Fradley Park Primary and Nursery School

Inspection of Fradley Park Primary and Nursery School Murphy Street, Fradley, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 8TW

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 February 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Chrissie Allen. The school is part of The John Taylor Multi-Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Mike Donoghue, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Colin Hopkins. 11 and 12 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children make the strongest start in this warm and welcoming school. They flourish in the exceptional early years provision. The school’s Nursery starts this journey by instilling children with confidence, resilience and a love of learning. This continues as they move through the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils. Pupils are taught how to be effective learners. They have positive attitudes to their work and they try hard. Pupils are given the opportunity to think deeply about their learning and make connections across curriculum areas. As a result, pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kind, polite and have excellent manners. In the playground, pupils manage their own games, share and take turns, while play leaders ensure that pupils have someone to play with. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are equally strong. In lessons, they listen carefully and respond to questions thoughtfully and respect the views of others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Although the school is newly opened, the school has created its own traditions, history and legacy. The school is quickly becoming the centre of this growing community. Pupils get regular opportunities to lead and showcase their many achievements. For example, children in Reception organise their own art gallery, while children in Nursery give classroom tours to their parents. These activities are planned carefully to develop the pupils’ sense of responsibility.

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

Since the school opened in 2022, the trust, those responsible for governance and school leaders have been unequivocal in their shared desire to make the school the heart of the new community. From the moment the school opened, leaders have rooted the school values of, ‘happy, healthy, harmonious’ throughout the school’s curriculum skilfully.

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

The school has developed an ambitious curriculum that has sequenced learning from Nursery to Year 2. The school is refining plans sensibly as it continues to grow. However, in some subjects, the key learning and sticky knowledge that the pupils need is not identified consistently. This means that teachers sometimes give pupils work which does not match the intended learning.

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

The school has prioritised the staff’s professional development. Staff have received high- quality training in the school’s chosen approaches to teaching and assessment. In the main, these are highly effective. For example, phonics is taught with precision. However, some of the school’s approaches are not applied consistently. When this happens, there is variability in how well tasks match the intended learning. At other times, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding well enough or adjust their teaching accordingly.

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

The school has prioritised reading across all year groups. Children in Nursery are taught to love listening to stories and rhymes. They develop a secure understanding of the stories they are exposed to, so much so that children retell the story of the Gruffalo 11 and 12 February 2025

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confidently. In Reception, children learn to read quickly. Phonics is taught well by highly skilled teachers. Staff check carefully that pupils keep up with the learning. When misconceptions are identified, they are addressed effectively. This supports pupils to become confident and fluent readers.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well. Staff are well trained and knowledgeable in how to identify and support pupils’ specific needs. In lessons, pupils benefit from thoughtful adaptations to the curriculum and effective support. This helps pupils with SEND to secure the knowledge that they need for future learning.

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Staff establish clear routines and expectations for behaviour from the moment that children start in Nursery. Behaviour expectations are reinforced as pupils move through the school. Older pupils take on roles and responsibilities, such as school councillors and play leaders. They act as strong role models to younger pupils.

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Pupils are taught to be self-confident and resilient through a meticulously considered personal development programme. Character development starts from the moment children start in Nursery, where children are taught to put their coat on and access learning resources independently. This carries on throughout the school. For example, pupils take part in story-telling events, where they learn and perform stories to the school community. Leaders have thought carefully about the traditions they want at the heart of their school. For example, the school holds an Easter egg race, a Christmas performance, an art exhibition, visits a local care home and holds a sleepover for older pupils in the school. These memorable experiences help to develop pupils’ independence and strength of character.

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Trustees and governors are knowledgeable and hold the school to account effectively. Staff value the opportunities for professional development offered by the school and the trust. Staff appreciate the support provided by leaders. They value the school’s positive working environment and how leaders consider their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are variabilities in the pedagogical approaches of staff. This variability leads to some tasks not being well designed for the intended learning. At other times, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding well enough or adjust their teaching accordingly. These inconsistencies mean that pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that teaching is of a high quality consistently, to promote even more effective learning for pupils. 11 and 12 February 2025

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 In a small number of subjects, the school has not yet decided on the key knowledge that pupils must learn. This means that, on occasion, teachers are unable to identify and teach the key information that pupils should know. The school should continue to refine the curriculum in these subjects so that teachers are clear what pupils need to know and remember to be successful.

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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, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 11 and 12 February 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the John Taylor Multi-Academy Trust. It opened with cohorts of Nursery and Reception children in September 2022, and subsequent cohorts have joined each year since then. The school currently has pupils from Nursery to Year 2.  The school provides wraparound childcare through a before- and after-school club.  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. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth-form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 11 and 12 February 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and the assistant headteacher. They also met with the chief executive officer and the director of primary education from the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors 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 pupils’ work.  The lead inspector also looked at curriculum plans and pupils’ work in other curriculum areas.  The lead inspector met with the chair of the board of trustees, the chair of the local

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governing body and other governors. They reviewed documentation relating to governance, including minutes from governor meetings.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors 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.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey for parents and carers, Ofsted Parent View, and free-text comments. They took into consideration responses to the staff and pupil surveys. They also spoke to parents and carers on the school playground.

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Inspection team

Eve Morris, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Debbie Newman Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 February 2025

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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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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