Plaistow and Kirdford Primary School

Inspection of good school: Plaistow and Kirdford Primary School Plaistow, Billingshurst, West Sussex RH14 0PX

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Outcome

Plaistow and Kirdford Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are happy, safe and well behaved. Everyone gets on well together. All who work here put children’s needs and well-being first. Adults are quick to deal with any worries that pupils have. These include the very rare incidents of bullying. Pupils know that if this happens, staff will notice and nip it in the bud.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish in their learning and in their personal development. They work hard to meet teachers’ high expectations. Leaders, staff and governors are a motivated, united team. Everyone shares the headteacher’s ambition to give pupils the best possible education. In recent years, pupils have left Year 6 well prepared for secondary school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils grow into confident, caring, resilient individuals. Working outdoors, especially in the nearby woodland, helps pupils to learn much about the natural world. They learn to use tools and develop important skills, such as teamwork, which they apply in other lessons. Pupils also enjoy a wide range of clubs and sporting opportunities outside the school day.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are full of praise for the school. They appreciate how teachers treat pupils as individuals and teach to a high standard. Parents feel included and involved. 10–11 September 2019

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Senior leaders are determined that all pupils will succeed, whatever their background, needs or circumstances. Pupils work hard, take learning seriously and achieve well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective support. Most achieve well.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Last school year, leaders, including subject leaders, checked on the content that pupils were learning. Following on from these checks, leaders made some improvements to the curriculum. This revised curriculum is now in place and covers all subjects of the national curriculum.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Plans in mathematics show what pupils should know at the end of each year. Teachers introduce new ideas and knowledge so pupils build on previous learning. They check carefully to make sure that all pupils have understood. If pupils struggle, they receive effective help and support. In recent years, pupils achieved well in mathematics, especially in key stage 2.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school wastes no time in helping children on their journey to being confident readers. Staff in early years and key stage 1 have a strong knowledge of phonics and use their expertise well when teaching children to read. Teachers pick up quickly on the few pupils who fall behind. Pupils take books home to practise reading. Almost all pupils leave key stage 1 able to read well for their age. However, a very small number continue to struggle. Leaders are aware of this.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teachers across the school help pupils to enjoy books. Almost all pupils become keen readers. Pupils like listening to stories at the end of the day. They also enjoy a well- stocked library. A new approach to reading is helping pupils to become even better readers, especially in key stage 2.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The curriculum enables pupils to build their knowledge and skills as they move through the school. For example, the inspector saw pupils in Year 6 use their previous knowledge of British history to place a large number of historical events in chronological order. Pupils in Year 2 could link what they were learning about castles with what they had remembered about the Great Fire of London. However, in some subjects other than English and mathematics, teachers are not always clear about exactly what pupils should know and be able to do at the end of each topic.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders understand that pupils have a limited experience of life in other parts of the country. The school has links with another school in the East End of London. Pupils visit each other’s schools, gaining a wider understanding of life in modern Britain.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils enjoy a wide range of activities outside the school day. Pupils from all backgrounds enjoy and take part in these clubs. Leaders have a keen eye to make sure that as many disadvantaged pupils as possible join in.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Children in early years settle into school very quickly. The first day of the inspection was only their second day in school. Staff had already established clear routines that all 10–11 September 2019

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children followed. As a result, there is a calm atmosphere where children learn happily and safely. They share, show kindness, and take turns. Staff provide an interesting range of activities to help children gain in knowledge and skills. Children respond enthusiastically. They enjoy learning, including taking the early steps in reading, writing and using numbers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Senior leaders know the risks that pupils in this school face. They are particularly aware of the potential hazards for pupils online and ensure that pupils learn how to stay safe. Leaders have developed a culture where all are alert and well trained so that pupils are safe, whatever their background or circumstances. Adults notice when things do not look right and report any concerns promptly and accurately.

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Safeguarding

The necessary policies and procedures are all in place. These include checks on people who apply to work in the school. At the start of the inspection, the single central record showed that some checks that the school had undertaken had not been recorded. By the end of the inspection, everything was in order.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Senior leaders have done much work on the curriculum to make sure that it is broad, balanced and ambitious. Curriculum plans are in place and being implemented for all subjects. However, in subjects other than English and mathematics, teachers need to be more precise about exactly what pupils should know, remember and be able to do at the end of each unit of work or topic.  The very few pupils who leave key stage 1 without being able to read fluently do not receive enough help to master phonics further up the school. Staff in key stage 2 need to be supported so that they have the knowledge and skills to teach phonics confidently.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately. 10–11 September 2019

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 10–11 September 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111300 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 February 2016

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Information about this school

 This was the second section 8 inspection since we judged Plaistow and Kirdford Primary School to be good on 5 October 2010.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector met with the headteacher regularly throughout the inspection. He also met with the deputy headteacher and the inclusion leader. Meetings were held with two governors (including the chair of governors) and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector looked closely at reading, mathematics and history. This involved conducting a number of linked activities to gather evidence about how well pupils are helped to gain knowledge and skills. These included a discussion with the headteacher and meetings with the leaders of each of these subjects. The inspector visited lessons in different year groups, including Reception. The headteacher joined in these lesson visits. The inspector also spoke to pupils and teachers from these lessons. In mathematics, the inspector also looked at the work of the pupils that he spoke with. This work scrutiny was done with the deputy headteacher, who also leads mathematics

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Information about this inspection

in the school.  The inspector spoke to pupils and staff throughout the inspection to reach an understanding of the school’s safeguarding arrangements. He had a meeting with the 10–11 September 2019

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headteacher to discuss how the school keeps pupils safe. Safeguarding was also discussed at a meeting with governors. He also looked at various documents relating to safeguarding, including a case study of a vulnerable pupil.

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Inspection team

Bruce Waelend, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 10–11 September 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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