Catsfield Church of England Primary School

Catsfield Church of England Primary School Church Road, Catsfield, Battle, TN33 9DP

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  The high-quality leadership of the headteacher, her leadership team and the governing body have driven improvements year on year in pupils’ achievement and teaching.  All groups of pupils are making rapid progress and attainment is rising.  Much teaching is outstanding and it is never less than good. Teachers have very high expectations and constantly challenge pupils to do their very best.  Pupils learn very successfully because their individual needs are met. They have excellent opportunities to work together and apply their learning independently.  Pupils take a great pride in their work. They have exceptionally positive attitudes to learning and show perseverance and attention to detail when tackling tasks. Their behaviour is usually exemplary.  The spiritual life of the school is at the heart of its values. It gives pupils a clear sense of right and wrong, respect for the beliefs of others

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

and a sense of wonder at the world.  Pupils say they feel extremely happy and completely safe in school. All pupils thrive as a result of the first-class care they receive.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children benefit from outstanding teaching and the excellent teamwork of staff.

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Information about this inspection

 Teaching was observed in 10 lessons and pupils’ work was examined, especially in English and mathematics. Some observations were joint visits with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with staff, pupils and six members of the school’s governing body. The inspector spoke by telephone with a representative of the local authority. Informal discussions with pupils took place at breaks and lunchtimes.  The inspector took account of the 55 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). Parents’ involvement in school life was discussed with senior leaders. At the beginning of one day, informal conversations were held with parents in the school playground.  A range of documentation was looked at including records relating to pupils’ progress, behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Jacqueline White, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller-than-average size primary school.  Most pupils are White British. A few are from minority ethnic backgrounds or speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is well below average. The pupil premium is additional funding for children in the care of the local authority, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and other groups.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school holds several awards, including Healthy School status and Eco-Schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Build on the high-quality feedback in marking by increasing opportunities for pupils to reflect on teachers’ comments and develop a dialogue about their learning with them.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 In the last two years, pupils’ progress has accelerated rapidly. This is consistent across year groups. At the end of Key Stage 2, most have made rapid progress, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and the most able. The school’s reliable data, pupils’ work and provisional national test results indicate that attainment has continued to rise.  During the inspection, pupils made outstanding progress in many of the lessons seen and it was never less than good. Pupils’ excellent attitudes to learning mean that they learn very well together and they rise to the many challenges given.  Pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs receive excellent support from highly trained and skilled teaching assistants and this ensures they make accelerated progress and are catching up with others.  Children enter Reception with a wide range of needs, with some children at and others below

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

typical levels of development for their age. They make excellent progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and achieve very well. This is because of the exceptionally good levels of staff teamwork and the wide range of stimulating activities that capture children’s curiosity. They are very well prepared to move to Year 1.  The few pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium make the same rapid progress as their classmates in both English and mathematics. Their excellent progress is secured through highly individualised programmes that support both their learning and personal development. It is not possible to comment reliably on the attainment of pupils receiving support from the pupil premium funding in the national tests in 2012 as the numbers are too small.  The school is highly effective in developing pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. Training in the teaching of reading has been beneficial to classroom practice. The teaching of phonics (linking of

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

letters and the sounds they make) is excellent. Results for the Year 1 phonics check are well above average. Pupils read widely in school. They talk about books with pleasure, read aloud confidently and demonstrate strategies for working out new words.  The school’s commitment to promoting equal opportunities and tackling discrimination can be seen in the way it ensures all pupils, including those from different ethnic backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language, share equally in its improving performance.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching is of a consistently high quality. Teachers understand the individual learning needs of pupils very well. They work in close partnership to plan lessons that stretch pupils, whatever their ability, and fire their imaginations.  In the most successful lessons, teachers’ sharp questioning probes and extends pupils’ understanding. There is a variety of well-designed activities that give pupils excellent opportunities to collaborate, work independently and apply what they have learned. This was very evident in a Years 3 and 4 mathematics lesson where pupils were working on multiplication and making excellent progress. They were highly engaged in a range of tasks that required them to not only practise multiplication together but to create a ‘word problem’ independently. They then swapped these to see if they could solve the problems.  Teachers’ excellent subject knowledge underpins the rapid development of pupils’ literacy and

