Freemantle Church of England Community Academy

Inspection of a good school: Freemantle Church of England Community Academy Mansion Road, Freemantle, Southampton, Hampshire SO15 3BQ

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Outcome

Freemantle Church of England Community Academy continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Nina Myszkowski. This school is part of The Freemantle Church of England Community Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the executive officer, Kevin Barnett, and overseen by a board of directors, chaired by Valerie Caldwell.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The Freemantle school values of creativity, fellowship and courage are reflected in the daily actions of pupils and staff. Pupils celebrate each other’s uniqueness as individuals. They welcome with open arms a community of over 57 different languages and enjoy learning from the rich knowledge this brings. Pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons is excellent. They play happily with their friends at playtimes and make full use of the unique environment, including the many model dinosaurs around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for pupils to achieve well. Many pupils join and leave the school at different times, some with little or no English. Staff ensure these pupils are quickly given the support to succeed. Overall, by the end of key stage 2, pupils make strong progress to achieve broadly in line with the national average.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of carefully considered trips and visits. They fondly recall many of these, especially the trip on a steam train. The school provides many opportunities which broaden pupils’ understanding of physical and mental well-being through bespoke first aid and food hygiene training. The mental health ambassadors have a high profile. They make a tangible contribution to support fellow pupils on the playground.

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

The school have developed an ambitious curriculum. The important knowledge, skills and vocabulary is precisely mapped out from early years to Year 6. The curriculum ensures 12 and 13 March 2024

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that pupils’ learning precisely builds on what they already know to deepen their understanding. Staff have considered how each key stage links together. For example, clear end goals have been identified for children in early years to ensure they are Year 1 ready. Pupils’ learning is routinely checked and where there are gaps in knowledge, teachers ensure rapid support is put into place. Staff consider the information from these checks and use it to inform their teaching. However, although the curriculum intention is ambitious, some pupils’ work in a couple of subjects does not reflect these high aims. Some disadvantaged pupils do not currently achieve as highly as other pupils.

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Teachers understand the most effective ways to support all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They use a range of resources which support all pupils in the classroom. The SEND team are quick to identify needs and offer advice to staff. New arrivals to the school are supported well to close any gaps in learning.

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Children in early years consistently revisit prior learning. For example, staff provide many opportunities to count and secure an understanding of number. This supports the acquisition of a strong vocabulary and understanding of key concepts, ensuring they are ready for Year 1. This approach to revisit learning continues in the rest of the school, where many opportunities are given to pupils to recall and practise past learning.

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Reading is a priority for the school. Leaders were quick to respond to low phonics screening check outcomes last year. They have rapidly implemented a new approach to teaching phonics. Staff have been provided with high-quality training and follow the new scheme closely. Teachers routinely check pupils’ knowledge and provide additional support for struggling readers. Books are carefully matched to the sounds pupils know.

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Attendance is too low for some pupils. The school is working with families and external agencies to identify and remove any barriers to attendance. This is a focus for leaders at all levels to ensure the school do all they can to improve attendance. Pupils behave well in school. They understand the behaviour expectations of ‘ready, respectful and safe’. They focus well in the classroom and engage well in lessons. Children in early years are able to concentrate for sustained periods of time.

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Pupil leaders embrace the opportunities to deliver assemblies on the themes of protected characteristics. Because of this work, pupils have a strong sense of identity and report that everyone is welcome in their school. The school provides an enriched personal and social curriculum offer, which ensures that pupils understand how to be safe, including when online and in the city. There are many enrichment opportunities, including a range of clubs and visitors.

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Leaders at all levels understand that the well-being of staff is a priority. Staff appreciate the actions taken by leaders to ensure they are supported with a range of training. Most recently, the phonics training has equipped staff with the skills to be able to teach early reading well. 12 and 13 March 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some of the curriculum is new and so the task design is not fully refined. This means that some pupils’ work does not reflect the full ambition of the curriculum. The school should continue their work to ensure that task design supports all pupils to learn and remember the most important knowledge and skills.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2018.

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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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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, 12 and 13 March 2024

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looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 12 and 13 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The board of directors

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School details

Chair of the board of directors Valerie Caldwell

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 16 and 17 October 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a church of England school in the diocese of Winchester. Its last section 48 inspection took place in July 2017.  The school currently does not currently use any alternative provisions.  The school manages its own before- and after-school provision.  The school has a nursery for three-year-olds.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector carried out this ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.  Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 12 and 13 March 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. An inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and subject leaders.  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 reviewed a wide range of documents provided by the school and

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observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons.  To evaluate other areas, the inspector: spoke to pupils about their wider development, discussed with staff how leaders support their workload and well-being, considered the extent in which the school promotes good attendance and evaluated how behaviour is managed in the school.  The inspector met with members of the director board, and a representative from the Winchester diocese.  The inspector considered the views of parents shared through Ofsted Parent View.  The views of staff were gathered through surveys and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.  The inspector gathered pupils’ views throughout the inspection, including during classroom visits and at playtimes and lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Simon Woodbridge, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 12 and 13 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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