St Peter's CofE Primary School

St Peter’s Church of England Primary School Fabians Way, Henfield, West Sussex BN5 9PU Inspection dates 21–22 June 2016

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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

 Senior leaders and governors have brought focus and vision to the school. As a result, all staff now have high expectations of what pupils can achieve; they have developed a drive and ambition for pupils to achieve their best.  Teaching is improving and is now good. Lessons are well planned to meet the needs of pupils, reflecting pupils’ very positive attitudes to learning.  Outcomes are improving across the school in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils are now making at least expected progress and some pupils are making accelerated progress and reaching higher levels, particularly in reading.  Pupils’ behaviour in and out of class is good. They are proud to be part of the school and enjoy talking about their achievements.  Governors challenge leaders effectively, holding them to account for their actions. They offer good support and know the school well.  Personal development is strongly promoted

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This is a good school

throughout the school. Provision for the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils form excellent relationships with each other and work hard.  The early years provision supports children’s development and learning well. Children are well cared for and they make a good start to their education.  The curriculum is effective in meeting the needs of the pupils. It is enhanced by a wide variety of opportunities to enrich pupils’ learning.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers sometimes do not use all available information on what pupils can already do to plan activities and learning. As a result, occasionally, some pupils do not make quite as much progress as they could.  Teachers do not always give pupils enough direction to help them improve their work.  The most able pupils are not always challenged to achieve as much as they can in mathematics so they do not reach the highest levels.  Middle leaders are not yet consistently improving teaching in their areas of responsibility.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that pupils make as much progress as possible by: using the information teachers have on what pupils already know to plan suitable tasks challenging the most able pupils in mathematics so that they reach the higher levels of attainment making sure that teachers consistently provide useful feedback to help pupils improve their work, and allow them time to make improvements.  Ensure that middle leaders have the necessary skills to improve teaching in their areas of responsibility.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Senior leaders, supported by governors, are determined to improve all aspects of the school and they have successfully shared this ambition with all members of staff. As a result, teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and they work hard to make sure that pupils do well.  Leaders have successfully embedded the school’s vision: respectful, resourceful, resilient and always aiming high, so staff and pupils demonstrate positive, ‘can do’ attitudes which are helping to drive improvements in all areas. Teachers now deliver interesting lessons that capture pupils’ imagination. This, combined with pupils’ enthusiasm to work hard and do their best, means that almost all pupils are now achieving their potential.  As a result of accurate self-evaluation, the interim headteacher, supported by the consultant headteacher, has rightly made improving teaching a priority. They have successfully developed structures

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

within school to make teachers accountable for pupils’ progress. This, together with more effective monitoring of teaching, has led to the improvements now seen in the school. Lesson observations are accurate, and feedback to teachers is detailed and timely, so that necessary changes can be implemented straightaway.  Leaders make good use of the new detailed assessment information that is now available. They make sure that individual teachers are aware of those pupils who are not making enough progress, those that are falling behind and those who need to make accelerated progress. As a result, progress continues to improve and the proportions of pupils who are making expected and better than expected progress are increasing.  Middle leaders, with support from the local authority, are developing the necessary skills to drive improvements in teaching. However, these skills are not embedded and these leaders are not yet being

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

held to account for this aspect of their role.  Leaders have developed a curriculum that effectively meets the needs of the pupils, with a clear emphasis on personal development. Curriculum planning takes into account what pupils want to learn within subjects. For example, pupils wanted to know why it was so difficult to stop buildings burning during the Great Fire of London. With the help of the local fire service, teachers organised a re- enactment, which one pupil described as, ‘awesome! You could see just how fast the fire spread’. There are plenty of good-quality activities for pupils to get involved in after school, such as sports clubs, and clubs for sewing and art. Parents are encouraged to help enrich the curriculum further by sharing their cultures and experiences. This was the case recently when parents visited the school to talk to pupils about the Hindu feast of Diwali and Chinese New Year.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Leaders have successfully targeted additional funding for pupils eligible for the pupil premium. As a result, these pupils are doing as well as other pupils in the school.  Sports funding has been used wisely to offer a greater variety of activities in which pupils can participate, to develop teachers’ coaching skills and to increase the numbers of pupils who now take part in sports activities.  Carefully planned opportunities for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are woven into the curriculum. They support the school’s own faith values and are covered effectively within different subjects, through visits and in well-planned assemblies. The promotion of British values is appropriate and the school makes effective links to its own core values. Pupils have the chance to experience values such as democracy when voting for school councillors.  Parents say that their children enjoy their learning and most think that the school is well managed. Some

