Peacehaven Heights Primary School

Peacehaven Heights Primary School Hoddern Avenue, Peacehaven, East Sussex BN10 7QY

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 Strong leadership by the headteacher, the senior leaders and governors have brought about improvement since the last inspection.  Teaching, pupils’ learning and assessment are now good. Teachers and other staff share the school leaders’ high expectations for what all pupils in school should achieve.  From their different and often low starting points, pupils make good progress, particularly in writing and mathematics.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability make good progress because carefully planned work meets their individual needs.  Disadvantaged pupils receive effective support. As a result, they make good progress.  Children in the early years are well provided for and achieve well.  The behaviour of pupils is good. Their positive attitudes to learning contribute to their improved progress.  Governance has improved since the last inspection. Governors hold school leaders to account more effectively for the standards

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This is a good school

reached across the school.  Procedures to ensure that pupils are safe are effective. Pupils say that they feel safe.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strong feature of the school. Pupils have a good understanding of different religions, cultures and British values.  Staff say that they are proud to be part of the school community and show great commitment to teamwork.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet outstanding. Some teachers are not fully confident in using new systems to gauge pupils’ progress in reading.  Pupils’ progress in reading is not as rapid as it is in writing and mathematics.  Some pupils have too many absences, which affects the rate of their progress.  Parents and carers would like better ways to communicate with the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching to outstanding in order to ensure that more pupils, including the most able, make better than expected progress in reading by:  ensuring that teachers use systems more effectively to identify what pupils still need to do to improve  giving pupils, particularly those in the older years, more opportunities to practise and develop their reading skills in order to accelerate their learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Work more closely with the families of those pupils who find it difficult to attend regularly, to improve their attendance levels.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve communication with parents and carers by: reviewing current systems and procedures seeking the views of parents and carers about how communication could better meet their needs.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher and deputy headteachers lead well. Their drive to raise standards, coupled with good- quality training and development for staff, has brought about rapid improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement. This ensures that the school meets its aim where ‘childhood matters and learning is meaningful’.  Central to the school’s caring approach is the importance of each pupil. All adults make increasingly accurate checks on pupils’ progress and are helping to support each individual. Pupils now flourish in an atmosphere of mutual respect and a safe and happy environment. Staff and pupils do not tolerate discrimination of any sort.  Joint observations of learning with school leaders show that their judgements are accurate, and feedback to teachers focuses on ways in which they can improve their methods. Leaders accurately identify the areas requiring further development, such as some assessment systems and attendance levels. Staff are

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

overwhelmingly supportive of the drive for improvement. A typical comment from staff was: ‘We are proud of our school and proud that the journey we have been on has resulted in the school we have now become’.  The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils know about and demonstrate the key values of respect and tolerance. They develop a good understanding of other faiths and beliefs, and these are reinforced in assemblies and opportunities to reflect in lessons. They have a clear knowledge of democracy and put this into practice through elections to become ‘pupil governors’.  Leaders make effective use of pupil premium funding to provide additional support where needed, both in classrooms and in developing pupils’ emotional and social skills. Consequently, these pupils grow in confidence and make good progress.  Middle leaders have revised the school’s subject teaching effectively so that it reflects the higher

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

expectations of what pupils are expected to learn. Middle leaders help to check and improve the quality of teaching to good effect.  Carefully planned lessons, along with a wealth of extra activities, inspire and motivate pupils’ learning. Additional activities include residential trips, visitors to the school and a wide range of clubs. These activities help pupils to learn new skills and make a significant contribution to their personal as well as academic achievement.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is supported well. Pupils have a clear understanding of the importance of respecting cultural differences, and as a result, diversity is clearly valued. There is a clear sense of belonging to the school community and pupils soon learn the importance of being considerate. For example, in one assembly pupils discussed the importance of perseverance when working together. In Year 2, pupils learning about differences between children in Brazil and in

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Britain compared and contrasted the differences between the two cultures.  The school uses the additional primary sports funding effectively. There is now a wide range of clubs and staff training. The school provides a variety of sports and physical activities, including swimming, athletics and basketball. Pupils’ participation is high and this helps promote healthy lifestyles for all.  There is a clear commitment to equality of opportunity. All pupils, whatever their ability or background, have the chance to take part in all the school’s activities and to achieve well. One parent said, ‘The school upholds strong values, with an emphasis on mutual respect for everyone’.  The school’s resource provision is well led and managed.  Parents and carers appreciate the quality of care shown by staff and the changes made to the swimming pool for example. However, they feel, and inspectors agree, that the school’s communication with parents

