Carlton Hill Primary School

Carlton Hill Primary School Sussex Street, Brighton, BN2 9HS

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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 make good progress in all subjects from the time they enter the school.  Pupils’ results in reading at the end of Key Stage 2 are particularly high.  Much teaching is at least good and some is outstanding across the school. Pupils learn well during the large majority of lessons because their teachers and teaching assistants communicate clearly and know their subjects well.  The school makes very good use of support staff and volunteers to ensure that pupils, including pupils who need extra help, learn well.  Pupils are keen to learn. They are proud of their achievements and the school. They are courteous and behave well towards one another. Pupils feel safe and well looked after in school.  The school teaches pupils about e-safety very effectively.  Leadership is good because the high expectations of the headteacher, other leaders and governors have led to swift improvements

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough more able pupils achieve the higher levels in mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2.  The school does not yet clearly track the progress of different groups of pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors saw teaching in every class. They observed one assembly, 12 lessons and pupils’ behaviour in the playground and at lunchtime. Seven lessons were observed jointly with either the headteacher or an assistant headteacher.  Discussions were held with pupils, the Chair and six other members of the Governing Body, the headteacher and other members of staff.  The inspectors observed many aspects of the school’s work, including supervision and support for pupils who need extra help. They heard pupils read and examined pupils’ work in their exercise books and on classroom and corridor wall displays.  The inspectors looked at a number of documents, including plans for what pupils will learn in each subject, plans for the school’s future development, and the school’s use of additional funding such as sports and pupil premium funding. The school’s arrangements for keeping pupils safe, pupils’ attendance records, minutes of governing body meetings, records of how pupils’

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Information about this inspection

learning is tracked and records of the quality of teaching were also checked.  The views of parents were taken into account through taking note of the 53 responses to the online Parent View survey and seven letters that were submitted. There were also discussions with several parents.  Staff views were taken into consideration by looking at questionnaires completed by 28 staff members and through discussions with several members of staff.

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Inspection team

Steven Popper, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Elizabeth Cole Additional Inspector Joyce Lydford Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations of pupils’ attainment and progress.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for additional government funding, known as the pupil premium, is higher than the national average. This extra money is provided for children in local authority care, children with a parent in the armed services and those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is below average, while the proportions of pupils supported through school action plus and those with statements of special educational needs are well above average. Some pupils have speech, language and communication needs, while others have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties or other needs.

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Information about this school

 The majority of pupils are of White British heritage, with the rest representing a wide range of other ethnic groups.  The number of pupils joining or leaving the school other than at the usual times is higher than in most other schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve achievement in mathematics by ensuring that  a greater number of more able pupils attain at the higher levels at the end of Key Stage 2.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the school carefully tracks the progress of different groups of pupils and uses this information to inform the school’s planning for these groups.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ results at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 improved sharply in 2013. All pupils and groups of pupils, including pupils eligible for additional funding (pupil premium), pupils from different ethnic groups, those who joined the school at other than the normal time, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make good progress across the school.  Pupils’ results in reading and writing at the end of both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are higher than in most other schools. Results in reading at the end of Key Stage 2 are particularly high.  Pupils’ results in mathematics are higher than national averages at the end of Key Stage 1. However, despite improving strongly, too few more able pupils reach the higher levels at the end of Key Stage 2.  Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are much lower than typical for their age. They make good progress and leave the Reception class well prepared for Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school’s most recent results of national screening in phonics (linking letters to the sounds they make) in Year 1 are just slightly lower than in most other schools and reflect the low starting points of many pupils.  The gap in progress between pupils eligible for additional funds (pupil premium) and other pupils is being closed successfully by the school. There is a gap in performance of about one term at the end of Key Stage 2 in both English and mathematics. This is a narrower gap than in previous years.  An overwhelming majority of parents who offered an opinion expressed positive views about their children’s progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching across the school is good. Improved teaching has led to better results and ensures that pupils make good progress in all subjects. This is the key reason why the quality of teaching is good.  Teachers typically have high expectations of pupils’ learning and progress. They ensure that pupils focus on their activities and produce thoughtful work.  Teachers know their subjects well. Pupils are interested in their lessons and their understanding develops strongly as a result.  Teachers typically offer a high level of challenge to pupils, but in previous years those who were more able in Key Stage 2 in mathematics were not challenged sufficiently. However, evidence seen during the inspection shows that all pupils are now fully stretched in all lessons and those who are more able are now fulfilling their potential. As one pupil commented, ‘We all do different work because we are all at different stages and I enjoy pushing myself to do the best I