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

parents would like to have more information on how well their child is progressing academically. The school is responding positively to these concerns with the introduction of termly pupil progress reports.  The school has received sustained, good-quality support from the local authority. It has been focused on developing capacity in leadership, improving teaching, and developing robust procedures for holding staff to account.  The governance of the school  The governance of the school is good. Governors know the school well. They have a good understanding of its strengths and the areas that require further development. They have supported senior leaders by providing extra resources to enable them to focus on improving teaching, so that pupils can achieve better outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics.  Working with the local authority, governors have developed effective performance management

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

procedures that are robust and transparent, and which all staff understand. These are stringently applied, with clear links to pay progression. In so doing, they effectively hold leaders and teachers to account for improving pupils’ outcomes within their areas of responsibility. They provide valuable challenge to leaders, questioning decisions and evaluating the impact of leaders’ actions. Governors check carefully that additional funding, such as the pupil premium and sports funding, is used effectively and has a demonstrable impact.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders and governors take all appropriate action to ensure that pupils are kept safe. Concerns regarding the safety and welfare of children are acted upon promptly and robustly. All at the school have up-to-date training and the appointed safeguarding governor works closely with the designated safeguarding lead to undertake useful monitoring of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

processes to keep pupils safe. Arrangements for the appointment of new staff are stringent and meticulously recorded. The school meets the statutory requirements for keeping children safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching has improved since the last inspection and is now consistently good. Pupils enjoy learning and describe their lessons as exciting and fun. Most parents agree that their children are well taught.  Teachers plan exciting lessons that capture pupils’ attention and develop their thinking, so that pupils have a high level of engagement in their learning. Teachers’ good subject knowledge, well-established routines and high expectations in lessons ensure that learning time is used effectively to enable pupils to work hard and do well.  The use of talk partners is particularly effective during lessons. It gives pupils the opportunity to express their ideas and develop their thinking. Pupils appreciate these opportunities and enjoy challenging their peers to explain their answers.  The new assessment system that was introduced in September is helping teachers set targets for their pupils. When they use this information effectively, teachers plan lessons that build on what pupils already

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

know. Mainly, pupils are set challenging tasks so that they make good progress, but this is not always the case. Occasionally, tasks are not quite at the right level to support pupils to learn as much as they can. This is particularly the case for the most able pupils in mathematics.  The teaching of reading is a real strength throughout the school. The effective teaching of phonics (letters and sounds) is built upon well and pupils of all ages use this knowledge when reading unfamiliar words. Teachers provide good opportunities to develop pupils’ understanding of different types of text. They successfully foster pupils’ love of reading through celebrations such as World Book Day and in- school initiatives including The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party in key stage 1 and The Chocolate Tea Party in key stage 2.  Writing is taught effectively throughout the school. Teachers focus on the development of basic

