Saltdean Primary School

Saltdean Primary School Chiltington Way, Saltdean, Brighton, BN2 8HB

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 School leaders have ensured that the school’s overall effectiveness has remained good since the last inspection.  Pupils enjoy learning. They make good progress, often better in reading and mathematics. They achieve well as a result of consistently good and sometimes outstanding teaching, particularly in Year 6 where attainment is frequently above average.  A rising trend of attainment in Years 1 and 2 in the last three years indicates that younger pupils now make good progress from their starting points, with increasing proportions reaching above national standards. This is an improvement.  The provision for disadvantaged pupils and those with disabilities and special educational needs is effective and ensures they make similar progress compared with other pupils.  Pupils behave well in and around the school and feel safe. They are polite, friendly and respectful to both adults and other pupils alike. Safeguarding

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

arrangements are thorough and contribute well to pupils’ learning.  The school provides a wide range of activities to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness successfully and contributes well to pupils’ learning. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Strong leadership from the headteacher and a highly effective leadership team is a key strength.  Leaders regularly monitor pupils’ progress and information is used quickly to address any potential underachievement.  Senior leaders and the governors are united in their clear vision for moving the school forward and, consequently, the school is well placed to improve still further.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching throughout the school to ensure pupils, particularly the most able, make as much progress in writing as they do in reading and mathematics.  Teachers do not always ensure that pupils follow their advice after their work is marked.  The early years provision requires improvement. Weaknesses in teaching and in assessing children’s understanding and level of ability mean activities are not always matched to learning needs.  Outdoor learning does not provide sufficient challenge in all areas of learning.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed learning and looked at pupils’ work. Inspectors observed 22 lessons or parts of lessons. The majority of these lessons were observed jointly either with the headteacher or member of the senior leadership team. In addition, the inspection team made a number of shorter visits to lessons and observed classrooms.  Inspectors visited a performance on the theme of Christmas by the children in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Inspectors held meetings with pupils and listened to them read. Pupils’ behaviour was observed in lessons and at recreational times.  Inspectors looked at documentation including policies relating to safeguarding and behaviour, and the school’s improvement plans and self-evaluation documentation. They looked at attendance figures, records of behaviour incidents, and at the school’s website.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders to discuss the progress that

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Information about this inspection

groups of pupils make throughout the school. They analysed the school’s information on attainment and progress. An inspector met with the Chair of the Governing Body and one other member.  The inspection team examined records of the local authority’s involvement with the school and met with a local authority representative and two further representatives.  Inspectors considered parents’ and carers’ views of the school through informal discussions before school. They considered the 67 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire. The inspection team also took account of three parents who contacted the inspection team either by letter or via the inspection service provider. Inspectors took into account the views of the 23 staff that completed the staff questionnaire. The team also talked to staff during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Wendy Forbes, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language is below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is approximately one tenth. This is below average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding to support children in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is approximately one fifth. This is below average.  In recent times there have been three forms of entry into the full-time early years and also into Year 1. All other pupils are currently taught in single-age classes, with two parallel classes in each year group. The planned building and expansion programme from 2015 will eventually result in three forms of entry

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Information about this school

throughout the school.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  A daily breakfast club, managed by the governing body, is run on the school site.  There have been a number of staff changes since the last inspection including the appointment of a new deputy headteacher and also an assistant headteacher in the last academic year.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching to outstanding and ensure that all pupils, particularly the most able, make as much progress in writing as they do in reading and mathematics by ensuring that:  all activities provide sufficient challenge for all pupils  teachers make sure that pupils consistently follow up their marking and guidance to aid learning  teachers have the same high expectations of the quality of pupils’ writing.  Improve the quality of teaching and provision in the early years so that more children start in Year 1 having achieved a good level of development by:  making sure information about what children can do leads to a range of learning activities which provide sufficient challenge children of different abilities  giving children in Reception classes more opportunities to experience high quality outdoor learning activities and resources.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher’s purposeful and successful leadership has driven the improvements since the last inspection. Leaders’ accurate understanding of strengths and weaknesses has ensured good teaching, achievement and behaviour have continued to flourish.  Procedures and systems have been strengthened since the last inspection. The setting of robust performance management targets for teaching staff are now effectively aligned to pupils’ progress. Teachers’ salary increases are directly linked to their sustained performance. This means there is good capacity for the school to improve further.  New staff, including teachers who are newly qualified, benefit from good induction arrangements and training and are well supported in their new roles.  Leaders rightly identify that early years provision requires improvement because assessments of what children can do lack sufficient rigour. This has led to teaching and activities which are not always pitched

