Georgian Gardens Community Primary School

Georgian Gardens Community Primary School Guildford Road, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN16 3JJ

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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.  Georgian Gardens is a happy welcoming community, in a calm and orderly environment. Staff and pupils are respectful and courteous towards each other.  The headteacher has a clear vision for the school. Involving all and being an integral part of the local community are central to this vision. The effective governing body and staff share the vision and this contributes to the success of pupils in this improving school.  The headteacher ensures senior leaders have every opportunity to develop their leadership skills. They work together, plan carefully and regularly review progress against set goals.  In the most recent tests, at the end of Year 6, pupils achieved above average standards.  Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage because it is well organised and activities are set at the right level. Children make good progress in their early reading skills.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Teaching is typically good, and in some cases is outstanding. Displays in the classroom are vibrant and often support pupils’ learning well.  Pupils behave well and feel safe in this caring school and, together with staff, are justifiably proud of their school. Pupils experience a wide range of learning opportunities, many of which encourage them to get on well together.  Leaders check the quality of teaching and ensure that pupils who find learning difficult have effective support.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not always give pupils, especially the more able, work which is hard enough.  Pupils are not consistently encouraged to think for themselves or always have access to resources which will help them to learn and make progress more rapidly.  Pupils do not make as rapid progress in writing as they do in reading.  Sometimes, teachers do not give pupils enough opportunities to reflect and respond to the comments in marking.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 26 lessons, including seven which were seen together with senior leaders. They also looked at pupils’ written work and displays in classrooms and corridors.  Meetings were held with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body, the headteacher and other school leaders and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors spoke to a group of pupils and informally with other pupils in lessons and around the school. An inspector listened to pupils reading and discussed their reading habits with them.  Inspectors examined several of the school’s documents. These included self-evaluation documents, the school improvement plan, information about pupils’ progress and the support given to disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. An inspector looked carefully at safeguarding documentation. Discussions were held with a number of staff responsible for different aspects of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors took account of the 118 responses to the Ofsted’s online questionnaire (Parent View).  Inspectors considered the views expressed in a questionnaire returned by 52 members of staff.

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Inspection team

Josephine Lewis, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sheila Browning Additional Inspector Ken Bryan Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Georgian Gardens is larger than the average-sized primary school. There are two classes in each year group from Reception to Year 6.  The large majority of pupils are from a White British background.  The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, and who speak English as an additional language, are below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (extra government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those in care and those from other groups) is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about this school

 The school runs its own breakfast club.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching to the highest levels by:  providing greater challenge for pupils, especially the more able, and consistently setting work which is at the right level  improving the consistency of pupils' progress in writing  strengthening and widening pupils’ use of vocabulary  making sure all pupils have time to reflect upon, and respond to, the comments made in marking to improve their work.  Improve pupils’ learning skills in subjects by:  ensuring pupils use a wide range of resources to support their learning  giving pupils regular opportunities to think for themselves and solve problems.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress and achieve above average standards. Children join Reception with skills that are below average for their age. They settle quickly to established routines and learn their basic early reading, writing, number, and social and physical skills. They make good progress because the curriculum is adapted to cater for the particular needs of the year group, for example the boy-heavy year group last year enjoyed the topic of pirates.  Young children and pupils benefit from the good teaching of sounds that letters make (phonics) and Year 1 pupils exceeded expectations in the national phonics screening check. Pupils use these skills well to read unfamiliar words. Pupils continue to make good progress, so that by the end of Key Stage 1 they achieve above the expected standards in reading and mathematics, and significantly above in writing.  Although achievement improves in Key Stage 2, the proportion who reach the higher levels in

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The achievement of pupils is good

writing is below average and these pupils did not make expected progress. Nonetheless, standards by the time pupils leave school have risen steadily over the past three years and rose again following a dip in mathematics in 2012.  Current checks on pupils eligible for additional pupil premium funding show that, more recently, extra support is starting to have an impact and the gaps between them and their peers nationally, in both English and mathematics, are narrowing rapidly. Consequently, they are typically now a term behind others.  The school accurately identifies disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. Most make better than expected progress from their starting points because help is targeted, timely and well delivered.  More able pupils generally achieve as well as similar groups nationally in mathematics and reading. The school works closely with a local secondary school, which results in an increasing

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The achievement of pupils is good

number being entered for Level 6 tests in mathematics. Nevertheless, more able pupils do not do as well as their peers in writing. Pupils for whom English is an additional language make better progress than similar pupils nationally.  Pupils make good progress in physical education. Their skills are developed through good use of specialist sports coaches and extra games activities.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is typically good, and is sometimes outstanding. It is improving because of rigorous and frequent checks and opportunities to observe outstanding teaching and share good practice.  High expectations, skilled questioning and challenging tasks, delivered in a stimulating manner, are key features when teaching is most effective. An example, not characteristic of widespread practice, was in a Year 6 lesson that involved solving logic problems. Pupils were continually challenged as the problems gradually became harder. They quickly mastered methods to use and shared these with their classmates. They took pride in their ability to solve the problems and their enjoyment was tangible. Their homework was to solve an even more difficult problem, which encouraged them to make further progress.  When teaching is most effective, relationships are positive. Pupils are engaged and are eager to do well, as in a Year 4 English lesson when pupils focused on persuasive dialogue linked to their