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

punctuation and vocabulary before moving on to more complex sentence construction and punctuation. Opportunities to write in other subjects are plentiful, with good examples seen in science and in topics.  The teaching of mathematics has improved as a result of the high-quality training teachers have received. Pupils are making good progress overall, but there are currently not sufficient opportunities throughout the school for the most able pupils to extend their knowledge and deepen their understanding. Basic skills are well taught and the work seen in books shows that number and measurement are well developed, as are multiplication and shape.  Teachers’ marking and feedback recognise pupils’ successes and suggest further work to do. When teachers identify how pupils can improve their work and provide time for improvements to be made, pupils make more progress. However, this is not yet happening in all classes.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching assistants are very effective in helping those pupils who have difficulties; they offer good support in lessons so that pupils do not fall behind in their learning.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils have good attitudes to their work and are proud to be part of St Peter’s School. This is reflected in the good attendance rates.  Pupils enjoy and take seriously opportunities to take on extra responsibility, such as becoming a school councillor or a reading ambassador. Working with other pupils is a role that they see as particularly worthwhile. One reading ambassador said, ‘I can show them what I have learned and they can learn from me’.  The school’s ‘mindset’ programme, which concentrates on building up pupils’ resilience and ‘not being afraid to have a go’ mentality, is very effective in developing pupils’ confidence.  Pupils have a good understanding of what constitutes bullying. A number of parents raised concerns about bullying; however, inspectors’ checks on records and procedures indicate that school staff take it

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Personal development and welfare

seriously and ensure that it is followed up swiftly. Pupils said that there are occasional instances of bullying, but that when it does happen, members of the school staff deal with these quickly and effectively.  Pupils feel safe at school because they trust the adults around them. Parents agree that their children are well cared for. Pupils feel this way because St Peter’s is a school where individual pupils are respected and the environment is free from discrimination.  Pupils learn how to keep safe in school and at home. They have a good understanding of how to be safe on the internet. During their recent e-safety week, pupils produced e-safety information pamphlets that are now available for pupils and parents in the school’s reception area. They understand how a balanced diet and regular exercise can keep them healthy.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are polite, courteous and inquisitive, and always willing to talk about their learning. They form very good relationships with their teachers and enjoy the bonds they have with their friends.  In lessons, pupils behave well and are eager to learn. They understand the school’s approach to behaviour and appreciate the rewards they receive for behaving well. Pupils think that behaviour in class and on the playground is good and the majority of parents and staff agree. The importance of respect was a theme that inspectors encountered on many occasions when talking or observing the pupils during our visit. Pupils demonstrate this through their developing awareness of managing their behaviour in class so that they do not interfere with other pupils’ learning.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Outcomes for pupils have improved since the previous inspection and are now good.  In the end-of-year tests in 2015, pupils at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 achieved the same as other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. The school’s assessment information, which has been checked by the local authority, alongside work in books, illustrates that this trend has continued and results are likely to be similar this year.  In Year 6, the proportion of pupils who made better than expected progress in mathematics was below that achieved nationally. Because the most able pupils are not challenged well enough in mathematics, it is likely to be the same this year.  Children enter Reception with knowledge and understanding typical for their age. They make good progress in their learning due to good teaching and now achieve a good level of development that is slightly above national expectations.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 In Year 1, pupils build effectively on the phonics skills which they started in Reception. As a result, pupils now achieve better than expected levels in the national screening check for phonics.  Outcomes for reading throughout the school are good. Pupils make good progress in their reading and most-able readers achieve the higher levels, with good opportunities to develop their skills of comprehension.  In writing, pupils’ progress is good. Work in books shows that almost all pupils make at least expected progress and many make more. Opportunities for the most able pupils to extend their writing and vocabulary are evident, particularly in Year 6.  Disadvantaged pupils do as well as their peers in reading, writing and mathematics. Their progress is monitored carefully and support programmes are tailored effectively to meet individual needs.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress, in line with other

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Outcomes for pupils are good

pupils. They are well supported in class with a good balance of encouragement and challenge. As a result, they are confident to try new activities and are gaining independence in their learning.  Pupils are given a variety of opportunities throughout the curriculum to have high-quality experiences in subjects such as art, science and music. During the course of the inspection, pupils were involved in a drumming workshop that was not only fun, but developed their skills of cooperation, teamwork and musical performance.

