Pevensey and Westham CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Refine the use of assessment information to ensure that the learning activities provide consistent challenge for the most and least able pupils.
• Sustain the actions begun on improving attendance and persistent absence to bring them at least in line with national averages.
• Tighten procedures for reviewing and providing support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Sharpen the evaluation of the impact of the use of new and innovative strategies on improving outcomes for all groups of pupils.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher is committed to giving the children of Pevensey and Westham a high-quality education that prepares them for secondary school and future life. His strong leadership ensures that this goal is held by all staff.
• Many parents are very positive about the school and its leadership. ‘School is far better than it ever has been,’ was the view of one parent, typical of many.
• The headteacher demonstrates a strong determination for continuous improvement. He has worked effectively to develop other leaders, increasing the capacity to drive the school forward. This is having a strong impact on the improving quality of teaching and learning. Training for senior and middle leaders is well chosen, including nationally recognised leadership qualifications.
• Leaders of particular subjects are enthusiastic and take responsibility for the development of teaching and learning in their area. As a result of the innovative and positive changes to teaching that they are introducing, outcomes for pupils are improving. However, they do not yet use tracking information effectively enough to measure the impact of their work on the outcomes for all groups of pupils.
• The recent introduction of new approaches to teaching, assessment and feedback for pupils have been successful, and they are making a positive difference to outcomes. However, leaders have not yet analysed which strategies are having the greatest impact on the outcomes of all groups of pupils.
• Newly qualified teachers are nurtured, supported and appropriately trained. Several are now shadowing senior members of staff as part of the school’s strong in-house continuing professional development programme. Performance management is used well. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the improvement in the school.
• Leaders have been proactive in securing help and support from the local authority, whose moderation has confirmed growing improvements in pupils’ outcomes.
• Parents value the rich and inspiring curriculum which is a strength of the school. Pupils have a wide range of opportunities which include days for the arts, visits and visitors. Pupils are encouraged to be ambitious. One ‘learner of the week’ wrote, ‘When I am older I would like to be a biologist, archaeologist and astronomer.’
• The curriculum is further enhanced by links with other schools . They provide teachers to further support subjects such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These wide opportunities are valued by parents and pupils.
• Leaders make good use of the physical education and sports premium. Pupils have frequent high-quality physical education provided by a sports coach. Sessions are effectively planned to respond to gaps in pupils’ fitness, which has ensured a progression in sports skills. Additionally, money is spent on subsidising residential trips that have a sports element, swimming lessons and new active playground equipment. Pupil play leaders are trained to encourage more physical activity at breaktimes and lunchtimes. As a result, 50% more pupils had increased participation in sports this year. There is a significantly higher level of participation and greater enjoyment in sports than previously seen.
• The breakfast and after-school club provide positive support for families and encourage good attendance. A good variety of daily activities are provided. During the inspection, the theme was Chinese New Year, actively linking the club to the cultural work being undertaken in the school.
• The school has international school status. Pupils learn about other countries through the curriculum, their link with a school in India, and annual visits from students from Germany and America who teach in the school. British values are positively developed in all aspects of the curriculum. Work on the second world war included a debate regarding democracy versus dictatorship, for example.
• Pupil premium funding for disadvantaged pupils is spent mainly on additional teachers. Additionally, money has been spent on support for individuals and training for staff in behaviour. The majority of disadvantaged pupils are now making progress at least at the same rate as others from the same starting points. Rapid progress is being made in writing in Years 4 and 5, and in reading in Years 3 and 5. However, leaders’ analysis of the impact of particular strategies does not delve deeply enough to inform future spending decisions as sharply as it could.
• Most parents are positive about communication with the school. The school frequently sends information to parents through their computerised communication system. Communication between the school and parents who have children who have special educational needs is not always as good as it could be.