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The leadership and management are good

at the right level for children of different abilities.  Middle leaders have a clear view of what needs to improve, and how. Leaders focus sharply on ensuring that all pupils, including those with additional needs, fulfil their potential so they have equal opportunities to do well. There is no discrimination.  The school has implemented the new National Curriculum with revised programmes and themes. Subjects taught meet most pupils’ needs and interests. Good provision for pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development contributes well to their good behaviour and learning. Pupils learn about other religions and cultures through lessons and assemblies. The school actively promotes respect and tolerance through its key values, preparing pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils were enthusiastic about involvement in the local Junior Neighbourhood Watch scheme.  The school has effective arrangements for spending the primary sport funding to improve and widen

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The leadership and management are good

sporting opportunities. Funding has been used to provide more equipment so pupils can take part in a wider range of sports activities. It is also used to improve teachers’ expertise through training. Leaders monitor the impact of this spending, demonstrating its success.  The school engages well with parents. Many spoke positively about opportunities to respond to school surveys and appreciated workshops provided, particularly Numbers Fun Day, to help them support their children. Many praised the daily breakfast club.  Pupil premium funding is used well to support pupils needing help with learning. Close assessment of each pupil’s progress and needs targets funding well. Its use is regularly reviewed to ensure eligible pupils make at least similar progress to others; any gaps in learning are closed quickly.  The local authority is providing an appropriate range of support to improve provision in the early years.

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The leadership and management are good

 Child protection and safeguarding procedures are effective in ensuring that pupils are cared for well. All statutory requirements are met.  The governance of the school:  Governance is effective. Governors are fully supportive of the school’s leadership. They know the school well and understand what needs to improve. Governors have worked successfully, supporting leaders and teachers to continue to raise standards and strengthen teaching. Governors oversee the performance of staff and are aware of how any underperformance has been tackled and how good teaching is rewarded. They have made good use of training to ensure they effectively hold leaders to account for the school’s performance, including the appropriate spending of the pupil premium and the primary sport premium. They have enhanced their knowledge of how well pupils are doing in their learning through their links with leaders and individual classes. They understand the quality of teaching

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The leadership and management are good

in the school, and actions taken to further improve achievement. They are fully involved in checking how well the school is addressing the areas for improvement, particularly in the early years. Governors ensure school finances are well managed, including preparations for the school’s planned expansion in 2015.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are well behaved in classrooms and around the school. They show good manners and relationships across the school are strong. The views of staff, parents and carers confirm the inspectors’ views that the good behaviour observed was typical. Comprehensive procedures ensure any incidents are dealt with effectively.  Pupils have very positive attitudes and approach learning with enthusiasm. Most take care over their work; many books are presented in a neat and tidy manner.  The school is a harmonious and happy community with pupils valuing each other’s backgrounds, beliefs and ideas.  Pupils are enthusiastic about their responsibilities, such as being a member of the school council or playground buddy. They successfully organise many charity fundraising events, such as for Children in Need. They were enthused by the opportunity to enter a prize draw to ‘custard pie’ staff members to raise

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Behaviour

funds.  Staff have continued to keep a close eye on any dips in attendance, now just above average.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. A very small number of parents registered concerns via Parent View about whether the school dealt effectively with bullying. Records confirm that incidents are rare and any are dealt with effectively.  Pupils agree and are confident that the school will deal with issues swiftly. They confirm they feel happy, safe and well cared for at school. They are aware of who they can talk to, should the need arise, and what constitutes bullying, such as cyber bullying and name calling.  Behaviour and safety are not yet outstanding because sometimes pupils lose focus in a few lessons when teaching is less motivating or engaging.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Consistently good and some outstanding teaching, typically in Years 1 to 6, has accelerated progress in reading and mathematics over time.  Pupils enjoy learning and are enthusiastic about learning prompts displayed on their classrooms’ ‘working walls’. The standard of work in books, alongside improving rates of progress, indicates most pupils achieve well over time. As the quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2 has strengthened, progress has accelerated.  Most teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Improved use of pupils’ progress information means most teachers plan activities well. However, a few teachers do not have a clear enough picture of how well pupils are doing; their expectations are not high enough. This means work set, particularly in writing, does not always provide enough challenge, particularly for the most able, to make the progress they should.  The school is working appropriately towards full implementation of its preferred approach to assessment,