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Early years provision is good

 Early years is now an area of strength in the school. Leaders have worked tirelessly to improve outcomes for the school’s youngest children. As a result of effective leadership, consistently good teaching and a well-developed understanding of how young children best learn, children make good progress throughout their first year at school.  Children begin school with starting points that are typical for their age overall. Many of the children have lower than expected language skills that could make it difficult for them to settle comfortably. However, there are very good procedures to make sure that children enter the setting confidently. These include visits to the children’s nursery, day visits to the Reception classes and opportunities for parents to join their children in class within the first few weeks.  Parents are very appreciative of these opportunities to be involved and feel part of their child’s school

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Early years provision is good

journey. One parent commented, ‘engagement right from the very beginning helped my child to settle. He had no fear of going in whatsoever’.  Children undertake tasks with sustained concentration and work very well together. Teachers model respect and care at all times. As a result, children form positive relationships with one another.  Teachers and assistants focus very much on the development of early language and this is highly effective. They constantly reinforce language and develop the children’s vocabulary. Children respond well to this and make good progress, so that by the end of Reception they are ready for the challenges of Year 1.  Evidence from the children’s learning journals and activities seen in lessons shows that there is a strong focus on early number skills. Teachers provide children with an array of opportunities to use numbers to count sets of objects, identify one more or one less or to divide a set of objects between two people. Able

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Early years provision is good

children are appropriately challenged. During one session, a child divided 21 lolly sticks between two people. With skilful questioning from the teacher, it was not long before the child was beginning to understand the concept of a remainder.  Teachers and assistants provide children with a variety of well-thought-out tasks to develop their imagination, understanding and confidence. Leaders and teachers are currently improving opportunities to support children’s physical development by providing more focused tasks outside and planning activities to help children build up their stamina.  Short, sharp phonics sessions, where children learn their letters and sounds, are having a very positive effect on children’s ability and attitude to reading. Children enjoy their opportunities to read and sit attentively, joining in enthusiastically when listening to adults read.  Teachers choose interesting topics that capture children’s interest and develop good attitudes to learning.

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Early years provision is good

During the inspection, children were finding out about snails. Children enjoyed learning about these creatures, drew them, observed them and counted them. They did so with enthusiasm and cooperation, and one child who was reading a book about snails was keen to share with the inspector that, ‘snails live in damp places’.  All adults are well trained in aspects of child protection, the environment is safe and the early years leader regularly monitors all aspects of safety to ensure that all welfare requirements are fully met.

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School details

Unique reference number 126028 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 10012311

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 374 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rod Brown Interim headteacher Laura Roberts Telephone number 01273 492447 Website www.st-peters-henfield.w-sussex.sch.uk Email address office@st-peters-henfield.w.sussex.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 12–13 June 2014

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Information about this school

 St Peter’s Church of England Primary School is an above-average-sized school.  A consultant headteacher has been working with the school since September 2015. Until very recently this had been for one day a week, but she is now the interim headteacher for the next six weeks, covering for the current interim headteacher who is on maternity leave. The consultant headteacher is working closely with the newly appointed headteacher, who will take up the post full time in September.  Most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is below average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium (government funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority) is

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Information about this school

below the national average. The percentage of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is also below average.  The school met the government’s floor standards in 2015, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed a range of lessons across the school; senior leaders took part in six joint lesson observations.  Discussions were held with senior leaders, members of staff, pupils, a group of parents, members of the local governing body, representatives of the local authority and a representative from the local teaching school alliance.  Inspectors examined a wide range of documentation, including that relating to: safeguarding; attendance and behaviour; school improvement planning; assessment information; monitoring of teaching; joint moderation and external moderation of pupils’ work; minutes of governing body meetings; local authority school reports; and school policies.  Inspectors spoke to pupils informally during the day and observed them during playtime, lunchtime and assemblies.  Inspectors listened to pupils read from Year 2 and Year 6 and met formally with a group of pupils to discuss their learning, attitudes to their school work, behaviour and safety. They looked at the work in

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Information about this inspection

pupils’ books and on display. They looked at the school’s assessments of pupils’ progress and considered pupils’ opinions via the online survey.  Inspectors considered the views of parents through meeting a group of parents, together with taking into account 78 responses to the online questionnaire Parent View.

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Inspection team

Bill James, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Lesley Fisher Ofsted Inspector Judith Askey Brown Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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