Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mr Nathan Golbey Headteacher St Andrew’s CofE Primary School Nuthurst Street Nuthurst Horsham West Sussex RH13 6LH

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Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 3 July 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave me and for the time you made available to discuss the actions you are taking to improve the school since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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Primary School

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in March 2016. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Primary School

Senior leaders and governors are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection in order to become a good school.

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Primary School

The school should take further action to:

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Primary School

 continue to ensure that subject leadership is in place across the curriculum.

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Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, representatives of the governing body and a representative of the local authority to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection. The school improvement plan was evaluated. I reviewed work in pupils’ books, the school’s self-evaluation and information about current pupils’ progress. I met parents who were visiting their child’s new Reception class and spoke to pupils at breaktime.

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Context

Two teachers have left the school since the last inspection. There are currently a number of part-time temporary staff teaching in the school. Three new teachers are joining the school in September. A new special educational needs coordinator has also joined the school.

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Main findings

Leaders have a clear vision and drive to improve the school. They have an accurate view of what the school is doing well and which aspects of the school require further improvement to be good. Leaders have detailed plans for improvement that prioritise those things that will have the greatest impact on pupils’ outcomes. The management of staff performance is rigorous, and weak performance is managed well.

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Main findings

Governors and the local authority value the headteacher and wider leadership team. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They recognise the qualities of school leaders and are appreciative of the good communication regarding staff changes. At the time of the last inspection, leaders were asked to develop the leadership skills of other staff. This has begun. Staff have begun to take on wider leadership roles, for example the leadership of religious education. However, until new substantive staff are in post, senior leaders retain oversight of most of the curriculum.

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Main findings

Governance has improved significantly since the last inspection. New members of the governing body bring a range of valuable knowledge and skills. Governors have developed a code of conduct to ensure that working relationships are harmonious and productive. Governors know the school well. They ask appropriately challenging questions and have a good level of understanding about what they are being told. Governors have absolute clarity about what their role is and is not and therefore are able to remain strategic in their focus. Governors use their time in school to see first-hand what leaders are reporting to them. They listen to what pupils, staff and parents are telling them.

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Main findings

This inspection took place during a ‘moving day’, where pupils visit the classes they will be joining in September. Relationships between adults and pupils are good. Pupils behave well and are respectful of adults. Pupils and parents have strong relationships with senior leaders.

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Main findings

Leaders have begun to revise the religious education curriculum. They are creating greater opportunities for pupils to focus on the similarities and differences between faiths. Work in pupils’ books highlights some reflective thinking regarding different sacred places of worship and their significance to different faiths. Pupils talk with great enthusiasm about the recent whole-school election between the ‘imagination’ and ‘new futures’ parties, where they got a rich range of opportunities to take part in democratic processes. Whole-school projects have begun to help pupils look beyond their school, for example the greater links with a school in Kenya and the tracing of pupils’ ancestry across the wider world. Leaders recognise that this work is at its early stages.

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Main findings

Pupils’ attendance is improving. Leaders took effective action after the significant drop in pupils’ levels of attendance last year. Leaders and governors have new policies and procedures to deal with absence and these are communicated to parents clearly. The number of unauthorised absences is also beginning to decline.

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Main findings

The teaching of phonics is improving. As a result, pupils are making better progress. In Year 1, almost all pupils have met the expected standard in the phonics screening check. Teaching assistants are now well trained and able to support groups of pupils effectively. Work in pupils’ books highlights how pupils are using phonic knowledge effectively in their writing.

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Main findings

Pupils are being given greater opportunities to solve mathematical problems. As a result, pupils develop greater problem-solving and reasoning skills. Leaders review pupils’ work regularly and provide teachers with incisive feedback regarding what is working well and what could be even better. Leaders are using this information to plan the induction of the new staff who will be joining the team soon.

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Main findings

Children in the early years are making better progress than before. The accuracy of assessment information has improved since the autumn term. Planned learning is becoming more linked to what children know and can do. As a result, activities are not too easy or difficult. Children who are not reaching a good level of development are making better progress from their lower starting points. Children who start Reception with age-appropriate knowledge and skills are also making better progress.

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External support

The local authority provides effective support and challenge. Leaders and governors value the rigour of adviser visits and act upon recommendations. The local authority’s support for early years has been invaluable in helping leaders develop their understanding about early years teaching. As a result, leaders acted quickly to address weaknesses in assessment and the learning environment. The local authority has identified good-quality training for support staff and provided financial support for this.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the director of education for the Diocese of Chichester and the director of children’s services for West Sussex. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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