Crowhurst CofE Primary School

Crowhurst CofE Primary School Foreward Lane, Battle, East Sussex, TN33 9AJ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make good progress and achieve well in a range of subjects throughout the school.  The headteacher has worked closely with the staff to improve the quality of teaching, which is now consistently good, with elements of outstanding practice. As a result, achievement has improved, especially in reading and writing.  Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school, and report few concerns about bullying.  The headteacher and all the staff are wholeheartedly committed to ensuring the school does all it can to foster pupils’ achievement and well-being.  The curriculum gives pupils a very good range of opportunities, including visits and special events to develop their skills and interests, and to extend their knowledge and understanding of the subjects they study and of the wider world.  The school’s promotion of pupils’ spiritual,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

moral, social and cultural development is strong.  The governing body, with the support of the local community, has made good use of the school’s financial resources to improve premises and facilities.  Parents and carers are confident that the school takes good care of their children and teaches them well.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not always give pupils sufficiently stimulating and interesting activities in their lessons or make sure that pupils respond to the written comments teachers make when they mark their work.  Not all parents and carers fully appreciate the importance of ensuring that their children attend school as regularly as they could.  A small minority of parents and carers do not feel that the school fully listens to or addresses their concerns.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed six lessons, three of them together with the headteacher, visiting all the classes in the school and observing all the teachers who were present during the inspection at least once. He also made shorter visits to a number of other lessons, listened to pupils read, and attended an assembly.  The inspector held discussions with groups of pupils, four members of the governing body, including the deputy chair, members of staff, and several parents and carers, and spoke by telephone with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own information on pupils’ attainment and progress, safeguarding procedures, behaviour and attendance records, and self-evaluation and planning documents.  In planning and carrying out the inspection, the inspector took account of the 27 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) submitted before and during the inspection, the school’s

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Information about this inspection

own most recent surveys of parents’ and carers’, and pupils’, views, and 14 questionnaires completed by members of the teaching and support staff.

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Inspection team

Robin Gaff, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a much smaller than average-sized primary school.  A very large majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium support (additional money allocated to schools by the government for children looked after by the local authority, children with a parent in the armed services and those who are known to be eligible for free school meals), about one in eight, is well below average. There were no children from service families in last year’s Year 6 classes, and there is none in the current Year 6.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action, about one in six, is well above the national average. About one in 11 pupils is supported at school action plus or has a statement of special educational needs. This proportion is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress.  A major rebuilding programme was completed in September 2012.  An independent playgroup, subject to separate inspection arrangements, operates in the adjacent village hall, which is also used by the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 In order to raise pupils’ attainment still further, increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by ensuring that all teachers:  include sufficiently varied and exciting activities in their lessons  give pupils plenty of opportunities to respond to the comments they make on pupils’ written work.  Improve communication with parents and carers in order to ensure that all of them:  understand fully the importance of making sure that their children attend school as regularly as possible  have every confidence that the school listens to and addresses their concerns.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the school in Reception with levels of skills and attainment which are generally in line with those found nationally for children of this age. According to their parents and carers, they settle in quickly and happily because staff make sure that they know what to expect and look after them extremely well. Children quickly learn to work and play together and independently, benefiting from a good variety of self-chosen and staff-led activities.  Pupils make good progress and achieve well from the start of Reception until the end of Key Stage 2. By the end of Year 6, their attainment, as shown by their performance in national tests in English and mathematics, has been consistently above national averages. The school’s own reliable information about the attainment of current Year 6 pupils indicates that standards have continued to rise steadily in recent years.  The standards reached in English in the 2012 national tests by those pupils who were eligible for