Governance of the school

• Governors are robust, passionate advocates for the school. Alongside the headteacher they are committed to the best education for the pupils in their care. They fulfil their role of challenge and support well. The chair is knowledgeable and experienced. Drawing their membership from a wide range of backgrounds, they are proactive and have commissioned a review of their work. Governors monitor the work of leaders at all levels systematically to hold them to account. This gives them a real insight into the strengths and areas for development in the school.
• Governors are not afraid to challenge the thinking of the headteacher and other leaders. They take an active part in determining the school development plan and making spending decisions for the school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Checks on staff are up to date, and monitored regularly by a trained governor. Training for staff is effective, timely and goes beyond statutory requirements. Staff make active use of their training for the good of pupils. They know how to record and report concerns and are encouraged to do so. Records are safely kept and systematically maintained. Pupils are well supported regardless of the level of their need, from meet and greet support for the anxious to referral for child protection.
• Safeguarding systems are robust and effective. The designated safeguarding officer is proactive and all staff are very aware of their duty to inform her if they have any concern, big or small, about a pupil’s welfare or safety.
• E-safety training is strong for both staff and pupils. The school uses technology extensively. Parents are also provided with useful information about e-safety through the school newsletter.
• The school is a safe site. Careful checks and risk assessments ensure that potential risks are identified and minimised, including pupils’ safety on school trips.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers know their pupils well.
• Teachers expect pupils to learn in every lesson. Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure, they are able to use their knowledge to question pupils and deepen their learning during lessons. Teaching is effective and therefore pupils make good progress.
• The headteacher is determined that the quality of teaching should be of the best, whatever the subject area. Pupils respond with interest, concentrate well and make good progress in lessons in the wider curriculum.
• Teachers use innovative ways of finding out how well children understand their learning. They make frequent use of a range of electronic and physical methods, allowing them to identify pupils who have misconceptions quickly.
• Feedback during lessons allows pupils to correct their work quickly. Occasionally, lower-attaining pupils do not get this feedback quickly enough in the lesson and they continue to make mistakes for too long.
• Pupils are keen to correct misconceptions and errors. They have a positive view of improving their work both in mathematics and English.
• Teachers expect pupils to spell well. Older pupils are encouraged to use a thesaurus. However, staff recognise that spelling standards are inconsistent across the school and are continuing to develop approaches to improving spelling.
• Teachers provide support for learning through the lesson structure and the environment. Pupils know how to access the help and support provided, and this enables them to use their learning time effectively.
• Science teaching is a strength and pupils learn well. Strong links between science, mathematics and English support pupils’ learning across the range of subjects. Teachers have high expectations of pupils to use the correct vocabulary and apply their mathematics skills, for example in the use of graphs and estimation.
• Effective joint planning by teachers ensures that both classes in the same year have similar opportunities and therefore make similar progress.
• Teachers provide challenge for the most able through a range of tasks. However, this is often when other work is finished. One pupil said, ‘Half the time it is challenging and half the time it is not. Now that my teacher knows me, she is challenging me more.’
• There is an improving picture for pupils who have special educational needs. They are doing better than they were last year. Effective plans for learning and care are in place. In a very few instances these are not always reviewed in a timely manner and are not easily accessible in class. Parents of children who have special educational needs would like even more communication with the school.
• Specialist teaching is effectively supporting the disadvantaged and those pupils who have special educational needs. Pupils who have specific speech and language needs make good progress with the specialist speech and language teacher. Outdoor learning also contributes to a skills-based and social curriculum. However, assessment for skills is not in place.
• Teaching assistants effectively support pupils who have special educational needs individually and in small-group sessions. They know the pupils’ needs and support them accordingly.
• Assessment to meet the needs of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is not consistent across the school. Challenge for pupils is not always at the right level. Leaders acknowledge that they have some work to do to be more successful with their lowest-achieving disadvantaged pupils. The progress of individual children is not tracked sharply enough so that learning can be fully effective.
• The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds that they represent) is a strength, and pupils read well. Younger pupils use the skills they have been taught to sound out words effectively. Older pupils read fluently. Pupils enjoy using the school library and appreciate the way that it has been refurbished.
• Teachers use praise and encouragement well and pupils respond well.
• Written reports for parents are thorough and detailed.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils feel safe and well looked after. They know whom to go to if they have any problems. ‘The teachers are there to protect us,’ was how one pupil put it.
• Pupils’ experience is further enhanced by a wide range of extra-curricular clubs. These include a range of language, fitness, arts and science activities. These are popular and the pupils are keen to talk about them.
• Presentation in some books is good, particularly in upper key stage 2. However, there is some variability across the school.
• Pupils know how to stay safe online. Clear and easy-to-follow rules are posted next to the computers in the school. Staff frequently talk to pupils about safety online.
• Pupils understand what bullying is. They are confident that there is not much in the school. When it is reported to staff, it is effectively dealt with. ‘We know what to do if we see bullying, we can talk to an adult about anything,’ was the commonly held view of pupils. Pupils’ understanding of cyber bullying is clear.
• A small minority of parents expressed concerns regarding bullying. Inspectors looked at documents and talked to children and evidence shows that bullying is dealt with effectively.
• Values for learning are well understood and contribute strongly to pupils’ well-being and progress. The school depicts its learning values with cartoons of ‘learning knights’. These underpin and reinforce core approaches to learning for the pupils and are popular from early years to Year 6. Pupils know they have to be resilient, resourceful, reflective and make good relationships.
• The school’s strong Christian values underpin its ethos. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is good. Pupils learn about a wide range of faiths and reflect on their lives, learning and behaviour. The school see equalities as part of their daily culture and racism is challenged, with parents informed of any incidents.
• Pupils are proud to become pupil leaders, roles that they apply for, then undergo an interview and a democratic vote. There are leaders for sports, charity, reading mentors, learning knights, peer mentors, journalists, environment, librarians, play, science, technology engineering and mathematics. This gives pupils the opportunity to take responsibility for important areas of school life.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils good.
• Pupils say that behaviour in the classroom has really improved over the past few years. The system for managing behaviour in school has been revised and pupils have opportunities to reflect on their behaviour. Pupils learn right from wrong and peer mediation is encouraged.
• Pupils concentrate well in class. They apply themselves to their learning and are rarely off task. The majority of behaviour for learning is good. Just very occasionally behaviour can slip when pupils do not have sufficient challenge or are unsupervised, for example when tidying up.
• Relationships between pupils and pupils, and pupils and staff, are good. Pupils are polite to the teachers and visitors.
• Pupils behave well at breaktimes and lunchtimes. The sports equipment, zoning of the playground and trained pupil play leaders have improved the playground experience. There has been a significant reduction in playground incidents.
• The school is calm and purposeful. Pupils walk quietly and respond well to the teachers if asked to moderate their behaviour.
• In recent years, pupils have not attended regularly enough. This year, attendance is improving rapidly. Attendance is high-profile and strategies like the breakfast club have been effective. Leaders are aware that they need to continue to improve attendance, particularly for those pupils who have frequent absences.