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

numeracy skills. Marking is detailed and clearly identifies pupils’ next steps but it does not always involve pupils in an ongoing conversation about their learning.  The close teamwork between teachers and teaching assistants ensures that pupils receive a high level of one-to-one support in lessons. The trusting relationships throughout the school give pupils the confidence to take risks in their learning and sustain the highly positive attitudes to learning seen in all classes.  The quality of teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is outstanding. The effective balance of activities led by adults and those chosen by the children ensures high levels of enjoyment and concentration. Staff are persistent in their high expectations of the children and in modelling what they require from them.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils display exemplary attitudes to learning. They are confident in their abilities and are not afraid to ask if they are unsure. They apply themselves well and always strive to improve.  Pupils show profound respect for their teachers and talk appreciatively of all that they do for them. Their behaviour around the school is excellent. They are welcoming, courteous and considerate. Most parents agree with this. Parents spoken to in the playground before the start of school were overwhelmingly positive about the school and how happy their children are to attend.  Pupils feel extremely safe and well looked after in school. The school’s behaviour logs show that incidents of any bullying are very rare. Pupils are aware of what to do should they encounter bullying and know that there are adults that they can talk to at any time.  Pupils’ enjoyment of learning is reflected in their above average attendance and in their

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

participation in the impressive variety of clubs and extra activities which cater for their aptitudes and interests extremely well.  The pupils learn how to be responsible members of the school community through the consistent and well-managed use of policies that reward good behaviour and celebrate independence. Pupils are knowledgeable about the dangers of using the internet and know how to limit risk. They learn to take on responsibilities through, for example, the ‘buddy’ and peer mediation schemes.  Pupils have excellent opportunities to reflect on their place within the global community and how as individuals they can help to make the world a better place. They appreciate that people are different and are very committed to living in ways that are sustainable to protect the environment. Their genuine desire to support their school’s improvement and those less well off than themselves is expressed in their involvement in numerous community and fundraising

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

projects. Most recently, pupils have undertaken a sponsored walk and helped organise the school fete.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Since the previous inspection, the headteacher has relentlessly driven improvements in achievement and in the quality of teaching. She has successfully shared her vision and staff are united in their determination to secure excellent outcomes for every pupil.  Leadership skills have been developed at all levels through well-planned and targeted training. Leaders at all levels contribute to school improvement very effectively. The school clearly has the capacity to sustain improvement.  Rigorous and accurate monitoring of all school activities is regularly undertaken. Leaders and managers are very clear about what the school does well and where it could be even better. Plans to address weaker areas contain specific actions, and are highly effective.  Targets for teachers and assistants are closely linked to pupils’ progress and self-improvement. There is an effective link between performance management and salary progression. Any

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The leadership and management are outstanding

underperformance is rigorously challenged and teachers are held to account for the progress pupils’ make.  The curriculum meets the needs of pupils extremely well. The rich mix of practical, creative, physical and academic experiences enables pupils to understand the purpose and value of learning. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils are very well prepared for secondary school.  The wide range of sports and outdoor pursuits keep pupils healthy and active. The school has made immediate use of the primary school sports funding to train teachers in specialisms like gymnastics. Pupils’ involvement in physical activities is tracked carefully. The school can demonstrate that the new funding has supported an increase in the number of Year 6 girls taking part in after-school sport.  The local authority has a productive relationship with the school and has provided good support

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The leadership and management are outstanding

when necessary.  The school has worked hard and successfully to develop a strong partnership with parents. Parents are very involved in the life of the school and contribute to its improvement. They value the ‘help the parents to help their children’ meetings which have covered topics such as phonics and internet safety. All of the parents who completed the online questionnaire would recommend the school to others.  The governance of the school:  Governors express a passion and clear ambition for the school. They are aware of the school’s strengths and areas for development and they evaluate information on pupils’ progress effectively. They are well aware of how the school is performing. Governors know about the quality of teaching through their visits and discussions with senior leaders.  Governors ensure the school meets the statutory requirements for safeguarding. They make good use of committees and link governors, as well as training, to develop an understanding

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The leadership and management are outstanding

of how well the school is doing and how it compares with other schools nationally. Governors use this information to ask searching questions of school leaders at all levels. They are engaged with the headteacher in the performance management of teachers and have demonstrated the ability to reward good teaching and to tackle any underperformance.  The governors are financially prudent and are aware of the impact of school spending, such as the pupil premium funding. They assure themselves that this funding enables pupils to improve their progress through additional support programmes.

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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 114494 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 426435

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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 108 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Carol Feltwell Headteacher Sally Clark Date of previous school inspection 7–8 February 2012 Telephone number 01424 892247 Fax number 01424 893690 Email address office@catsfieldcep.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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