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The quality of teaching is good

can.’  The school makes very good use of support staff and volunteers to ensure that pupils, including pupils who need extra help, learn well.  Pupils are given clear verbal advice and guidance about how to improve their work and know what their targets are.  Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage enables children to develop basic skills quickly and make good progress. The resources in both the inside and outside classrooms are attractive and well used. Children work with high levels of concentration and a sense of purpose as a result.  An overwhelming majority of parents who offered an opinion thought that their children were taught well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are keen to learn and are proud of their work, their achievements and their school. Their positive attitudes to learning contribute to the good progress that they make.  Pupils’ conduct in lessons, in the playground, during lunchtime and when travelling around the school is good. They work and play co-operatively and are friendly and courteous to each other. Pupils from different ethnic groups mix well together.  When pupils talked to inspectors about bullying they had a sensible understanding about the subject. They felt that there was very little poor behaviour in the school, and that staff would deal with any incidents effectively and fairly.  Staff have consistently high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and manage it well. The school has supported some pupils in difficult circumstances and has helped them to improve their behaviour.  Attendance has improved over time and is now in line with national expectations. This is because

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

of the school’s good relationships and successful work with parents. However, the persistent absenteeism of a few pupils is worse than in most other schools. This is a key reason why behaviour and safety are not outstanding.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in different situations. The very well-resourced grounds are safe and pupils using them are supervised properly. The school teaches pupils about e-safety very well, and pupils know how to avoid danger when online. Pupils who talked to the inspectors said that they felt safe and understood how to keep themselves safe.  An overwhelming majority of parents who expressed an opinion thought that behaviour in the school was well managed, that the school dealt effectively with bullying, and that their children were happy and well looked after in school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, leadership team and governors have high aspirations for the school. The headteacher and leadership team have established consistently high expectations among teaching staff and pupils. These high expectations have resulted in pupils making good progress.  There have been strong improvements overall to the quality of teaching and pupils’ results, particularly in English. However, these strong expectations have not yet resulted in sufficient pupils achieving consistently well enough in mathematics. Leaders have only relatively recently introduced strategies to bring about improvements to ensure all pupils are fully stretched in lessons. As a result these strategies have not yet had time to make a sufficient impact on pupils’ results.  Senior and middle leaders work well together as a team. They monitor the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress in their subjects and areas of responsibility. Subject leaders lead training for

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The leadership and management are good

other staff and have introduced changes to teaching that have raised pupils’ results in their subjects. The leadership team is preparing the school well for the implementation of the new National Curriculum.  The school’s leadership has accurately identified the school’s strengths and areas for development. The school’s plans for bringing about improvements are well judged.  Leaders carefully monitor the quality of teaching and teachers are expected to perform well and that pupils produce good progress and results. Teachers are set high targets and strong performance is rewarded appropriately. Any weaker performance is not allowed to continue.  Although the school monitors the progress and learning of individual pupils well, as yet it does not carefully track the progress of different groups of pupils or use this information to inform the planning for these groups’ needs.  The school teaches a broad range of well-planned subjects and makes good use of the well-

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The leadership and management are good

resourced grounds to promote learning, such as through the ‘Dig for Victory’ activities that developed pupils’ learning about World War Two.  The school fosters a strong love of reading. Pupils talked with great satisfaction about the school library and how pupils in the school council were given a considerable budget to choose and buy new books for it.  There are good opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils engage in creative work, which is represented in many artistic displays. The school’s charitable work, ‘eco club’ and link with a school in Kenya help develop pupils’ moral understanding and sense of responsibility. The school actively works against discrimination and promotes equality through, for example, annual ‘family diversity weeks’ which demonstrate how the school values its pupils and their families. A wide range of clubs provides creative and sporting opportunities.

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The leadership and management are good

 Additional funding (sports premium) is spent effectively on enhancing pupils’ engagement in sports through the provision of a range of clubs and other sporting activities run together with a group of local schools. Funding is also well spent on developing teachers’ sports skills and knowledge.  Additional funding (pupil premium) is spent on using teachers and trained teaching assistants to deliver one-to-one and small-group tuition in English and mathematics for eligible pupils. These measures have contributed to the good progress made by eligible pupils and the narrowing of the gap between eligible and non-eligible pupils.  The school ensures that all pupils are safe. It keeps appropriate and up-to-date records of its work in this area and meets statutory requirements.  The local authority knows the school well. It has given training to governors and teachers and helped monitor the quality of teaching and the achievement of pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 Almost all parents who offered an opinion considered the school to be well led.  The governance of the school:  Governors are capable and very active. They have received training about pupil performance data, safeguarding and other aspects of school provision. Governors understand data about pupils’ achievement and use this understanding to offer a high level of challenge, as well as support, to the school. They scrutinise the quality of teaching and help ensure that teachers are properly held to account through the high targets. They also make certain that strong teacher performance is properly rewarded and those whose performance is weak are given the support they need to improve. Governors scrutinise school finances carefully, including the use and impact of additional funding such as that for pupil premium and sports. Their impact on the school’s drive for improvement is good.

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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 114381 Local authority Brighton and Hove Inspection number 441007

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 215 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tony Hadley Headteacher Louise Willard Date of previous school inspection 12 – 13 July 2012 Telephone number 01273 604966 Fax number 01273 676789 Email address office@carltonhill.brighton-hove.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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