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The quality of teaching is good

Egyptian topic and practised dialogue orally with excellent outcomes.  When teaching in the Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes is effective it frequently involves the use of praise and reinforces the importance of attention. Clear explanations and questioning are used effectively to check understanding. Pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs are fully involved and encouraged to participate in all activities.  During guided reading, pupils explored both fiction and non-fiction texts. Pupils were encouraged to draw out the main ideas from paragraphs; they compared different texts and responded to questions improving their understanding. Pupils say they read regularly and enjoy reading. They use skills to decode texts and to access more difficult texts with varying degrees of success.  Extra support, including one-to-one and small group work, helps disabled pupils and those who

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The quality of teaching is good

have special educational needs to become more confident. Those eligible for extra funding benefit from more direct teaching and support but, along with all pupils, are not always stretched sufficiently in their pace of work, particularly when they work unsupported.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly. They sometimes make clear and useful comments on how to improve, but often next steps are missing. In mathematics, pupils have a list of targets that are highlighted on completion. In literacy, marking includes editing for the more able in Year 6, but for other pupils targets and next steps are not stated. Opportunities for pupils to reflect on, and respond to, marking are few.  When teaching is not as effective there is little challenge for the more able and resources are not always made available to support problem solving and learning. In literacy, pupils have few opportunities to strengthen and widen their use of vocabulary.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 Behaviour is good in and around the school. It is not outstanding as occasionally pupils may not concentrate as well in lessons, especially when they are unclear about what they are meant to be learning.  Relationships are outstanding between adults and pupils. Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities around the school. They are courteous to adults and kind to each other.  Pupils’ safety is paramount and systems to ensure their safety are very well developed. Pupils say they feel safe in school and parents agree. Pupils have a very well developed understanding of safe and unsafe situations.  Exclusions are very uncommon and confined to a small number of pupils with severe behavioural needs. Bullying in all its forms is rare, with no recorded incidents over the past two years.  Attendance is above average due to robust systems for monitoring and the close working partnerships with parents and outside agencies. Targeted guidance and support help to improve

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

punctuality and attendance. The views of parents, staff and pupils are all positive concerning good behaviour.  In lessons, pupils generally work well together when sharing their ideas with a partner. They respond well to their teacher so that little or no time is wasted correcting behaviour.  Pupils know about a healthy lifestyle and there is a high participation rate in sports clubs.

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The leadership and management is good

 Georgian Gardens is well led and managed. Development planning is focused and effective. Correct priorities are identified and are regularly reviewed in the light of progress against them. Leadership and management are not outstanding because the school has yet to secure consistently high achievement and high quality teaching. Middle leaders provide strong support and the headteacher and senior staff are excellent role models for both staff and pupils.  The school checks pupils' progress closely and is establishing a system to check the impact of new initiatives and support. Senior staff have good opportunities to develop their leadership skills. This contributes to their understanding of the school's strengths and where further improvement is needed.  The monitoring of the quality of teaching is regular, as is work scrutiny. Teachers are set clear targets for improvement, and are held accountable for the progress of their pupils. There are

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The leadership and management is good

good arrangements, linked to Teachers’ Standards, for setting targets.  Staff are committed to providing equal opportunities to all pupils, and no discrimination is tolerated. These opportunities are often linked to the impressive work in which the school is involved within the immediate locality, in partnership with eight other schools.  The school’s curriculum is well planned, collaborative and creative. It includes memorable experiences so that pupils enjoy their learning and attend well.  Subjects taught are well focused upon the local environment, whilst broadening pupils’ understanding of other cultures. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very well. Pupils are reflective and enjoy many opportunities that develop their good understanding of the diversity of cultures, beliefs and other communities. An outstanding feature is the use of art to support pupils’ learning. Extra funding gives access to enrichment activities

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The leadership and management is good

and supports gifted and talented pupils.  The school has used the primary sports school funding to appoint a specialist sports coordinator. Older pupils are trained as sports leaders and organise play for younger pupils. This has had a significant impact on play, relationships and pupils' physical well-being. A trained teaching assistant supervises play activities each lunchtime. Clubs and activities are very popular, with high rates of participation.  Parents’ views are extremely positive; all responses on Parent View agreed that they would recommend the school to others. Parents are kept well informed about school activities through the informative website and regular newsletters.  The local authority provides light touch support, recognising that senior leaders have the skills to further raise pupils’ achievement.  The governance of the school: – Governors work effectively with senior leaders, staff, parents and pupils to promote the

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The leadership and management is good

school’s vision. They develop action plans to drive the school's priorities. They set challenging targets for the headteacher and ensure that teachers are rewarded appropriately for meeting their set targets. They check, in particular, that pupil premium funding is used effectively to raise achievement. All statutory safeguarding arrangements are met. Staff are vetted and all training is up to date. Governors have a wide range of relevant skills which are supplemented by recent training. For example, governors attended training to understand information about school performance. They ask challenging questions about the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. They regularly visit the school and ask searching questions on specific topics to keep themselves well informed. They interview pupils to help them to understand how the decisions they make impact on pupils’ experiences.

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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 125959 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 441059

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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 416 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mrs Rosemary Cornish Headteacher Mr William F Molloy Date of previous school inspection 10–11 January 2011 Telephone number 01903 771555 Fax number 01903 850746 Email address office@georgiangardens.w-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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