Froebel House School

Inspection of Froebel House School 5 Marlborough Avenue, Hull HU5 3JP

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Inspection dates: 23 to 25 September 2025

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a calm and purposeful environment. Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils follow established routines and treat others with courtesy and respect. They have positive attitudes to learning and show care in their work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff get to know pupils well. Pupils are kept safe because staff receive appropriate training to safeguard pupils. Parents and carers speak highly of the way the school ensures that their children are ‘happy and secure’ and fosters in them ‘a sense of belonging and pride.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high aspirations of pupils’ achievement. However, pupils do not learn as well as they should. Some curriculum subjects are in development. The school does not have suitable procedures to check the quality of education and support new leaders and staff to develop their expertise. As a result, teaching is inconsistent, and the school does not know if pupils learn and remember curriculum content as intended.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to swim and play a variety of sports. Older pupils enjoy opportunities such as learning Spanish and being house captains. Pupils relish their residential outdoor education experiences. They appreciate the after-school club. However, the school offers limited enrichment trips and activities to enhance the curriculum and broaden pupils’ understanding of the wider world.

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better?

Since the last standard inspection, the school has made some notable improvements. Staff understand potential risks and how to safeguard pupils. They record concerns accurately and securely. Safeguarding is the school’s highest priority. However, despite improvements to the design of the curriculum and leadership of the school, some changes are in the early stages, and some previous weaknesses have not been fully addressed.

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better?

The curriculum is broad and ambitious. Most curriculum subjects are well sequenced to build pupils’ knowledge and skills logically. In a small number of subjects, the curriculum is not as well designed as it is in others. The school has recently appointed staff with specialist knowledge and expertise to lead improvements in these subjects. Their work has only just begun. However, curriculum leaders do not receive appropriate training and support to lead their subject areas well. They do not have focused opportunities to check if teaching and learning in their subject area are effective. This hinders their ability to make improvements.

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better?

Most staff have curriculum leadership roles. However, most lack sufficient knowledge of how well their curriculum subject is implemented beyond their own class. Staff have limited opportunities to develop their expertise. As a result, there is variability in how well the curriculum is taught and how well concepts are explained to deepen pupils’ understanding in different subjects. The school does not check the quality of 23 to 25 September 2025 education to ensure that pupils are learning and remembering the intended curriculum in the best possible way. Leaders are unaware of inconsistencies in teaching and learning.

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better?

The school has implemented a new approach to teaching and learning in mathematics. The curriculum supports pupils to build their knowledge and skills effectively from the early years. Pupils recognise the positive changes in their mathematical learning. For example, pupils develop their understanding of problem- solving effectively and enjoy opportunities to explain and discuss their reasoning. Teachers are generally adept in providing pupils with clear explanations and helping them to address misconceptions and errors in their mathematical work.

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better?

The school places high priority on the importance of reading. Pupils talk about the books and authors that they enjoy with genuine enthusiasm and pleasure. They read regularly in school and understand the importance of learning to read as a life skill. Children begin to learn phonics from the early years. When pupils need more help, staff provide personalised support and extra practice with reading. Staff make sure that the books pupils read match the sounds they know.

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better?

Staff tailor learning, resources and support to meet the individual needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They help pupils to learn with confidence and independence. The school has accurately identified that provision for pupils with SEND needs skilled oversight so that pupils can achieve their best. The proprietor is in the process of recruiting a leader with the necessary expertise.

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better?

Children in the early years enjoy personalised learning and care. They develop their social skills, follow routines and behave very well. Staff promote children’s language and communication skills effectively. Children are happy and enthusiastic learners. The school has revised the early years curriculum to develop children’s knowledge and skills across all areas of learning within the early years foundation stage. However, the current outdoor provision is not sufficiently well designed to support children’s learning effectively.

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better?

