Friars Grove Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 July 2023

Pupils are deeply aware of the high expectations of behaviour set by leaders in the 'Friars Grove way'. Pupils portray the values of ambition, integrity and respect in their attitudes and behaviour in school. Pupils enjoy learning in lessons and are eager to collaborate with their peers to complete their work to a high standard. Pupils say that everyone understands the consequences of poor behaviour. They state that incidents of bullying are rare. Pupils are confident that teachers deal with their concerns very quickly. Therefore, pupils feel '100%' safe at school. There is a varied range of clubs at the school for pupils to attend that they might not otherwise experience. These include ukulele, junk modelling, wildlife, cake decoration and sports and dance clubs. They enhance pupils' classroom learning and contribute to their wider cultural development. Pupils feel strongly that they have a voice in the school. For example, the eco councillors suggested changes to reduce plastic pollution at school. Leaders have happily adopted their proposals. Pupils are very active in the local community, visiting local care homes and raising money for charity. They regularly take part in the Colchester lantern parade at Christmas and have also participated in the local zoo's 60th anniversary celebrations. Pupils painted stones of their favourite animals or memories of the zoo, which are now on show in the zoo's commemorative garden. These activities help pupils prepare to be effective citizens in modern Britain.

What the school should improve

• In a few subjects, pupils' knowledge is not yet sufficiently challenged for them to make as much progress as they might. This means that some pupils who are capable of achieving more not do not learn as much as they could. Leaders should make sure that teachers ensure all pupils are stretched to achieve as well as they can.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)