Peter Gladwin Primary School

Peter Gladwin Primary School Drove Road, Portslade, Brighton, East Sussex, BN41 2PA

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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 Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 This highly inclusive school supports the learning and well-being of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs very well.  Early years children make rapid progress and are very well catered for.  Pupils make good progress overall, especially in reading and mathematics. A high proportion of pupils make faster progress than is expected.  Pupils attain good results at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2, especially at the higher levels.  Teaching is good. Teachers and teaching assistants listen and respond to children’s needs well. They give pupils good advice about how to improve their work.  Pupils take pride in their learning and achievements. They behave well and show that they value each other.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  Leaders and governors are effective. They share the headteacher’s high expectations and have successfully improved teaching over time. As a

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

result, pupils achieve well and make good progress.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ progress in writing is weaker in some parts of the school than in others.  Some teaching has not been effective enough in recent years. School leaders and teachers are now focused on sustaining the current rates of good progress through consistently good teaching.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors saw teaching in all classes. They observed one assembly, learning in 12 lessons, and pupils’ behaviour in the playground and at lunchtime. Learning in four of the lessons was observed jointly with senior leaders.  Discussions were held with pupils, five members of the governing body, the headteacher and other members of staff. A discussion was also held with a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors observed many aspects of the school’s work including 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 should learn in each subject and plans for the school’s future development. They examined records of the school’s use of the primary sports funding and pupil premium funding. They also scrutinised the school’s arrangements for

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Information about this inspection

keeping pupils safe, pupils’ attendance records, the governing body minutes, records of how pupils’ learning is monitored and records of how the quality of teaching is checked.  The views of parents were taken into account through discussions with several parents. The inspectors also took note of the 47 responses to the online Parent View survey.  Staff views were taken into consideration by looking at questionnaires completed by 16 staff members and through discussions with several members of staff.

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Inspection team

Steven Popper, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding for children known to be eligible for free school meals or in the care of the local authority) is slightly lower than the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is much higher than in most other schools. Some children and pupils have very complex needs.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  Early years children are taught in one full-time Reception class.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that pupils make consistently good progress in writing in all parts of the school by:  increasing the effective use of the school’s new writing expectations  continuing to build on boys’ interests so that boys are motivated to write.  Improve teaching further so that pupils continue to achieve well and make good progress over a sustained period.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher’s high expectations are understood by all staff. As a consequence, the whole school team shares the same high aims for pupils’ achievement and well-being. Leaders have successfully reversed the dip in pupils’ progress that occurred in 2014.  Senior leaders use rigorous performance management to set staff appropriately high targets. They ensure that staff receive good support and training to help them perform well. The quality of teaching has improved as a result.  The school has earned the Inclusion Quality Mark because of its strong work in catering for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. The highly inclusive approach of the school demonstrates its substantial commitment to equal opportunities, fostering good relations and work to prevent discrimination.  The school’s curriculum is good. Leaders at all levels have ensured that it meets the high expectations of

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The leadership and management are good

the new National Curriculum. Pupils study a wide range of subjects, often taught through interesting topics such as ‘Fire and Ice’.  Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain through the teaching of different subjects such as religious education, personal, social and health education, and history. The school cultivates pupils’ understanding of democracy and freedom of speech well. The school also develops pupils’ sense of responsibility towards others through, for example, pupils’ work as members of the school council and ‘eco-warriors’.  The headteacher’s evaluation of the school is thorough and accurate. She and other leaders, including middle leaders, identify key priorities for school development well and act successfully to bring about the desired improvements. For example, the headteacher and other leaders have developed a new school approach to tracking pupils’ progress. This takes good account of the new National Curriculum’s raised

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The leadership and management are good

expectations of pupils’ achievement.  Subject leaders are active and effective. For example, English and mathematics leaders have recently revised and strengthened the expectations made of pupils in these subjects. Subject leaders have also trained other staff and helped develop their skills and increase their knowledge of particular subjects.  Leaders and governors use additional funding well to support disadvantaged pupils. As a result, the attendance of this group has improved and disadvantaged pupils often make faster progress than other pupils. The gap between disadvantaged pupils and others is narrowing rapidly at the end of Key Stage 1. However, the gap is narrowing more slowly at the end of Key Stage 2.  Sports premium funding is also used effectively. The school’s use of an external sports specialist ensures that pupils receive high-quality physical education teaching and that teachers’ skills in this subject

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The leadership and management are good

increase.  The school’s safeguarding work meets statutory requirements and is highly effective. Leaders and governors make certain that staff are properly trained, including in areas such as intimate care, should there be a need.  The local authority has supported school improvement well. It has helped the school develop a new approach to tracking pupils’ progress and has provided useful training to staff and governors. The local authority has also supported leaders’ professional development by making use of their expertise to inform local discussions about good practice in different subjects.  The school has developed very good relationships with parents. As a result, an overwhelming majority of parents who offered an opinion considered that the school was led and managed well.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is strong and effective. Governors systematically check that pupils’ achievement

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The leadership and management are good

and the quality of teaching are good enough. They have a good understanding of data about pupils’ achievement and challenge leaders when any data suggest that pupils are not making enough progress. Governors check that performance targets are properly related to school improvement priorities. They make sure that any pay awards made are justified by strong performance. Governors also check that staff are given sufficient support to help them teach well. They share the headteacher’s high expectations. Their impact on school improvement is good.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils enjoy learning and are keen to share their achievements. Their positive approach has a good impact on the progress that they make overall. However, the school has not always been successful in developing boys’ interest in writing strongly enough, though this is improving.  Pupils behave well throughout the school day, both in and out of lessons. They treat each other with high levels of respect, kindness and consideration. Pupils’ behaviour towards each other reflects the school’s strong inclusive ethos very well.  The school manages pupils’ behaviour well. School records show very few incidents of poor behaviour or bullying over time. Records also show how the school has improved the behaviour of some pupils with particular behavioural needs.  The school ensures that pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying, including cyber- bullying, and that they develop successful strategies to avoid it. Pupils who spoke to the inspectors said