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The achievement of pupils is good

the pupil premium were in line with those of other pupils in the school and above those of all pupils nationally. In mathematics, these pupils’ results showed that they were about a term behind other pupils in the school and just under a year behind all pupils nationally. The school has made good use of the additional funding to provide effective one-to-one and small-group support for eligible pupils. As a result, they are making good progress in both English and mathematics, so that any gaps in performance in lower year groups are closing rapidly.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs also make good progress. This is because staff quickly identify the barriers to learning faced by individual pupils, and ensure that they receive good support from teachers and teaching assistants in order to overcome them.  The school has improved its teaching of phonics (the links between letters and the sounds they

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The achievement of pupils is good

make). This has resulted in a significant rise in pupils’ attainment in reading and writing, especially in Key Stage 1. Pupils throughout the school, including those who find reading more difficult, make good progress. They are keen to show visitors their writing, which is generally accurate and well presented, and to talk about the wide range of books they enjoy reading.  Pupils gain a good grasp of mathematical techniques, including calculation and problem solving, and are able to apply them in a range of situations. For example, Year 5 and 6 pupils made good progress in developing their understanding of the basic principles of algebra in a lesson in which the teacher gave them different problems to solve which were well matched to their age and levels of attainment.  Pupils enjoy developing their artistic, musical and dramatic skills. The quality of their paintings and drawings, which are displayed around the school, is high. In one lesson during the

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The achievement of pupils is good

inspection, Reception and Year 1 pupils developed both their social and musical skills by taking turns to conduct the class’s singing, and then taking part in an increasingly complex dance routine. Year 5 and 6 pupils showed great enthusiasm and self-confidence, and a lot of talent, in their dress rehearsal for their end-of-year production of their own version of Dracula. All these examples demonstrate the school’s successful promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils’ academic achievement by the time they leave the school, together with the skills which they develop, indicates that they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers relate well to pupils and have high expectations of them in terms of both behaviour and work. As a result, most lessons proceed at a good pace, with very little time wasted.  Teachers plan their lessons carefully to include a variety of activities that are well matched to the needs of pupils of different abilities and age groups in their classes. They make sure that teaching assistants and other adults know what to do in order to ensure that the pupils with whom they work are fully included in classroom activities. As a result, all groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, learn well and make good progress in lessons.  Teachers explain tasks clearly to pupils and check carefully that they understand them, skilfully using a variety of questioning techniques. Most teachers make sure to include activities that fire pupils’ interest and enable them to learn for themselves and from each other. They make good

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The quality of teaching is good

use of the school’s outdoor areas and its rural location.  For example, in an outstanding science lesson, the teacher ensured that the pupils learned a great deal about the different types of small animals which live on the school site, because they knew exactly what to look for and where they could expect to find it. The pupils showed great curiosity and considerable powers of concentration, and they could scarcely contain their excitement when they discovered a baby newt hiding under a stone.  Learning is slower, however, on the few occasions when activities do not succeed in fully engaging pupils’ interest.  Teachers mark pupils’ written work regularly and accurately, and give pupils helpful advice about what to do to improve its quality. They do not always give pupils enough opportunities to respond to comments, by, for example, correcting or extending their own work.  Small-group sessions, for pupils who need extra help to develop their reading, writing and

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The quality of teaching is good

mathematical skills, are well organised and include carefully chosen tasks which enable the pupils to develop in confidence and make good progress.  Pupils report that they enjoy their learning, and most of the parents and carers who responded to the Parent View questionnaire and the school’s own recent survey agreed that the quality of teaching is good. Those who spoke to the inspector were particularly appreciative of teachers’ approachability and helpfulness.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils show positive attitudes and behave well in lessons. They are keen to respond to teachers’ questions and to take part in whole-class and small-group discussions. They say that disruption to lessons is rare and that, when it does happen, teachers deal with it effectively. Pupils understand and support the school’s rules, and work and play harmoniously with those from different backgrounds.  Pupils move sensibly and safely around the school at break and lunchtime. They are polite, helpful and welcoming to visitors, and are keen to share their views of the school with them. In a ‘celebration’ assembly, pupils were keen to applaud those who had won awards for their work, behaviour and contribution to school life. They showed real excitement as the headteacher announced, in ascending order, the house point scores for the week. Pupils joined in enthusiastically in singing songs and hymns, and respectfully observed the opportunity they

