs and how to support them further.

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Disadvantaged pupils’ personal development is supported well. Leaders think carefully about barriers to learning and how to overcome them. For example, leaders support individual families to help them improve their children’s attendance at school. Children of parents who engage with this work now attend school regularly.

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Pupils know how to be physically and mentally healthy. They particularly enjoy the indoor and outdoor activities organised by staff during lunchtime. Staff say that school leaders support their well-being.

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Leaders, including governors, are currently reviewing the school’s vision and values. This work is to ensure that those with responsibility for governance understand and carry out their roles effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding records and practice are reviewed thoroughly. Leaders carry out the necessary safeguarding checks before staff begin working at the school. Staff and volunteers receive appropriate safeguarding training. They know how to report concerns about a pupil’s safety and well-being. Safeguarding referrals to external agencies are made in a timely manner. Leaders escalate concerns if they believe they have not received an appropriate response from external agencies.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. However, leaders have plans in place to help develop further pupils’ understanding of bullying, including cyber-bullying.

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 Teaching in some subjects is not based on secure subject knowledge. This means teachers cannot support pupils to acquire new knowledge well enough. Leaders need to support teachers to strengthen their subject knowledge further.  Gaps in pupils’ subject knowledge are not accurately identified. Pupils cannot secure new knowledge until these gaps are closed. Subject leaders need to support teachers to identify the essential knowledge pupils must know and remember to fill the gaps in pupils’ knowledge.  Those with responsibility for governance have an incomplete understanding of their role. This prevents them from carrying out their roles and responsibilities effectively. Governors need to develop their understanding of strategic oversight in order to support school leaders in the drive for improvement.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 30 November and 1 December 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10214525 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 December 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a resource base for pupils with complex needs.  New members of the governing body have been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school does not use alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors met with the headteacher, assistant headteacher, special educational needs coordinator, staff, pupils, governors, including the chair of the governing body, and two school improvement advisers from Wiltshire County Council. 30 November and 1 December 2021

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 The lead inspector listened to pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a member of staff.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, English, science and art. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s safeguarding documentation, including records of safeguarding checks carried out on staff working at the school. They considered how well the designated safeguarding lead acts on concerns about pupils’ safety and welfare. The inspectors spoke to pupils, staff and governors about safeguarding practices.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. They also took into consideration the responses to the surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Marie Thomas, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Richard Vaughan Ofsted Inspector 30 November and 1 December 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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