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The quality of teaching is good

trialling the local authority’s assessment strategy alongside current effective tracking systems.  In mathematics, the pace of learning has improved. The school’s focus on developing key skills has strengthened the quality of teaching and improved pupils’ confidence in solving problems.  Teachers are skilled at using questions to check pupils’ understanding. Some inspire their pupils, as one pupil said, ‘to work outside our comfort zone’. This was seen in Year 6, where pupils worked with great enthusiasm to solve mathematical problems. Skilful questioning encouraged pupils to use their prior knowledge to explain mathematical strategies to solve problems. Enthusiasm for learning was fired by well-informed, energetic teaching, which enhanced pupils’ confidence.  Pupils’ writing is steadily improving. Strategies, such as Talk for Writing, are strengthening teaching, encouraging pupils to develop writing across a range of subjects.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ reading has gone from strength to strength. The focus on developing reading skills through effective teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) and daily guided reading have enhanced reading and set high targets across the school.  Adults, who support pupils in need of additional help, including those with special educational needs, the few who speak English as an additional language and those supported by additional funding, play a significant part in pupils’ successful learning. They are well briefed to support selected pupils.  There are examples of good practice in marking. However, some staff are not always rigorous enough in following up when they have asked pupils to make improvements. This means pupils do not always correct mistakes or check they are not repeating errors.

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is good

 Pupils make good progress, achieving well from Year 1 to Year 6.  The structured approach to developing reading through phonics is having a strong impact on reading, which is good across the school. The proportion of pupils reaching the required standard was above average levels in the Year 1 phonic check in 2013 and 2014.  Some pupils make outstanding progress in reading by the time they leave Year 6, achieving well above national standards, benefiting from regular sessions to read in class.  Strengthened teaching in Key Stage 1 has led to an upward trend of attainment in Years 1 and 2 over time. These pupils now make good progress from their starting points, with increasing proportions reaching above national standards.  Writing has been an ongoing priority. Pupils’ work and school information show improving standards in writing. However, not all teachers have the same high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Activities

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is good

do not always provide sufficient challenge. As a result, pupils’ progress is sometimes slower than might be expected.  The most able pupils are generally challenged well, and their achievement is good in both reading and mathematics. However, the school has identified that these pupils could achieve more, particularly in writing.  Strong support for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs enables them to achieve well. Nurture groups and the effective work of support assistants, the inclusion manager and learning mentor, all contribute very well.  The few pupils who speak English as an additional language make similar, and often better, progress compared to all other pupils because of the well-tailored support for their learning that they receive.  There has been good improvement in the attainment of pupils eligible for further support through the pupil premium. In particular, the below average numbers of pupils eligible for free school meals often

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is good

make good progress. Compared to other pupils nationally, the gap in writing and mathematics attainment for these pupils has closed to around three months. This is a significant improvement. There is almost no gap in the reading attainment of these pupils when compared to other pupils nationally.  Achievement is not yet outstanding because pupils, including some of the most able, are not yet making as rapid gains in their writing as they are in reading and mathematics.

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requires improvement

 Children generally begin in Reception with typical skills and abilities. The majority make expected progress, but not enough make rapid progress, particularly the most able. As a result, the proportion that attains a good level of development by the time they move into Year 1 and are ready of the next stage of their education is broadly average.  The quality of teaching in the early years requires improvement to help speed up children’s progress. Although regular observations of what the children can do lead to some interesting activities being planned, teaching over time does not make enough of opportunities to develop children’s skills further through different areas of learning, particularly for the most able.  High priority is given to personal, social and emotional development. This is evident in the mutually caring relationships between children and adults. Children work, play and behave well together. It is clear they

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requires improvement

feel safe and happy at school. Parents agree. Many were enthusiastic about participation in their first Christmas performance at school.  Systems to record how well children are progressing have been strengthened since the last inspection. However, staff do not always use this information effectively to plan sufficiently challenging and effective next steps to learning.  Elements of indoor provision have been strengthened since the last inspection. However, outdoor learning does not provide enough high quality opportunities for children to make sufficient progress in their learning.  Leaders are introducing key improvements to the early years provision in order to improve children’s progress. The most recently appointed early years leader has identified where improvements are needed. This has already had a positive impact on the quality of some adult-led sessions. However, it is too early to tell whether this is having an impact upon children’s learning. Additional support and training for staff

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requires improvement

have been identified.  The teaching of phonics is effective in ensuring that children get off to a good start in learning to read.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 114479 Local authority Brighton and Hove Inspection number 448770

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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 Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 481 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Naomi Ellis Headteacher Suzanne Morgan Date of previous school inspection 11–12 February 2010 Telephone number 01273 303358 Fax number 01273 309206 Email address enq@saltdean.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 and 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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