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

were given for prayer and reflection.  Pupils know about different types of bullying, such as persistent name-calling and aggressive behaviour, but report that it is uncommon, and that staff respond quickly when it does occur, and help them to resolve any disputes and disagreements.  The school has robust policies and procedures for dealing with bullying and poor behaviour, and staff can point to examples of individual pupils whose behaviour has improved considerably because of the actions the school has taken.  The school has also taken effective action to improve the attendance of individuals and groups of pupils, including those who have been persistently absent. Nevertheless, attendance overall has been below average, and the school has not yet succeeded in persuading all parents and carers that they need to make sure that their children attend school regularly in order to avoid gaps in learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 Staff are united in supporting the headteacher’s drive to raise standards even further.  Teachers confirm that they feel well supported by school leaders, and that they are given helpful feedback about their own performance in the classroom. They have good opportunities to share examples of good practice and to benefit from appropriate training. Leaders ensure that any increases in pay are linked to teachers’ success in reaching their targets, including those related to pupils’ achievement.  The headteacher has accurately evaluated the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ achievement, and has acted decisively to address relative weaknesses, including the accuracy of the school’s own assessment of pupils’ levels of attainment, especially at the end of Key Stage 1.  Strong leadership and improvement of teaching, resulting in better attainment and progress, demonstrate the school’s capacity for further improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have been well supported by the local authority, whose representatives know the school well and have provided it with good-quality advice, training and support.  Leaders have made good use of the additional indoor space made available by the building development programme to provide more suitable accommodation for large and smaller groups of pupils. They have also developed the school’s grounds by, for example, providing pupils in each class with an area to grow vegetables and plants, and, recently, installing a yurt, which is used imaginatively for a variety of activities, including music and dance.  The curriculum enables pupils to make productive links between subjects such as English, science and history, and promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. The school enables pupils to learn a great deal about different cultures in the past and present times. Pupils take part in a good range of sporting, music and drama activities, as well as

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The leadership and management are good

residential visits, special events and trips linked to subjects and topics, such as the Victorian and Tudor periods. The school has made good use of some of the additional pupil premium funding to ensure that no pupil is prevented from participating in such events for financial reasons. This demonstrates its commitment to promoting equality of opportunity, and to ensuring that there is no discrimination.  Most parents and carers express positive views about most aspects of the school’s performance and would recommend it to others. Responses to the Parent View questionnaire and the school’s own survey, as well as comments made by a few parents and carers, show that a small minority are not convinced that any concerns they have are always fully heeded. School leaders recognise the need to improve the effectiveness of their systems for communicating with parents and carers.  The governance of the school:

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The leadership and management are good

 The governing body includes a good range of experience and expertise, including in finance, education and human resources. Governors know the school well because they visit regularly and carefully scrutinise the headteacher’s reports to them. They know how well pupils are achieving, including in comparison with those in other schools. They hold the headteacher and senior staff rigorously to account for improving the quality of teaching, and are aware of what has been done to enable staff to develop their practice. Governors fully understand the relationship between pay increases and staff’s achievement of their targets. They know how the additional pupil premium money is being used to raise the achievement and promote the well-being of eligible pupils. They ensure that the school meets requirements for safeguarding children. Governors’ careful stewardship of the school’s finances and successful fund-raising

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The leadership and management are good

efforts in the local community have resulted in significant improvements in the school environment, making a very good contribution to enhancing pupils’ learning and development.

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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.

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School details

Unique reference number 114497 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 424589

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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 113 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Michael Stewart Headteacher Andrew Jervis Date of previous school inspection 10 December 2008 Telephone number 01424 830324 Fax number 01424 830662 Email address office@crowhurst.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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