Frodsham Manor House Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Frodsham Manor House Primary School Langdale Way, Frodsham, Cheshire WA6 7LE

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Outcome

Frodsham Manor House Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen and eager to come to school. They look forward to their lessons and spending time with their friends. Pupils get on exceptionally well together. They make sure that everyone is included in playtime games. Pupils are respectful of and value differences. Pupils, and children in the early years, quickly settle into school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour. Pupils across the school live up to these expectations. They listen carefully to their teachers and take pride in their work. Pupils are well prepared for their next steps. Typically, they achieve well in a range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils embrace the wealth of wider opportunities that the school offers. They enjoy representing the school in musical and dramatic productions, taking part in sports competitions and learning new skills in clubs, such as origami. Pupils benefit from trips locally and further afield that widen their horizons, for example to London and France.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are inquisitive. They are encouraged to learn about different cultures and religions. They enjoy learning about the world around them. For example, how parliament works or the challenge of climbing Mount Everest. Younger children are excited to find out the identity of their weekly mystery reader.

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

The school is highly ambitious for all pupils. Typically, pupils achieve well. However, the school is determined to raise the bar across the curriculum so that pupils are exceptionally well prepared for their next steps. The school has prioritised the further development of the wider curriculum successfully.

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

Subject curriculums are at different stages of development. Most curriculums, including English and mathematics, are very well established. Nevertheless, the school has continued to refine and improve these. For example, the school has broken the key 5 and 6 March 2024

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knowledge down into smaller steps in mathematics and has adopted a different reading comprehension scheme in English. Recently, the school has reviewed some other subject curriculums. In these subjects, the sequence of knowledge from early years to the end of Year 6 is clear. This helps pupils to achieve well in these subjects. However, in a few subjects, leaders have not finalised their curriculum thinking.

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The school has prioritised the role of subject leaders. These leaders have the time and resources required to carry out their responsibilities effectively. However, some subject curriculums have been recently adapted and improved. As a result, some staff do not have the subject knowledge that they need to deliver these curriculums as well as they should. In these subjects, some pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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Teachers provide pupils with frequent opportunities to revisit previous learning. This enables teachers to check that pupils have remembered key knowledge. Teachers use this information well to decide when pupils are ready to move on to new learning. This ensures that pupils deepen their subject knowledge over time.

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Pupils love reading. They enjoy a wide range of texts, including poetry, historical fiction and adventure stories. Children in the early years get off to a flying start in learning to read. The school has adopted a new phonics programme. It has ensured that staff have had the training and support needed to deliver this programme well. Staff quickly identify those pupils who are struggling and establish appropriate support. The school ensures that older pupils continue to build their reading expertise. This ensures that most pupils learn to read fluently, accurately and with understanding.

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The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly and accurately. Staff work well with parents, carers and other professionals to ensure that these pupils get the help and support that they need. Teachers adapt learning activities effectively so that pupils with SEND access the curriculum alongside their peers. This enables these pupils to progress well.

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The school is calm and orderly. Pupils settle to their work quickly. Learning is rarely interrupted. Skilled staff provide well-considered support to those pupils who struggle to manage their emotions. Pupils are kind and considerate towards others. Children in the early years learn to play and work well together. They take good care of each other and help to tidy up their classroom.

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The school has embedded a well-thought-out programme of personal development. Pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, benefit from a wealth of clubs, trips, visitors and experiences. Pupils are encouraged to develop their talents and interests. They take an active part in the life of the town. For example, the choir sings for the residents in a local care home at Christmas and pupils make donations to local food banks.

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Staff feel well supported by leaders. Leaders are mindful of staff’s workload and well- being when making decisions. They ensure that staff have access to training and support to help them to do their jobs well. Staff are proud to work at the school. 5 and 6 March 2024

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The governing body, leaders and staff share an ambitious vison for the school. Together, they are determined for pupils to achieve the best that they can. The governing body supports and challenges leaders to further improve the quality of education that pupils receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school is in the process of reviewing and revising a few subject curriculums. Previously, some pupils did not retain their learning in these subjects as well as they should. The school should ensure that it finalises its review of subject curriculums so that these identify the important knowledge that pupils need to learn, and the order in which this should be taught, so that pupils deepen their knowledge over time.  Some staff are unfamiliar with a few of the new subject curriculums. This hinders how well some pupils achieve in these subjects. The school should ensure that staff have the subject-specific knowledge that they need to deliver the curriculum consistently well.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2014.

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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. 5 and 6 March 2024

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 5 and 6 March 2024

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School details

Local authority Cheshire West and Chester

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27 November 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher took up post in September 2023.  A new chair of governors has been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector conducted deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. She met with subject leaders and teachers. She visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and talked with groups of pupils about their learning. The inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  The inspector also discussed other subject curriculums with subject leaders. 5 and 6 March 2024

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 The inspector spoke with a group of governors, including the chair.  The inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector met with the leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour and pupils’ personal development.  The inspector spoke with pupils about their wider experiences of school.  The inspector looked at a range of policies and documents related to pupils’ welfare and education. She observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector also talked to staff about their workload and well-being.  The inspector took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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 The inspector took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text responses. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Pippa Jackson Maitland, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 5 and 6 March 2024

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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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