Frodsham Primary Academy

Inspection of Frodsham Primary Academy Ship Street, Frodsham, Cheshire WA6 7PZ

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Gemma Callaghan. This school is part of the Warrington Primary 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), Louise Smith, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Alistair Brown. 25 and 26 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school and arrive each morning ready to learn. Staff know them well. Everyone is made to feel welcome at this school. This is especially important for the pupils who join at different times in the school year. Pupils accept one another and embrace their differences. They take care to ensure that everyone feels included.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is very positive. Routines are quickly established with children in the early years. Across the school, pupils are polite and helpful. Older pupils are excellent role models for younger pupils. This is especially true of those pupils who hold leadership roles. They wear their badges with pride.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. In turn, pupils achieve well. They persevere when faced with challenges. They enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes with learning new things. A range of trips and enriching activities helps make learning memorable. Pupils leave Year 6 well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils speak highly of the broad range of wider opportunities available. They especially enjoy residential trips, which help them to develop their independence. Clubs such as cross-country, craft and football are popular. These help pupils to learn new skills and develop their interests.

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

Leaders, including representatives of the trust, have been highly successful in turning the fortunes of this school around. As a result, pupils enjoy a good quality of education. For example, in 2024, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics in Year 6 was above the national average.

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

The carefully designed curriculum clearly sets out what pupils should learn and when they should learn it. The school has taken into account its local context and the needs and interests of pupils. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning. They are highly attentive in class and show resilience when tasks become more challenging.

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

Staff receive regular training, including from the trust. They have secure subject knowledge. This ensures that they design activities that enable pupils to learn well. This is evident in the early years provision, where the needs of two-year-olds are taken into account in their learning and play. Regular opportunities for retrieval help pupils to commit what they have learned to their long-term memory. Staff regularly check how well pupils are learning. This enables staff to identify and address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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

Early reading and phonics are given high priority. Children in the early years enjoy story time. When the phonics programme starts in the Reception class, children quickly learn the sounds and letters that they need to read. The school identifies pupils who need additional support to keep up with the programme swiftly. This helps pupils to become 25 and 26 February 2025

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fluent and accurate readers. By the time pupils leave Year 6, they are proficient readers who enjoy talking about books and authors that they like.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified early. They achieve well. This is because staff adapt activities skilfully so that pupils with SEND can access the same curriculum as their peers. Pupils with more complex needs, including those in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision), receive the support that they need.

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A carefully thought-out programme of activities helps pupils to develop their knowledge of the wider world. For example, visits to the zoo ignited the pupils’ interests in global conservation. Participation in the arts and sport help pupils to build their confidence. For instance, pupils in key stage 2 represent the school in local competitions, such as volleyball and basketball.

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Pupils have a strong understanding of the fundamental British values, such as democracy. They use a range of strategies to manage their well-being. In addition, the school takes seriously the impact that financial worries can have on mental health. It offers workshops for parents and carers to help them to shop on a budget, and pupils are taught money management.

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The school has focused on ensuring that pupils attend school every day. Despite its efforts, some pupils do not attend school well enough. These pupils miss out on what the school has to offer. The school has identified the reasons why some pupils do not attend as well as they should. It works with these pupils and their families to improve attendance.

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Those responsible for governance, including the trust, have been pivotal in the school’s transformation. They offer support and challenge in equal measure. In addition, they are mindful of staff’s workload. For example, the school’s marking policy enables staff to use time effectively while allowing pupils to receive prompt feedback about their learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not attend school highly enough. This means that they miss out on the school’s high-quality education and personal development. The school should prioritise its work to support these pupils and their families to ensure maximum attendance for all. 25 and 26 February 2025

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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Local authority Cheshire West and Chester

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School details

Website www.frodshamprimaryacademy.co.uk

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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 Warrington Primary Academy Trust.  The school caters for two-year-old children.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with autism spectrum condition. There are currently 10 pupils in this provision. These pupils are in Years 1 to 6. All of these pupils have an educational health and care plan.  The school offers a breakfast club and after-school care.  The school does not use any 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 25 and 26 February 2025

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. 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.

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 Inspectors also discussed with pupils their learning in some other subjects.  An inspector observed pupils from Year 1 to Year 3 read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors met with the head of school and other leaders, including those from the trust. An inspector also met with a trustee and members of the local governing committee, including one of the co-chairs.  An inspector met with the CEO of the trust.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and breaktimes. They also spoke with pupils about their views of school life.  The inspectors considered the views of parents. They reviewed the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  The inspectors considered the views of staff and pupils who responded to Ofsted’s online survey.

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Inspection team

Frith Murphy, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Gower-Jones Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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