Chyngton School

Chyngton School Millberg Road, Seaford, East Sussex, BN25 3ST

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage does not consistently help all pupils to make good progress.  Across the school, some teachers do not have high enough expectations of what their pupils can achieve in lessons, particularly in mathematics.  There are differences in achievement between classes and groups. Pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals do not achieve as well as others in some classes.  Not all teachers are skilled in assessing pupils’ progress and they do not always adapt their teaching effectively to challenge all pupils.  Some teachers are more confident in teaching writing than in teaching mathematics or the sounds that letters make (phonics).  Responsibilities are not shared equally among senior and middle leaders and some senior staff are overloaded.  Improvements in the quality of teaching have been uneven since the previous inspection. Changes to the leadership of the school over

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

the last three years have been unsettling for staff.  Until recently, the information about pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching that was shared with the governing body was not detailed enough.  School leaders have not done enough to promote good attendance. Attendance was below average last year.

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The school has the following strengths

 There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere in classrooms and pupils behave well in lessons.  Teachers apply school rules consistently and fairly.  Pupils show respect for one another and they understand and value individual differences.  The school provides good opportunities for pupils to develop musical, artistic and sporting skills.  The new headteacher has a clear vision for the school and the school’s improvement plan is sharply focused upon those actions needed to remedy weaknesses.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 22 lessons. Four lessons were observed jointly with senior staff.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ workbooks and spoke to pupils about their work. They listened to some pupils in Year 3 reading and met with two groups of pupils from Key Stage 2. They also talked to pupils informally during break times.  An inspector met with two members of the governing body and spoke to a representative of the local authority by telephone. They also met with senior and middle leaders and considered the 35 responses to the Ofsted staff questionnaire.  Inspectors took account of the 48 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View).  The inspection team looked at a number of documents, including the report on pupils’ progress and attainment from the summer term 2013 and the report from the local authority’s review of the school’s effectiveness in April 2013. They evaluated the school’s current development plan

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Information about this inspection

and checked records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding. Inspectors also considered the school’s records of checks made on the quality of teaching and minutes of meetings of the governing body.

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Inspection team

Melanie Knowles, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Joyce Lydford Additional Inspector Alastair McMeckan Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average-sized primary school, with two classes in each year group.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is below average. This is additional funding for pupils entitled to free school meals, those in local authority care and those with a parent in the armed services.  The vast majority of pupils come from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is slightly above average. The proportion of pupils supported through school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is broadly average.  The school met the government’s floor standards in 2012. These are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has been through an unsettled period in its development with four changes to its

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Information about this school

leadership in the last two years. The school was temporarily led by the two assistant headteachers between April and July 2013. A new permanent headteacher joined the school this term.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate the progress of all pupils by improving the quality of teaching, ensuring that all teachers:  make rigorous use of assessment information to provide activities that offer the right level of challenge to pupils and enable pupils to be active learners  have consistently high expectations of what pupils can achieve in lessons, particularly for different groups of pupils  have the necessary in-depth subject knowledge to teach mathematics and phonics effectively.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage by ensuring that:  adults plan exciting learning opportunities that build on children’s prior learning  the indoor and outdoor areas provide a language-rich environment for children  adults engage with children more effectively to extend their language and communication skills when they are at play.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by:  reviewing the leadership structure of the school so that responsibilities are distributed more evenly  ensuring that the governing body receives clear, unambiguous and timely information about the progress that pupils make  undertaking an external review of governance to include a specific focus on the use of the pupil premium in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.  Take effective action to improve pupils’ attendance.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Most children make steady progress during their time in the Early Years Foundation Stage, but teaching is not good enough to ensure that those children who have joined the school with language and communication skills that are below the level expected for their age make up lost ground quickly. Some join Year 1 without the language skills they need to succeed in the next stage of their education.  Pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics is not yet good because it is uneven across the school and too few pupils make more than the expected progress. The school’s checks on pupils’ progress shows that pupils generally make better progress in writing than mathematics and girls do not attain as well as boys in mathematics.  Although standards in reading are broadly average across the school, some teachers do not have enough subject knowledge to teach phonics (the sounds that letters represent) effectively. As a

