East Hoathly CofE Primary School

East Hoathly Church of England Primary School Church Marks Lane, East Hoathly, Lewes, BN8 6EQ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Inadequate 4 Achievement of pupils Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Inadequate 4

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires special measures.  Pupils do not make enough progress in their learning. Standards have fallen over the last five years and are below average in mathematics and writing.  Teachers and their assistants do not expect enough of pupils or check carefully how well they are learning in lessons.  Too many lessons progress slowly and activities are not well matched to pupils’ abilities so they lose interest.  New senior leaders have not had enough time to make the improvements that they know are needed.  Other leaders are not improving the subjects they are responsible for.  The governing body has not held leaders sufficiently accountable for the school’s performance. Governors have not checked that the additional Pupil Premium funding has made a difference to how well pupils achieve.

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils are competent readers and reach standards that are expected for their age by the time they leave Year 6.  Pupils enjoy school, feel safe and attend regularly.  The school is an attractive, orderly and calm place for pupils.  The executive headteacher and head of school are a strong team. Parents, pupils and staff fully support the necessary changes that they are making and some pupils are beginning to do better. Inspection report: East Hoathly Church of England Primary School , 7–8 November 2012 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 Support staff and all three teachers were observed working with the pupils. Seven lessons and the teaching of early reading skills in small groups were visited. All of the observations were conducted jointly with the executive headteacher or head of school.  The inspector heard pupils read, attended a singing assembly and looked at pupils’ work.  Meetings were held with pupils, senior leaders, subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, governors and a representative from the local authority.  The views of parents and carers, visitors and pupils who spoke with the inspector, 10 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and seven questionnaires completed by staff were considered.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including information about safeguarding, the school’s own data on pupils’ progress, its self-evaluation and records of monitoring in relation to teaching, pupils’ behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

Jackie Krafft, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report: East Hoathly Church of England Primary School , 7–8 November 2012 3 of 9

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Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Information about this school

 East Hoathly is smaller than the average sized primary school. Pupils are taught in three mixed- age classes.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds and all speak English as their first language.  A smaller than average proportion of pupils is eligible for the Pupil Premium funding. This is additional funding provided for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, who are in local authority care or with a parent or carer serving in the armed forces.  The proportion of pupils with disabilities or special educational needs supported at School Action, School Action Plus or by a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school has been working in partnership with St John’s Mead Church of England Primary School since September 2012. The local authority seconded the headteacher from the partner school to be the executive headteacher of East Hoathly for one year. The executive headteacher

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Information about this school

divides her time between the two schools.  At the same time, a deputy headteacher from another local primary school was also seconded for a year to be the full-time head of school at East Hoathly.  A privately run pre-school uses a room at the school each day.  The school meets the government’s floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching provided by teachers and support staff so that all pupils make at least good progress, particularly in mathematics and writing by:  having higher expectations of what all pupils can accomplish in each lesson  asking pupils challenging and probing questions  checking how well pupils are learning throughout each lesson so that they can be moved on to their next steps rapidly or given extra help when needed  quickly spotting and correcting any mistakes that pupils are making  making sure that adults do not talk for too long so that lessons keep all pupils interested and involved  ensuring activities are suitable for all pupils, particularly children in Reception, disabled pupils, those with special educational needs, and the most able.  Increase the effectiveness of all leaders so that standards rise and rapid, lasting improvements are made to teaching and learning by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 developing the skills of middle leaders so that they contribute fully to driving up standards  senior leaders setting and reviewing targets for teachers to help them improve their work and holding them to account for the difference they make to pupils’ achievements  governors challenging leaders and holding them to account for the use of the extra funding such as the Pupil Premium and for the progress that all pupils make  seeking an external review of governance to help improve this aspect of leadership  including measurable steps in the school improvement plan so that governors can check regularly that enough progress is being made towards reaching the goals set.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Children start in the Reception with the skills and knowledge expected for their age but they do not make enough progress, particularly in mathematics, as they move through the school.  Standards by the end of Year 6 have fallen over the last five years and are below average. Although standards in reading are close to the national average, they are not high enough in writing. There has been a significant and persistent decline in mathematics and a third of pupils in the 2012 national tests did not reach the standard expected for their age.  Teachers’ expectations are not high enough and the work that the most able pupils are given is not hard enough so too few of them do as well as they should in reading, writing or mathematics.  Disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those eligible for extra funding through the Pupil Premium, do less well than other pupils and do not reach the standards

