Froebel House School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Froebel House School 5 Marlborough Avenue, Hull HU5 3JP

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraphs 2(1) and 2(1)(a)  At the previous inspection, the school’s curriculum was not well developed. Staff had not considered how it was sequenced to build learning from Reception to Year 6. In mathematics, pupils experienced a jumbled, disconnected series of lessons that did not build their knowledge, skills or understanding. There was a lack of coherence in the use of resources to support pupil progress. Pupils did not have opportunities to apply their knowledge in problem-solving or reasoning tasks and achieve as well as they could.  The school has made progress towards meeting the previously unmet independent school standards (the standards). It has put effective schemes of work in place for mathematics, science, geography and history. Staff have also thought carefully about the content and sequencing of the curriculum. The school has produced an overview of the

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Main inspection findings

content pupils will learn in all subjects and the order in which they will learn it. In addition, it has produced lesson guidance for teachers. This provides appropriate information to support teachers to teach the curriculum. In history, the curriculum is curated to include the heritage of Hull and celebrate the achievements of famous people associated with the city. The school has commissioned a consultant to work alongside staff to improve curriculum development in the early years.  However, the school is in the very early stages of introducing the new curriculum. Some thought has been given to where gaps may occur between the old and new curriculum in mathematics, but not to the same extent in other subjects. The school has not had the time to check what is working well and which aspects of the curriculum need further changes. The school has not produced full schemes of work in all subjects. For these

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Main inspection findings

standards to be met, the school needs effective schemes of work in all subjects and for all year groups across the full school year.  The school continues not to meet these standards. Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7 and 7(a). Paragraph 15 came into scope during the inspection.  At the previous inspection, the school did not promote an effective culture of safeguarding. There was not a shared recognition that safeguarding risks ‘could happen here’. The school did not promote an open culture of sharing information. There was a process to record concerns, but there was little evidence that the school followed up any disclosures. The school did not routinely record conversations when pupils initially shared potential safeguarding concerns. This means that the school did not gather information effectively or identify patterns of concern at the earliest stage. Inspectors found that the

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Main inspection findings

school did not respond in a timely manner to any potential safeguarding disclosures from pupils.  Since the last inspection, staff have accessed relevant safeguarding courses. This has increased their understanding of safeguarding risks. The school has appointed a second member of staff as a deputy, designated safeguarding lead (DSL). They have completed the required training. Senior leaders have attended an online local authority meeting on safeguarding risks in the region. The local authority carried out a safeguarding audit and the school has begun to respond to the findings in the audit. The school has purchased an electronic safeguarding record keeping system. Bi-monthly staff meetings on safeguarding are planned and one of these has taken place this term. Staff have been encouraged to maintain vigilance and to identify pupils at risk of harm. Staff show care and concern about pupils in school and relationships are positive.

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Main inspection findings

 However, there is a disconnect in communicating about safeguarding concerns. It is not always clear that staff have the information that they need to keep pupils safe. Nor is there sufficient evidence recorded in terms of staff passing on their concerns and the actions that need to be taken. There are occasions when there is some confusion as to who knows what and when.  The new safeguarding record system is not being used sufficiently well to identify patterns of incidents and behaviours. Two members of staff have access to the system. There are no checking mechanisms in place to ensure that the incidents shared with these members of staff are recorded on the new system. Any follow up actions that need to be taken are shared verbally by the proprietor. Any incidents or actions recorded are only accessible by the same two members of staff. Consequently, the school does not have a clear oversight of the recording of incidents or any follow-up actions undertaken

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Main inspection findings

when incidents are reported.  The school does not show sufficient professional curiosity about individual pupils over time. For example, it considers isolated safeguarding incidents that have happened, but does not reflect more broadly on patterns of incidents/behaviour. This means that the school is at risk of failing to identify any child who is at risk or experiencing long-term harm.  There are some misconceptions about when parents should be challenged about the presentation of their child and/or children. There is also some confusion about the local area safeguarding thresholds for referrals to social care.  Although there is some teaching about keeping pupils safe online within the curriculum, pupils do not have sufficient knowledge to identify risks and raise concerns when using the internet. Some pupils regularly access online applications and games that are inappropriate for their age group. They are not aware of safety controls. Some

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Main inspection findings

information has been sent out to parents making them aware of online dangers, but this has been limited and pupils continue to be put at risk.  The school does not have an electronic admission and attendance register, which is a statutory requirement. The school has not ensured that staff have the necessary knowledge about the correct attendance codes to report pupil absence.  The school continues not to meet these standards. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b) and 34(1)(c)  At the previous inspection, several standards were unmet. These standards related to the quality of education and the welfare of pupils. The school was not providing the leadership needed to ensure that the standards were met and could continue to be met over time. The school’s action plan to address the unmet standards was unsatisfactory. It was rejected by the Department for Education (DfE), the registration authority for

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Main inspection findings

independent schools. In its action plan, the school proposed to address the unmet standards regarding leadership and management through continuous professional development for staff, the introduction of a new system for safeguarding record keeping and new curriculum plans.  The school has appointed a headteacher designate to take over from the interim headteacher. It is unclear exactly when this change will happen. The school has commissioned support to develop the early years curriculum. This is at the earliest stage of development. The start of this work coincided with this inspection. Further support has been secured to aid with strengthening the wider subject curriculum. This has offered a different perspective on how pupils build up their knowledge and understanding. The school is seeking further expertise to provide governance support but is unable to secure this at present.  Following the previous inspection in November 2023, the school began improvement work

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Main inspection findings

in earnest in June 2024. This means there has been insufficient time for the changes to school systems and policies to be developed, embraced and embedded.  The school continues not to meet these standards.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet the requirements of the schedule to The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection, as set out in the annex of this report. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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School details

Email address froebel@froebel.karoo.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 14 to 16 November 2023

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Information about this school

 The interim headteacher took up post in September 2023. They are also the proprietor.  A new deputy headteacher commenced their post in January 2024. He is the headteacher designate.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  This was the school’s first progress monitoring inspection since the standard inspection in November 2023.  The DfE required the school to prepare an action plan. This was a statutory requirement.  Ofsted evaluated the school’s action plan on 18 June 2024.  The DfE rejected the school’s action plan.  This progress monitoring inspection was conducted without notice.  To check compliance with the independent school standards, the inspector met with the proprietor, who is also the interim headteacher, the headteacher designate, and other staff. The inspector scrutinised school safeguarding policies and records. She also

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Information about this inspection

discussed the revised curriculum plans and schemes of work. The inspector visited lessons and spoke with pupils.  The inspector also reviewed the school’s single central register of pre-employment checks and whether the school’s safeguarding policy is available to parents and carers. These requirements of the independent school standards continue to be met.

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Inspection team

Mary Cook, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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The school does not meet the following independent school standards

Standards that were not met at the previous inspection and remain unmet at this inspection

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if- – 2(1)(a) the proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub- paragraph (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively; and

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 7 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that- – 7(a) arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school- – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and – 34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

Standards that were met at the previous inspection, but are now judged to not be met at this inspection

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 15 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that an admission and attendance register is maintained in accordance with the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006[13]. guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

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