The curriculum promotes pupils’ personal development well. Pupils develop their understanding of respect for the beliefs and opinions of others. They explore different faiths and learn the importance of equality, healthy relationships and protected characteristics. The school proudly celebrates the range of pupils’ cultural backgrounds. Pupils know how to stay safe, including from drugs, alcohol and when online. Year 6 pupils appreciate the opportunities to become house captains and monitors. Pupils develop their musical talents by learning to play the piano, violin and guitar. However, the school does not provide sufficiently diverse experiences for pupils to enrich their learning and develop their awareness of life beyond school. Pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they should be.

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better?

The school has appropriate procedures and policies for dealing with behaviour, health and safety. The school’s safeguarding policy, which reflects the latest guidance, is available on the school’s website. The school complies with schedule 10 23 to 25 September 2025 of the Equality Act 2010. Despite this, the proprietor has not ensured that the school meets all of the independent school standards (the standards). The proprietor does not demonstrate sufficient understanding of the importance of consistent compliance with the standards. For example, the school’s admissions register continues to not meet statutory requirements. Pupils’ admission information is recorded in different places. This standard was unmet at both previous progress monitoring inspections and remains unmet at this inspection.

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better?

The proprietor has recently stepped back from her role as interim headteacher. The new school leadership has an accurate understanding of the school’s effectiveness and is beginning to make purposeful changes. The right priorities are identified but the proprietor does not provide leaders with adequate time and opportunities to support their improvement work. There remains a lack of professional development for staff. As a result, improvements to the school have been slow and some of the standards remain unmet.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school does not have suitable procedures in place to check the quality of education and how well teachers measure pupils’ progress through the curriculum. Staff do not get the guidance or support that they need to strengthen the quality of the curriculum which they deliver. The proprietor should ensure that leaders have sufficient training, expertise and opportunities to check the quality of education in their areas of responsibility and support improvements to the effectiveness of the curriculum.  The implementation of the curriculum varies in some subjects and classes. Pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff have access to appropriate training and support to teach the curriculum well and with consistency.  The school offers a limited range of experiences for pupils to learn about life beyond school and enhance their learning. Pupils are not as well prepared for life

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

in modern Britain as they should be. The school should ensure that pupils have suitable enrichment opportunities to support their learning and broaden their understanding of the wider world.  Children in the early years do not have appropriate provision to develop their learning in an outdoor environment. Children do not develop their curiosity, practise their physical skills and explore risk taking as well as they should. The school should ensure that children in the early years have access to a carefully designed outdoor space that supports their learning and physical development well. 23 to 25 September 2025

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 23 to 25 September 2025

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School details

Local authority Kingston Upon Hull City Council

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £5,730 to £6,030

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School details

Email address froebel@froebel.karoo.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 March 2025 23 to 25 September 2025

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Information about this school

 The school is registered to admit up to 140 pupils.  The school operates from 5 Marlborough Avenue, Hull HU5 3JP.  At the time of the inspection there were no children in the Nursery Year.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2025.  A standard inspection of the school took place in November 2023. The school was judged inadequate for overall effectiveness and did not meet all of the standards. A progress monitoring inspection of the school was carried out in September 2024. The school did not meet the standards that were checked during the inspection. A second progress monitoring inspection was carried out in March 2025. The school did not meet all the standards that were checked during the inspection.  The school does not currently use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection 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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Information about this inspection

The school has failed to meet the independent school standards. These are the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher who is also the designated safeguarding lead (DSL), the deputy DSL, the proprietor, and some subject leaders and teachers.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: reading, mathematics, physical education and music. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, spoke with some pupils and, where available, looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke to leaders and pupils about the school’s approach to teaching in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

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’ interest first. 23 to 25 September 2025  Inspectors had a tour of the premises, scrutinised a range of school documents and met with leaders to discuss the school’s procedures and its compliance with the independent school standards.  Inspectors met with some pupils and staff and spoke with some parents at the end of the school day.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Stephanie Innes-Taylor, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Aitchison His Majesty’s Inspector 23 to 25 September 2025

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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].

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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. 23 to 25 September 2025 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

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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