East Preston Infant School

Inspection of a good school: East Preston Infant School Lashmar Road, East Preston, Littlehampton, West Sussex BN16 1EZ

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Outcome

East Preston Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school and are happy. They say that they love coming to school because teachers make lessons fun. Pupils especially enjoy their frequent visits to the forest school and beach school. They spoke excitedly to me about their outdoor learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well cared for at school. All staff have high expectations of pupils and encourage them to ‘be the best they can be’ in all areas of school life. By the end of Year 2, pupils are well prepared for their next school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. Inside the school, pupils move around quietly as ‘corridor creepers’, trying to not disturb others. Staff ensure that pupils’ voices are heard through both the school council and the eco-council.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told me that they feel safe in school. They say that bullying sometimes happens and that staff are good at dealing with it. They understand that they need to tell someone if they are worried about something. For example, they have learned that, if they need to, they can call a helpline. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online, for example by not sharing passwords.

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

Leaders are continually developing an exciting, well-structured and broad curriculum. The curriculum is well sequenced. It builds towards a point where pupils are ready for the next stage of their education. Subjects are arranged in a logical way which builds upon previous learning. Following the school’s policies, pupils benefit from practising the skills and knowledge learned in the classroom in a practical way outdoors. For example, pupils apply their knowledge of direction, such as north and west, during lessons at beach school. By the end of Year 2 most pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. In computing, however, the structure and order in which knowledge and skills are taught are not yet fully developed. 16–17 October 2019

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Teachers promote a love of reading across the school. Pupils love the extensive library. They say that they can use it to find out more about things they are learning in class. Staff teach phonics well from day one in Reception. Close checks on pupils’ progress ensure that extra help is given to anyone who is falling behind. Pupils take books to read at home that are matched to the sounds they have learned in class. When reading aloud, they use their phonics skills well to work out tricky words. Over time almost all pupils make the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check.

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Mathematics teaching is well sequenced. New material is carefully introduced and adapted to meet the needs of all learners. Pupils benefit from many opportunities to use and apply their mathematical knowledge in other subjects. They can remember previous learning and apply it to their present work.

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Pupils listen well to their teachers. They settle quickly and are keen to learn. Pupils are keen to share their ideas. They listen respectfully to the views of other pupils.

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There is a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) at the school. The highly trained staff support pupils with SEND well. Pupils with SEND are fully included in all aspects of school life. Most pupils with SEND make strong progress.

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Children in the early years work and play well together. Reception staff work closely with parents and nurseries to ensure that children are ready to start school. As a result, children can start learning from day one. Once at school, the children’s progress is carefully monitored. Support is quickly put in place if any child is falling behind. This support ensures that they make strong progress and are ready for Year 1.

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Pupils are given many opportunities to develop as caring, thoughtful individuals. For example, pupils visit places of worship to learn about differing religions. They learn about differences through regular visits by a disability group. They visit local restaurants to cook and taste food from different cultures. Every pupil in Years 1 and 2 represents the school in competitive sport during the year. Many pupils enjoy the wide range of after-school clubs.

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Leaders ensure that the well-being of every member of staff is a high priority. They have streamlined assessment systems to make them more effective, reducing staff workload. Staff say they benefit from a range of events such as relaxation and mindfulness sessions or social occasions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff throughout the school are knowledgeable about how to keep children safe. Staff receive regular, useful training and know what to do should they have safeguarding concerns. Leaders are quick to act should a concern arise. They work well with support agencies to provide extra help for pupils. Governors regularly visit the school to ensure that safeguarding procedures are followed 16–17 October 2019

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through effectively by all members of staff. Pupils are taught effectively how to stay safe online during computing lessons.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have embedded a well sequenced and structured curriculum across the whole school. However, the sequencing of how computing is taught is not yet fully developed across all year groups. Leaders need to ensure that the existing plans for further improving the curriculum are implemented.

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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.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 21 to 22 March 2011.

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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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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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. 16–17 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111330 Type of school Infant

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21–22 March 2011

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the school has grown from a two-form entry school to a three-form entry school.

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Information about this inspection

 During this inspection, I met with senior leaders, subject leaders and six governors, including the chair of the governing body. I also met with a representative of the local authority.  I considered the quality of education by looking at reading, mathematics, history and computing. To do this I held interviews with staff and pupils, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work.  I reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising safeguarding records, interviewing staff and through discussions with pupils.  I spoke with teachers and support staff about their workload and well-being.  I heard pupils read from each year group.  I considered the views of staff, parents and pupils through the Ofsted surveys and through discussions. 16–17 October 2019

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Inspection team

Brian Macdonald, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 16–17 October 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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