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

result, not all pupils leave Key Stage 1 with the skills they need to read unfamiliar words. Pupils have regular opportunities to read with their teachers in small ‘guided’ groups and enjoy having access to the well-stocked library, but not all pupils read regularly at home.  Provisional results for the Year 6 tests in 2013 indicate that standards fell, particularly in mathematics. School leaders know why this happened and have acted quickly to reverse the dip in results. The impact of the changes they have made is already evident in lessons. Inspectors saw good teaching and learning in the majority of mathematics lessons visited during this inspection and work in books so far this term shows that pupils of all abilities are now working at appropriate levels. Evidence in books from the previous academic year also shows that older pupils have regular opportunities to use their mathematical skills to solve problems.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The pupils who receive additional support from the funding provided by the pupil premium make uneven progress. Overall, gaps have closed slightly, but the funding has not had enough impact on accelerating progress for disadvantaged pupils. By the end of Year 6, pupils eligible for free school meals are typically about two terms behind their classmates in reading, writing and mathematics.  Additional support for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is well targeted and special support activities enable many pupils to gain in confidence and overcome barriers to their learning. In class, these pupils are well supported by adult ‘individual needs assistants’’, but the work provided by teachers does not always meet their needs. Overall, they make similar progress to their peers.  The school helps pupils to develop a healthy lifestyle through regular physical education lessons and provides a wide range of opportunities to participate in after-school sports clubs run by

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

specialist coaches. The school also makes good use of its on-site swimming pool in the summer months when all classes have two sessions of swimming each week.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is uneven across the school and requires improvement. Some teachers do not demand enough of pupils in lessons. They do not make their expectations clear to pupils and accept incomplete work. At times, teaching does not actively engage pupils' learning and some become disengaged as a result.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, adults miss opportunities to develop and extend children’s language skills when working alongside them. Children find it difficult to settle because there are so many unrelated activities on offer in ‘free play’ sessions.  Where teaching is consistently good, teachers assess the learning and progress of pupils in lessons and adapt their plans to ensure that activities offer the right level of challenge to all pupils. For example, in a Year 2 mathematics lesson, the teacher noted that some pupils had not understood the concept of odd and even numbers on the previous day. She made sure that

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

these pupils had an opportunity to practise making odd and even numbers with mathematical apparatus, but at the same time, she challenged the more-able pupils to extend their learning through an investigation. However, this good practice is not found in all classes.  Teachers say that they have found the changes in the last two years unsettling, but it is clear that they have responded well to the challenge to improve their teaching. Training during the summer term led to improvement in the structure of lessons. Pupils say that their teachers now spend less time explaining what they are learning and give more time for them to practise their skills and complete their work. The recent restructuring of the teaching assistant workforce has led to improved liaison between teachers and support staff. In most of the lessons seen during this inspection, support staff were deployed well. Many are able to lead effective small-group