Outcomes for pupils

• Outcomes for pupils are improving rapidly.

Good

• The tracking of pupils’ progress is more effective this year than previously. Rates of progress are showing improvement, particularly at Year 6. More most-able pupils than last year are on track to achieve greater depth in writing and mathematics. This evaluation is supported by the progress seen in pupils’ books.
• Key stage 1 pupils are on track to at least maintain the standards achieved in previous years in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Phonics is a strength at both Year 1 and Year 2. It is above national average and the difference between disadvantaged pupils and others nationally has disappeared. The teaching of reading is effective.
• From their starting points, the most-able disadvantaged pupils make good progress. Other disadvantaged pupils make less rapid progress and the school is aware of the need to track this group more thoroughly.
• There is continuously improving picture for pupils who have special educational needs, particularly for those in key stage 2. They are making rapid gains in reading, writing and mathematics. However, this is not the case for those few pupils who have an education, health and care plan and the greatest need.
• Achievement in science is particularly strong in key stage 2.
• External moderation of key stage 2 and early years outcomes verifies the school judgements and states that the leadership has an excellent grasp of data.

Early years provision Good

• Children in the early years achieve well. They make good progress from their starting points because of the support they receive to address the gaps in their knowledge.
• Parents are pleased with the start their children make at school. Children settle well and are happy. Parents feel that communication is good: ‘I know what happens in school, which helps.’ Children are safe and supervised. Additional adults provide effective support.
• Teaching in the early years is good. Training for staff has had a positive impact on improving the teaching and learning of early writing. Children’s books show many opportunities to draw and write. In one task linked to fire safety, children wrote, ‘If your clothes are on fire, stop, drop and roll.’ In phonics sessions, adults make sure that children have a growing understanding of how to use their sounds to write and spell.
• Phonics is well taught. The most able are challenged. Children respond enthusiastically and join in, articulating the sounds. Constant reinforcement of the sounds consolidates children’s learning effectively.
• Behaviour for learning is very good and underpins the classroom culture. Children work independently, listen, persevere and self-correct. The learning environment is very positive and enhances the learning opportunities, encouraging children to interact creatively with mathematics, the arts and language.
• Children’s creativity is developed through opportunities to use a wide range of media. However, some activities have little or no guidance for learning and, therefore, do not provide sufficient challenge for the most able, in particular.
• Games are well used and children enjoy using, for example, accurate counting to play snakes and ladders and sequencing dinosaurs in order of size.
• Outdoor activities are based on the children’s interests. Although there is not a wide choice on offer, the children enjoy what is there, exclaiming, ‘It sparkles!’ when playing with water containing glitter. However, some activities do not provide sufficient challenge to ensure that learning is maximised.
• The good teaching and support for all children means that all children are making good progress, including those who are disadvantaged. The progress of the latter group is rapid in writing, mathematics and making relationships.
• The early years pupil premium funding is used effectively. Well-planned teaching is addressing gaps in children’s learning. Differences between disadvantaged children and others are diminishing rapidly.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 114519 East Sussex 10024509 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary controlled 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 418 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Mrs Julie Smith Mr Richard Thomas Telephone number 01323 762269 Website Email address www.pevensey-westham.e-sussex.sch.uk admin@pevenseyschool.org.uk Date of previous inspection 24–25 February 2017

Information about this school

• The school is a larger than the average primary school and has two classes in each year group.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs is the same as the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is less than the national average.
• The school meets the requirements on the publication of specified information on its website
• In 2016 the school met the government’s floor standards (minimum standards for pupils’ achievement at the end of key stage 2).
• There was no simultaneous section 48 inspection.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in 13 lessons, seven jointly with senior staff. In addition, inspectors undertook a learning walk with the headteacher, looked at samples of work from a range of subjects, including English and mathematics, and listened to pupils read.
• Inspectors held discussions with senior leaders, including the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant heads and middle leaders. Discussions were also held with the governors, teachers, pupils and parents. The lead inspector held a discussion with the local authority by telephone.
• Inspectors reviewed documentation, including safeguarding policies, behaviour and attendance records, self-evaluation and development planning documents and the school’s records on performance management.
• Account was taken of 42 staff survey responses and 109 responses by parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. In addition, inspectors considered 65 parent responses by free text.

Inspection team

Lesley Corbett, lead inspector Matthew Brown Clementina Aina

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector