Frieth Church of England Combined School

Inspection of a good school: Frieth Church of England Combined School Frieth, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 6PR

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Outcome

Frieth Church of England Combined School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and feel well looked after. They develop strong and supportive relationships with staff. This makes pupils feel safe at school. They get on well with each other during lessons and in the playground.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and teachers are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils. Pupils rise well to these aspirations. They are motivated and keen to do well in all subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave extremely well. They are polite and kind. Pupils understand the importance of treating everybody with respect. Pupils know what bullying is. They said that staff would help quickly and effectively if it were to happen.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils visit places of interest, such as a farm and Oxford Castle. This broadens their experiences and brings a sense of real life to their learning. This also helps to enrich what they have learned in the classroom. Pupils take part in a wide range of sports and other activities. They thoroughly enjoy these opportunities. Pupils talk very positively about the different responsibilities that they have. For example, pupils on the school council are proud to have helped to improve the classrooms.

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

Leaders have planned a broad and interesting curriculum. They have ensured that the curriculum demands much from all pupils, including those with SEND. The curriculum sets out the key knowledge that pupils need to learn in most subjects. The school’s effective curriculum begins in the early years. Leaders have ensured that new learning builds on what pupils have already learned. In a small minority of subjects, leaders have not identified the knowledge that they want pupils to understand precisely enough. Subject leaders in some curriculum areas have not considered the order in which pupils learn new knowledge carefully enough. 6 April 2022

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Teachers deliver the curriculum well, including in the early years. This means that pupils achieve well. Staff plan activities that are correctly matched to pupils’ needs and that inspire them to learn. Teachers explain new learning clearly. This enables pupils to build on their knowledge in different curriculum areas. Teachers revisit what pupils have learned before. As a result, pupils remember more over time. Teachers and support staff regularly check pupils’ understanding carefully. Teachers make changes to their lessons to address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

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Leaders ensure that there is a sharp focus on reading. Children begin to learn to read as soon as they join the Reception class. Staff receive regular phonics training. This enables them to deliver the phonics curriculum effectively. In the early years, and in other year groups, pupils read books that are carefully matched to the sounds that they know. This improves their confidence when reading. Teachers ensure that pupils who struggle to read get the help that they need to catch up. Staff promote a love of reading across the school. Staff read stories and talk about authors with pupils every day. Older pupils are confident and fluent readers who enjoy reading independently. They talk very enthusiastically about books.

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Staff expect high standards of behaviour from every pupil all of the time. This begins from when children start in the Reception class and continues throughout the school. Staff apply the behaviour policy consistently and fairly, celebrating pupils’ positive behaviour. Consequently, lessons flow very smoothly without interruption.

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Leaders provide pupils with a wide range of activities beyond lessons to develop pupils more broadly. Pupils follow their interests in the clubs offered during and after school. These include art, computing and different sports. Staff provide pupils with many opportunities to become active young people. Pupils value the importance of democracy and of having a voice. They elect members to the school council. Pupils know how to eat healthily and keep fit.

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Leaders identify pupils with SEND quickly and accurately. Teachers understand the needs of this group of pupils and understand what helps them to learn well. This means that pupils with SEND receive learning that is closely matched to their needs.

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Leaders are considerate of staff’s workload. Staff appreciate and value the support and time they are given to plan for and check pupils’ learning. This supports staff to manage their workload effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff undertake high-quality safeguarding training. This is supported by leaders who provide regular updates. As a result, all staff have a good understanding and knowledge of how to keep pupils safe. Staff are able to quickly spot if a pupil is at risk of harm or may be vulnerable. 6 April 2022

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Leaders act decisively to keep pupils safe. They make referrals to outside agencies when needed. Leaders work well with specialist partners to provide the help and guidance that pupils and their families need.

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Leaders make sure that appropriate checks are carried out on all adults working in the school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the knowledge that leaders want pupils to learn is not planned and sequenced as well as it is in other subjects. As a result, pupils do not gain the rich knowledge that they could across the whole curriculum. Leaders should identify and sequence the knowledge that pupils need to learn in these subjects more precisely.

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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 evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 April 2017.

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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 . 6 April 2022

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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. 6 April 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 April 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  This is a Church of England primary school. The school’s next section 48 Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools is due in the next two years. The last inspection of this type took place in April 2016.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, a senior leader, subject leaders and the special educational needs coordinator. An inspector met with five governors, including the chair of the governing body.  The lead inspector had a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors spoke with staff to discuss workload, well-being and safeguarding. 6 April 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and personal, social and health education. For each deep dive, inspectors 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.  The inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and pupils’ work in other subjects.  Inspectors spoke with different groups of pupils about their learning, safety and behaviour.  A range of documentation relating to safeguarding was scrutinised by inspectors.  Inspectors took account of the 35 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments. Inspectors also reviewed the nine staff survey responses.

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Inspection team

Richard Blackmore, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Owen McColgan Ofsted Inspector 6 April 2022

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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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