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

sessions for targeted pupils.  Marking and feedback to pupils about the quality of their written work is thorough. Some teachers ensure that pupils have time in lessons to complete corrections and respond to the teacher’s comments.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Most pupils are keen to learn in lessons and enjoy being active and involved in their learning. Some are slow to settle to written work and find it difficult to sustain concentration for long enough to complete tasks. Others are too dependent on the support of adults in lessons and do not have strategies to deal with minor problems or difficulties on their own.  Attendance for the last academic year was below average. School leaders have begun to take steps to make sure that all pupils attend regularly, but it is too early to see if their actions are having an impact so far this year.  All pupils understand the school’s behaviour policy and say that teachers apply it consistently and fairly. As a result, pupils’ behaviour in lessons is generally good. They listen well, respond quickly to teachers’ instructions, are polite and are respectful to others. This means that little time is lost in lessons and learning is not interrupted by bad behaviour.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Teachers ensure that pupils understand about diversity in relation to disability, race and beliefs.  Pupils report that they feel safe in school. They are aware of different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying, and say that they feel confident that any problems will be dealt with quickly by school staff. They appreciate the ‘worry boxes’ that are provided and say that these work well.  Pupils have a good understanding of the risks posed by the internet and know how to keep themselves safe online.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The present leadership structure of the school results in an uneven distribution of responsibilities. Consequently, some senior staff are overloaded. For example, the assistant headteacher with responsibility for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is also the leader of the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. This means there has not been enough impact on improving provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The pupil premium funding is not wholly effective in closing the gaps in attainment for those pupils who receive additional support, and in this respect, the school does not fulfil its ambition to provide equality of opportunity for all. In some classes, these pupils make slower progress than the average for the rest of the class. Leaders do not report the impact of the pupil premium funding to governors or parents in enough detail via the school’s website.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The two interim acting headteachers successfully steered the school through an unsettled period following the departure of the previous headteacher in March. They made good use of the findings in the local authority’s review of the school’s effectiveness to make changes to teachers’ practice during the summer term that have had an impact on pupils’ learning in lessons.  The new headteacher has quickly established himself and has already built on the work started by the assistant headteachers in the summer term. Staff say they have confidence in their new headteacher and many report a renewed sense of optimism in the school.  The new headteacher has wasted no time in acting to accelerate improvement. He has quickly assessed the strengths and weaknesses in the school and has drawn up clear plans that address the areas that need to be improved. He has already made several important changes. For example, his analysis of pupils’ test results in Year 6 showed that pupils in lower sets did not

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The leadership and management requires improvement

make expected progress. As a result, the headteacher has reintroduced whole-class teaching in mathematics for older pupils. This is already having an impact on the learning and progress of these pupils in lessons.  The headteacher has also introduced more effective procedures to check on the quality of teaching. Leaders now ensure that information from reviews of pupils’ progress, lesson observations and work in pupils’ books is pulled together to gain an accurate view of teaching over time and use this information to link teachers’ pay progression to the quality of their teaching and the progress their pupils make.  The school meets the statutory requirements for safeguarding pupils. Staff attend regular training and have clear guidance on procedures to follow if they have any concerns about the safety and welfare of pupils.  Relationships with parents are positive. The website has a wealth of information about the

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The leadership and management requires improvement

school’s work and regular newsletters keep parents well informed.  Pupils study a good balance of different subjects and enjoy visits and enrichment activities such as ‘Roman day’. There is a wide range of after-school activities on offer that are well attended by pupils. Teaching promotes spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well and pupils have a good awareness and appreciation of different societies and their traditions.  The local authority has played a pivotal role in supporting the school since the previous headteacher left in March. The review of teaching and learning carried out in April gave the governing body and the interim headteachers clear guidance about what the school needed to work on and helped to steer recent improvements in the quality of teaching.  The governance of the school:  Governors now have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. However, until recently, the governing body did not receive clear reports about the quality of

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The leadership and management requires improvement

teaching and the progress of pupils. This meant that although governors asked challenging questions in meetings, they did not have enough information to hold school leaders to account effectively. The governing body has not ensured that additional government funding to support pupils is used effectively. Governors know how the money has been spent, but do not have enough information about the impact of the funding on pupils’ achievement.  The new headteacher has ensured that governors will be informed about teachers’ pay progression and how this is linked to the quality of their teaching. In the past, the governing body has not had the important information it needs to evaluate the appropriateness of the staffing pay structure.

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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 114426 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 427907

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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 Maintained Age range of pupils 4 – 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 423 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jane Branson Headteacher Robin Tollyfield Date of previous school inspection 10–11 March 2009 Telephone number 01323 893281 Fax number 01323 893281 Email address office@chyngton-primary.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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