Sir Martin Frobisher Academy

Inspection of Sir Martin Frobisher Academy Frobisher Drive, Jaywick, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex CO15 2QH

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 6 and 7 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Sir Martin Frobisher Academy. Pupils feel safe and know how to stay safe. They appreciate the changes that new leaders have brought about. For example, leaders act swiftly to stop poor behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that staff care for them and want them to achieve well. Pupils appreciate the new curriculum they are being taught. They work hard to meet the high expectations teachers have of them. In reading and mathematics, pupils who need it are receiving additional support. This is helping pupils to successfully catch up so they can access the rest of the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour in school is good. Pupils are polite and show respect to their peers and adults. Pupils understand what bullying is and report issues when they arise. When bullying happens, leaders do not tolerate it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the wider opportunities for development. They enjoy learning about other religions and cultures. Pupils are rightly proud of the respect they show others. There is a wide range of extra-curricular activities for pupils to enjoy. This includes construction league, trips to the theatre and local competitions.

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better?

Over the last 18 months, improved strategic intervention from trust and school leaders has ensured increasingly stable staffing at all levels, including leadership.

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better?

Most of the curriculum has been reviewed and newly implemented to take into account what pupils know. This process is further ahead in its development in reading and mathematics. In these areas, leaders consider the starting points of pupils carefully, so they build knowledge and understanding step by step. Teachers receive effective training and support. As a result, teachers plan learning that helps pupils build on prior learning. This ensures that pupils deepen their learning and are consequently generally achieving well.

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better?

In other curriculum areas, pupils have more significant gaps in what they know and remember. This includes being able to remember and use subject-specific vocabulary. Leaders are still in the process of identifying what curriculum content pupils need to learn and what needs adapting further to help pupils achieve successfully. As a result, teaching does not always build on what pupils already know. Where this is the case, pupils find it difficult to know and remember more.

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better?

Leaders have made reading a priority. Teachers undertake regular training, so they teach the phonics programme consistently. Pupils who struggle to learn to read receive additional, targeted support. As a result, they are quickly gaining the knowledge they need to become fluent readers. Older pupils recognise that they can 6 and 7 June 2023

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read with more fluency. Pupils say reading is now their favourite part of the school day.

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Leaders ensure that the majority of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective support. Pupils with SEND are identified at an early stage. Detailed, precise plans are used by teachers to adapt learning. As such, pupils with SEND can access the curriculum well. As a result, pupils with SEND learn as well as their peers.

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Children in early years get off to a good start. Curriculum plans are well thought out. They are planned to ensure that children’s knowledge is consistently built upon what children have already learned. Children know how to care for themselves and develop positive relationships with each other. Staff know what children can do and give timely support to help them achieve well. As a result, children are well prepared for Year 1.

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Leaders are proud of how well pupils behave. Behaviour incidents are decreasing. Staff have high expectations and apply the behaviour policy consistently. Therefore, pupils understand what acceptable behaviour is. Adults act swiftly to tackle any low- level disruptions. Consequently, there is little interruption to pupils’ learning.

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Leaders carefully consider how pupils develop their individual character. Leaders widen and extend pupils’ opportunities to celebrate differences and learn about other cultures. Pupils show respect and tolerance in their views on celebrating difference. There is high uptake of the school’s broad extra-curricular offering. This range of experiences contributes effectively to pupils’ personal development.

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Leaders, including governors, have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Governors have held leaders to account for the quality of education. The make effective checks on leaders' work to improve the curriculum and its delivery, as well as making checks on behaviour and attendance.

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Despite leaders’ efforts, they know that there is work is to be done to secure the trust and support of all parents. They are aware of the importance of this in making further improvements to the school experience for pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders understand the local community well. They identify risks that pupils may encounter. Staff receive up-to-date training on government guidance to help them identify and report quickly any safeguarding concerns.

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Safeguarding

Leaders take prompt action, working with a range of agencies so that the most vulnerable pupils get the support they need. Leaders undertake the necessary safer recruitment checks before staff commence employment. 6 and 7 June 2023

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Pupils know that adults in school will help them if they have any worries. Pupils learn about how to stay safe when outside of school, including when online. For example, pupils learn the risks of social media.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Most of the curriculum has been reviewed and newly implemented. Aside from English and mathematics, leaders have identified gaps in pupils’ learning and are further refining the curriculum to include what knowledge pupils need to learn to catch up. This includes pupils’ knowledge of subject-specific vocabulary. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum they intend to offer is planned well, using the information they know about what pupils need to learn. Leaders should ensure that teachers are trained to implement the curriculum so that their delivery adheres to leaders’ specification, ensuring that pupils catch up and are ready for the next stages of their education.  Leaders know that many parents have a negative view of the school. This means that it is difficult for the school to engage with parents on important issues. Leaders should continue in their efforts to work with parents, ensuring they build

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

further trust in leaders' actions so parents and school staff can unite in their ambition for all pupils to achieve their best.

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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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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 and 7 June 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268151 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 and 12 June 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The executive headteacher and members of the senior leadership team started in September 2022.  Sir Martin Frobisher Academy is a sponsor-led academy within the REAch2 Academy Trust.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team. This includes the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator. 6 and 7 June 2023

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 The lead inspector met with representatives of the trust and the intervention board.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, art and design, and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in other curriculum areas.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s safeguarding policies, procedures and records, including the checks made on the suitability of staff and governors. They met with leaders, staff and pupils to further consider the effectiveness of safeguarding at the school.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms and around the school site. They also scrutinised behaviour and attendance records.  Inspectors considered responses from staff to Ofsted’s surveys. Inspectors also

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reviewed the responses from parents to Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Conor Heaven, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Liz Smith His Majesty’s Inspector 6 and 7 June 2023

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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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