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

could improve. In particular, parents feel that greater use could be made of website and email contact. Parents indicate that they want more up-to-date information and better two-way communication to share their views.  The local authority has provided effective support and guidance to the school since the last inspection. This has been useful and constructive in supporting the improvements made.  The governance of the school Governors are effective and are ambitious for the school’s future success. They have an accurate view of how well the school performs compared with others nationally and locally through their good understanding of information on pupils’ progress. The governing body receives regular reports from the headteacher about the quality of teaching. School leaders keep the governors up to date about what is happening, especially concerning the management of teachers’ performance. Consequently,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

the governors know what the school is doing to improve teaching. They ensure a clear link between pay and teachers’ performance. Governors do not tolerate weak teaching. They visit the school regularly to see how teaching is improving. Governors have attended regular training to ensure that they keep up to date with the latest changes and initiatives. Governors keep a close eye on the differences made by the use of funding for disadvantaged pupils and its impact on their progress and on the impact of the additional money for sports. They are fully committed to equality of opportunity for all and hold school leaders to account to ensure that they meet their statutory requirements. Systems for monitoring the school’s budget are strong, including the monitoring of pupil premium spending.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. At the start of the inspection, there were some parts of the website that were not compliant, but this was dealt with swiftly on the inspection. All staff are

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

routinely trained in safeguarding procedures and know how to keep pupils safe. Recent training for staff includes recognising pupils at risk of radicalisation, extremism and female genital mutilation. Members of the governing body attend training to make sure that they are well informed about current safeguarding training.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching, learning and assessment have improved since the last inspection and are now good. School monitoring records and inspection evidence show that closer and more rigorous monitoring has resulted in pupils making better progress over time.  Relationships between teachers and pupils are excellent, and as a result, pupils work hard, are willing to take risks and want to do well. There is a strong learning ethos in the school.  Teachers’ comments and feedback typically make clear how pupils can improve their work. Pupils generally know their personal targets and often take responsibility for checking that they meet them.  The teaching of writing is good. Pupils are accurately taught different styles and to write for a range of purposes. For example, in a Year 1 lesson pupils were developing their letter-writing skills as ‘rainforest explorers’, while other pupils were creating persuasive posters about the potential pitfalls of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

deforestation. Pupils enjoy these different approaches and this boosts their enthusiasm.  Pupils learn well in mathematics because the teaching is good and activities are planned effectively. Pupils say they enjoy the opportunities to challenge themselves and deepen their knowledge. For example, in a Year 6 class, pupils enjoyed solving coordinates-based problems. Pupils were able to explain clearly the mathematical skills needed to solve different questions.  Many teachers ask questions that encourage pupils to think and deepen their understanding. Pupils respond eagerly to these questions and are keen to contribute to class discussions. They work well individually, in pairs and in groups.  Teaching assistants provide very effective support. They explain tasks carefully to pupils when appropriate, and are patient with those who need more time to understand new ideas.  Stimulating classrooms and displays of pupils’ work in classes and around the school celebrate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

achievements as well as supporting learning effectively. Teachers and pupils use the outside environment to very good effect to support learning.  Teaching in the resource provision is good. Teachers and skilled teaching assistants use a wide range of methods to motivate pupils to develop each child’s knowledge and understanding. This results in pupils making good progress.  Leaders have introduced a new system to evaluate pupils’ progress in reading to help identify how pupils can make quicker progress. However, systems are relatively new and staff are not yet fully confident in using them effectively.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. The majority of parents who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, confirmed that they felt their children were happy and safe in school.  The school looks after pupils’ emotional health extremely well. The staff quickly spot any signs of concern. Pupils who spoke with inspectors said that they feel safe and well looked after. They know that they can speak in confidence to any member of staff if they have any concerns and they will always be taken seriously. One pupil said, ‘They make sure we are safe and are always there for us’.  Pupils have a good understanding of the different forms of bullying. They know that name-calling, inappropriate language or any form of discrimination are not acceptable. They told inspectors that, on the few occasions that bullying occurs, staff deal with it quickly. The majority of parents, staff and pupils talk

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Personal development and welfare

positively about pupils’ behaviour. Some of the parents that completed the online questionnaire raised behaviour and bullying as a concern. Inspectors viewed a wide range of evidence which shows that bullying and racist incidents are rare. The school deals with these issues swiftly and effectively. Pupils who spoke with inspectors agreed that this was the case.  Pupils are very knowledgeable about how to stay safe, including in relation to water safety, road safety and safety when using the internet.  Pupils develop a good understanding of how to keep healthy. For example, they understand the importance of eating well and exercising regularly. One pupil said, ‘sport is important as it helps us learn better’.  Discussions with staff who support pupils with additional needs show that the school has effective links with external agencies and is very active in supporting families who need additional help.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Conduct in and around the school is typically good and pupils say that they follow the school rules. When pupils come together, for example at break- and lunchtimes, they are polite and courteous and show that the school is a happy and harmonious community.  Pupils enjoy taking responsibility. For example, the ‘Truly Trusted Group’ encourages pupils to respect everyone within their community and to work together to solve any disputes.  Pupils, parents, teachers and governors are of the view that behaviour is good. The school’s behaviour logs show that behaviour is typically good over time.  Most pupils behave well in lessons and teachers use these positive attitudes to help drive progress within their learning.  Pupils’ attendance is lower than national averages. The leaders of the school have worked hard at identifying ways it can improve and there are signs that attendance is rising, especially for pupils who are