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Behaviour

that bullying and other forms of poor behaviour are very rare in the school and that staff deal with any issues quickly and effectively. Pupils also praised staff for their caring approach.  The school has been successful in improving attendance. Attendance is slightly lower than average, but this is mainly for medical reasons.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  The school takes great care to keep children and pupils safe. This can be seen, for example, through the way the school caters for pupils with particular needs. The school ensures that staff responsible for looking after individual pupils with specific needs are very well trained.  Pupils are supervised very well at all times and staff are extremely responsive to them. School grounds are kept safe and secure.  The school teaches about e-safety very well. Pupils who talked to the inspectors explained the key strategies they could use to keep themselves safe and minimise risk.  An overwhelming majority of parents who responded to the online Parent View survey thought that their children were safe, happy and well cared for at the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching in the school has improved over time and is consistently good. Pupils achieve well as a result.  Teachers and teaching assistants have high expectations of their pupils. They give pupils, including the most able, strong levels of challenge. Because of this, large proportions of pupils attain results at the higher levels at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2.  The school teaches reading effectively. Pupils are taught well about phonics (linking letters to the sounds they make) and can apply their understanding to make sense of unfamiliar words. Teachers give pupils clear advice about how to improve their reading. As a result, pupils’ reading is of high quality.  Mathematics is also taught successfully. The mathematics leader has recently raised the school’s expectations of pupils’ achievement in mathematics. These higher expectations have helped ensure that pupils’ work and learning are of a high standard.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school’s teaching of writing has been more mixed in its success. Pupils make variable progress in some parts of the school, though their progress in the subject is good overall. However, the English leader has recently strengthened the school’s expectations of writing. Pupils’ books show that these new expectations are having a positive impact on the progress pupils make. The English leader has also worked with some success to use boys’ interests to develop their motivation to write. However, this work needs to develop further.  Teachers’ marking is effective. It gives pupils good advice about how to improve their work.  Teachers and teaching assistants listen to pupils very well and are very responsive to them. The close attention given to individual pupils’ needs is a key reason why most pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, learn well and make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 A very large majority of parents who offered an opinion thought that their children were taught well.

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is good

 Pupils’ results in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 are typically above average. Pupils currently in the school make good progress in all subjects overall, though their progress in writing is variable in some parts of the school.  Pupils’ progress and results in all subjects dipped in 2014, but leaders have successfully reversed the decline in progress. Pupils’ workbooks confirm that pupils in the school are progressing faster than those in the previous year. School data show that high proportions of pupils are making better than expected progress in all subjects overall.  The school’s results in the Year 1 national phonics check are higher than average. This is because phonics teaching is well matched to pupils of different abilities.  The most-able pupils’ results at the higher levels at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are consistently above average in reading, writing and mathematics. These pupils make good progress

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is good

because of the stimulating challenge that they receive.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress similar to that of other pupils in the school. Their attainment is lower than that of other pupils but is improving in relation to that of other pupils nationally. The school meets these pupils’ needs, including their emotional and social needs, extremely well.  Disadvantaged pupils in the school also make good progress at least in line with that of other pupils in the school, and frequently faster. The gaps in attainment in English and mathematics between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils are being narrowed successfully by the school, particularly at the end of Key Stage 1. In 2014, at the end of Key Stage 2, disadvantaged pupils were approximately one term behind their classmates in reading, three terms behind in mathematics and three-and-a-half terms behind in writing.

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is good

Disadvantaged pupils’ performance compared to that of other pupils nationally in 2014 was about the same in reading, about two terms below in writing and about two-and-a-half terms below in mathematics.  A very large majority of parents who offered an opinion thought that their children made good progress.

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is outstanding

 The achievement of children in the early years is outstanding. Children, including disabled children and those who have special educational needs, make rapid progress during the Reception year. Most children attain a good level of development by the time they leave Reception.  Children, including disadvantaged children, disabled children and those who have special educational needs, are extremely well nurtured and cared for. They are very well prepared socially, emotionally and academically for subsequent learning in Year 1.  Early years teaching is outstanding. Teachers and teaching assistants are highly responsive to children’s needs and guide their learning very effectively. The indoor and outdoor classrooms are used extremely efficiently to stimulate and challenge children and deepen their learning. Staff ensure that children learn very well across the whole range of subjects.  Children’s behaviour is outstanding. They behave very well towards each other and show great enjoyment

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is outstanding

of learning and respect for resources.  Early years staff keep children safe at all times. They take great care to meet the sometimes quite complex needs of individual children and ensure their emotional security.  The early years leader leads the team in very careful and regular assessment of children’s strengths, needs and progress. She uses her evaluations to plan provision which meets individual children’s needs very well.  The leader, along with the headteacher, has strongly improved the early years provision. It is now of much higher quality than at the time of the previous inspection. Therefore, early years leadership is outstanding.

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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 114443 Local authority Brighton and Hove Inspection number 448766

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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 211 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mark Broxup Headteacher Catherine Keith Date of previous school inspection 14–15 January 2010 Telephone number 01273 294959 Fax number 01273 294959 Email address school.office@gladwin.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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