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

expected for their age. They are not given suitable work to help them make faster progress and catch up. Additional funding has not been used effectively to push these pupils on.  Arrangements have been made since September 2012 to regularly check the progress that pupils are making. The school’s records show that some pupils are beginning to do better but not enough to make up lost ground. In too many lessons, pupils do not learn enough.  Younger pupils do not learn how to read as quickly as they should. In the Year 1 checks, too few pupils could recognise the sounds that letters make. The school’s senior leaders know this and short lessons at the start of each day have been introduced to make sure that reading is taught regularly.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Teaching is inadequate because pupils do not make enough progress and achieve as well as they should. The need to improve teaching was identified at the last inspection. Recent training and support for teachers have not yet eliminated the weaknesses seen in lessons and in pupils’ work.  Teachers know what senior leaders expect them to include in their plans and lessons. Pupils are told what they will be learning and are given time at the end of lessons to think about whether they have been successful.  Teachers and teaching assistants do not check carefully how well all pupils are learning during lessons to move them on or to give them extra help quickly. Errors, such as writing letters or numbers in reverse, are not spotted and corrected.  Pupils are not expected to work hard enough. Sometimes, teachers talk for too long. Pupils become restless and bored when they have to sit listening or waiting for their turn for a long

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

time rather than getting on with their activities.  Pupils learn best when teachers ask questions that make them think and explain. This good learning is more common for older pupils and was seen at the end of a Key Stage 2 literacy lesson but is not usual in other year groups.  Activities are not always well chosen for different groups of pupils in each class. For example, in a mathematics lesson pupils with special educational needs were not able to complete tasks successfully or take part in whole class discussions. When children in Reception are learning outside, they are not given meaningful activities to improve their reading, writing, mathematical and social skills.  Pupils’ work is marked regularly, following the school’s recently agreed guidelines. This is helping pupils to know what they have done well and what they need to learn next.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

 In lessons, pupils are keen to join in and respond appropriately to what the adults ask them to do. However, they do not always persevere with activities, concentrate well or carry on working independently if they are not given enough to do or the work is too hard or easy. When this happens their attitudes to learning are not good.  Pupils are polite, articulate and confident. They generally play and learn happily together and say that most pupils behave well nearly all the time. They know what is expected of them and what the school rules are. Parents and carers and staff agree that the school makes sure pupils behave as they should.  On the playground, pupils use the play equipment safely and socialise well. They move around the school in a calm and orderly manner and are increasingly taking on responsibilities for decisions about the school through the school council.  Parents and carers agree that their children feel safe in school. Pupils say that bullying is rare

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The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

and if any does occur they are confident that if they tell an adult it will be taken seriously and dealt with. Their understanding of different types of bullying is not developed well through the different subjects they learn. They know how to avoid potential dangers, including those presented by the internet.  Attendance is above average and has been so for a number of years.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 Improvements since the last inspection have been too slow because leaders, including governors and middle leaders, have not tackled weaknesses.  Recent improvements to how the school works have been dependent on a dynamic new executive headteacher and head of school. Middle leaders and governors are not able to show how they have driven the school forward.  The executive headteacher and head of school work well together. They understand that the school is not good enough and that teaching must get better. They have quickly gained the confidence of parents and carers, governors and the village for the changes they are making.  Arrangements are now in place to check pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching but these are too new to have made the difference that is needed. Although teachers have visited the partner school, and been given detailed guidance of how to improve by new senior leaders, too

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The leadership and management are inadequate

little attention has been paid to improving teaching and strengthening leadership since the last inspection.  Senior leaders have a plan to move the school forward. It includes all areas that need improving but it lacks specific steps to help governors know whether enough progress is being made.  Teachers’ performance has not been reviewed against their targets or used to make decisions about pay rises. The executive headteacher is aware of these serious omissions and has introduced a timetable to put things right.  Different subjects are now taught through topics so that that all pupils have opportunities to practise their reading, writing and mathematical skills often. Singing and Spanish lessons, taught by skilful specialist teachers, are contributing to pupils’ enjoyment of school and helping them to appreciate the arts and develop their cultural awareness.  The local authority has had concerns about the school and given support for reading and

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The leadership and management are inadequate

mathematics. This had very little impact because of weaknesses in the school’s leadership. More recently, it has secured the help of the two senior leaders for a year. Actions taken since their arrival have been too recent to reverse the school’s decline in performance.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The governance of the school  The governing body does not have an accurate understanding of the quality of teaching and the weaknesses which have limited the progress that pupils make. Governors have too readily accepted what they have been told and not asked sufficiently probing questions about how the school is being improved. The governing body has not checked carefully that the Pupil Premium funding has been spent wisely to help pupils to do better, nor have they checked that arrangements to manage the performance of staff have been followed. With detailed guidance from senior leaders and by attending training, governors are just beginning to develop their understanding of how to help the school move forward. Inspection report: East Hoathly Church of England Primary School , 7–8 November 2012 7 of 9

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. Inspection report: East Hoathly Church of England Primary School , 7–8 November 2012 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 114501 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 401444

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 72 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mrs Lindsay Wigens Headteacher Mrs Alison Flynn, executive headteacher Date of previous school inspection 12–13 May 2010 Telephone number 01825 840247 Fax number 01825 841055 Email address head@meads.e-sussex.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, 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. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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