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Behaviour

persistently absent.  The breakfast club provides a good, nurturing start to the day for those who attend.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Outcomes for all pupils have improved to good levels since the last inspection.  Children join the Reception Year with skills well below those typical for their age. A good level of challenge ensures that they make good progress in the early years provision; by the end of the Reception Year, the percentage of children who achieve a good level of development is similar to the national picture.  Pupils in Years 1 and 2 make good progress. Improvements in the teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters represent) have led to an increase in the number reaching the expected standards in Year 1. In the 2015 phonics checks, pupils’ attainment in Year 1 phonics was above average and much better than two years earlier. Consequently, more pupils reach the higher levels in reading in the current Year 2.  In 2015, the proportion of pupils who achieved the expected level in mathematics, reading and writing

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Outcomes for pupils are good

was in line with national figures. Scrutiny of pupils’ work and observations of teaching indicate that current pupils in Years 3 to 6 are making good progress.  At the end of Year 2 in 2015, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected level in mathematics, reading and writing was in line with national figures. In 2015, the proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 5 in reading, writing and mathematics improved from 2014. The school recognises that some pupils could do better in reading and has identified this as an area for improvement. Senior leaders are conducting monitoring and assessment of these pupils. The current predictions indicate that the majority will achieve the higher levels.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability receive good support, well suited to their specific needs, from teachers and teaching assistants. These groups of pupils currently make good or better

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Outcomes for pupils are good

progress from their individual starting points. Teachers include these pupils fully in lessons, demonstrating that the school strongly promotes equality of opportunity. Pupils who attend the resource provision make good progress because well-trained staff tailor resources to the needs of the pupils.  The performance of disadvantaged pupils in reading, writing and mathematics in the 2015 national tests indicated that they were two terms behind other pupils nationally. The results also showed that they were just under one and a half terms behind other pupils in the school. Current checks on these pupils’ progress show that these gaps are closing rapidly. This shows the school’s success in narrowing significantly the gaps between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and their peers in the school and nationally.  The progress pupils make means that they are increasingly better prepared for the next stage in their

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Outcomes for pupils are good

education. Year 6 pupils are regularly reminded that the work they are doing will help them when they move on to secondary school.

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Early years provision is good

 Children achieve well in the Nursery and two Reception classes. Children make good progress from their starting points and achieve a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year. Whilst children make good progress, the early years is not outstanding because not enough children achieve beyond a good level of development.  The provision is well led and managed. The early years leader has a good understanding of how children learn and develop. The Reception classes are well organised and provide a good range of interesting activities. However, the Nursery space is not of the same standard and does not consistently allow the children to explore learning in an imaginative way.  Teachers plan learning that interests children and promotes basic skills well. The staff closely check children’s skills and understanding when they start. Children were observed achieving well in reading when enjoying a story book with an adult. They also develop their writing and number skills well. This

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Early years provision is good

shows that they are well prepared for the next stage of their education in Year 1.  Staff ensure that disadvantaged children are provided with effective support. This ensures that they achieve in line with their peers. This is also the case for children with special educational needs.  Teaching is good. Teachers make use of assessment so that the work meets the children’s needs well. A group of pupils were planting seeds and were supported by an assistant who extended their language by discussing the features of plants and what they needed in order to grow. The assistant encouraged the children to use the correct language.  Children’s behaviour is good. Children settle quickly into their daily routines and form excellent relationships with adults and each other. They are polite to adults and work well together. Staff have created a caring and positive environment where children feel secure and able to engage in their learning.

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Early years provision is good

 The provision is a safe place to learn because the safety and well-being of every child is at the forefront of everything the school does.

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School details

Unique reference number 138426 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 10012238

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School details

This inspection 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 3  11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 465 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jon Borthwick Headteacher Jan Abrams Telephone number 01273 575989 Website www.peacehavenheights.co.uk Email address office@peacehaven.e-sussex.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 9  10 January 2014

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils from ethnic minority groups is below average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is above average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding given to the school for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority) is above average.  Children attend the early years provision in the Nursery class on a part-time basis. Children attend the two Reception classes on a full-time basis.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school operates on two sites. Early years and Years 1 and 2 are based in Roderick Avenue, while pupils in Years 3 to 6 are based in Hoddern Avenue.

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Information about this school

 The school has a specialist resource base to support pupils with specific speech, language and communication difficulties from local schools in Peacehaven and Newhaven.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in 36 lessons; 26 were joint observations with the headteacher and deputy headteachers.  Inspectors held meetings with school staff, members of the governing body, parents and carers.  The inspectors observed the school’s work. They looked at a wide range of documentation, including safeguarding documents, the school’s procedures for gaining an accurate view of its own performance and pupils’ work in books.  Inspectors held discussions with several groups of pupils, as well as informal conversations with other pupils during lessons and at breaktimes. In addition, the inspectors listened to pupils read.  Inspectors took account of 120 responses from parents to the Ofsted questionnaire, Parent View, and the school’s own surveys.  Inspectors took into consideration 36 responses to the staff questionnaire, two letters from parents and two phone calls.

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Inspection team

David Harris, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Rosemary Addison Ofsted Inspector Clementina Aina Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted.

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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