Freeland Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Freeland Church of England Primary School Parklands, Freeland, Freeland Primary School, Witney, Oxfordshire OX29 8HX

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a friendly school. Relationships between pupils are warm. Pupils like coming to school. In class, pupils listen to each other and are confident to express their own views. Pupils feel safe in school because they know who they can talk to if they have any concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for what pupils can achieve academically, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff ensure that all pupils learn a broad range of subjects. Pupils achieve well because the curriculum demands much of them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is very good and pupils are courteous and respectful of one another and of staff. Pupils know the school rules and respond to the high expectations the staff have of them. Pupils understand what bullying is. They told inspectors that if bullying is reported it is dealt with well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ well-being is very important for senior leaders. Parents appreciate this and speak very highly of the school. They value the pastoral support available for their children as well as the care offered to the whole family. This has resulted in strong relationships between staff and families.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils. Curriculum leaders have set out the knowledge, vocabulary and skills they expect pupils to know and remember in most subjects. Teachers make checks to find out what pupils have remembered over time. Leaders consider carefully how pupils will be taught the curriculum and how it should inspire and motivate pupils. They have planned learning in logical and appropriate steps to make sure that pupils build on what they already know. However, in a small number of subjects pupils’ learning is not as well structured. In these 10 May 2022

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subjects, leaders have not set out precisely enough what knowledge they want pupils to know.

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Leaders prioritise the development of pupils’ reading skills appropriately. Staff promote a love of reading well. Teachers carefully choose texts that broaden pupils’ understanding and encourage pupils to want to read. Pupils learn to read through a well-structured phonics programme. This begins when pupils start in Reception. Children are helped to remember the sounds that letters make by rhymes that they know well. They take home books that contain sounds they are familiar with and have learned in lessons. This helps them to become confident and fluent readers. Teachers provide extra help for those pupils who struggle to read. Most pupils read widely and with enthusiasm. Staff are well trained to support pupils in developing their reading skills as they read more-complex texts. This ensures that pupils understand what they have read.

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Teachers have good subject knowledge. In lessons, teachers present subject matter clearly. They choose resources and tasks carefully, to match the planned learning. They make sure that pupils revisit and build on their prior learning. This helps pupils to remember important knowledge and practise their skills.

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Staff are well trained to support pupils with SEND. They understand the additional challenges pupils with SEND face. As a result, teachers plan well for these pupils, providing clear and achievable targets to support their learning. This is also the case in Reception, where staff adapt their plans to make learning relevant and interesting. This means that children can easily access what they need to help them develop and learn.

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Pupils concentrate hard in lessons and are keen to learn. In Reception, children tackle activities energetically. If older pupils lose focus in lessons, teachers deal with this effectively. Strong relationships between staff and pupils are evident. Pupils know that teachers care about them. They trust the adults in school to help them and keep them safe.

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Pupils experience a range of activities to promote their personal development and well- being. These include educational trips, for example to Didcot Railway Centre. The school’s personal, social, health and economic education helps pupils gain an age-appropriate understanding of morals and values as well as how to live healthily. Pupils speak positively about the opportunities they have to take on extra responsibilities. Pupils from each class benefit from joining the active school council and the opportunity to be an ‘eco-councillor’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all staff access regular safeguarding training. Consequently, staff know how to identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. They understand who to tell and how to report their concerns. Leaders work well with outside agencies to identify families in need of extra help. However, a very small proportion of the school’s records would benefit from more detailed information about how a reported concern is progressing. 10 May 2022

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Leaders follow safer recruitment procedures. They keep accurate records of the checks made on adults who work at the school.

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Pupils feel safe. They know how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small minority of foundation subjects, the knowledge that leaders want pupils to learn is not outlined in enough depth and detail. As a result, pupils do not gain the knowledge that they should. Leaders should identify more precisely the knowledge that pupils will learn. This will enable teachers to plan learning that enables pupils to build their knowledge and skills more effectively over time.  Some records related to safeguarding chronologies do not have as much detail as they could have about how safeguarding concerns are progressing. This means that the information is not always recorded in enough detail to provide complete and utter clarity. Leaders need to strengthen the consistency of all information held in relation to safeguarding concerns, so that all aspects are recorded meticulously.

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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 second section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Freeland Church of England Primary School, to be good in November 2011.

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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 . 10 May 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. 10 May 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10227898 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 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 October 2016.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, assistant headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator and three governors.  A meeting was held with a representative from the Eynsham Partnership Academy Trust.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum 10 May 2022

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plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Pupils spoke with the inspectors about their learning, safety and behaviour.  The inspectors evaluated a range of documentation relating to safeguarding and spoke with pupils, school leaders and the staff team.  The inspectors took account of the 42 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the accompanying free-text responses. They also took account of the views of staff and pupils through the 10 responses to the staff survey and the 43 responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Richard Blackmore, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Becky Greenhalgh Ofsted Inspector 10 May 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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