Southgate Primary

Inspection of Southgate Primary Barrington Road, Southgate, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 6DG

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected 5–6 November 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They like school because they have good relationships and learn about lots of different things. They say the school is a welcoming and caring place where ‘nobody is judged’. Pupils understand the school’s values of ‘respect, team spirit, resilience and resourcefulness’. These are regularly celebrated and rewarded.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behaviour has improved significantly over the past year. Pupils behave well most of the time because everyone understands the rules. This means that pupils’ behaviour does not interrupt learning and they enjoy positive social times together. Pupils move around the school sensibly. They show great respect for each other and listen attentively to their teachers in class.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. Pupils understand what bullying is but are not worried about it. They know who to go to if they have any concerns, and they say that staff are always helpful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high aspirations for all pupils and have been working to improve the school. Their work is increasing in its impact now that leadership and staffing are settled. Pupils are keen to do well, but leaders rightly recognise that they must make further improvements to help all pupils truly flourish and succeed.

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better?

Leaders and the trust have made commendable improvements to many aspects of the academy since it opened. The leadership team has recently strengthened and is now well-placed to build on improvements already achieved. There is a noticeable determination to continue improvement, and there is a sense of optimism within the school.

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better?

From September, leaders have ensured that subject leaders covering the full curriculum are in post. These new leaders are enthusiastic and want to do a good job. Further training and development are required to ensure that subject leadership contributes strongly to the school’s improvement.

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better?

Leaders ensure that pupils are taught a range of different subjects. However, the order in which subject knowledge is taught is not well sequenced. Leaders recognise that teachers need further support to improve their subject knowledge and planning.

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better?

Pupils in key stage 2 study interesting texts in class. These, along with books in the recently opened library, provide pupils with themes and vocabulary that stretch and challenge their learning. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about books they read. However, the teaching of early reading is not secure. Training for teachers and support staff in teaching phonics has been sporadic or ineffective. Pupils who are 5–6 November 2019

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learning to read do not have access to books that precisely match their reading abilities, and pupils who fall behind in their reading are not supported well to catch up.

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Leaders’ recent actions to improve provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is making a positive difference. This group of pupils are supported well pastorally, particularly those who may have specific behavioural needs. However, pupils with SEND struggle to learn what they should because teachers’ plans are not adapted well enough to meet their learning needs. In addition, support staff are not well trained to help this group of pupils effectively with their learning.

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Children are happy in the early years. They play well together and show empathy towards each other. Adults develop good relationships with the children. However, the indoor and outdoor environments are lacklustre and uninviting. Resources do not stimulate children to explore or develop their learning. For example, an outside music area has not been developed well to enable children to explore sounds. While practical day-to-day arrangements mean that children are safe, adults do not undertake comprehensive risk assessments to ensure that children’s welfare requirements are routinely met.

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The school’s expectations for pupils’ behaviour are clear. Everyone understands the behaviour policy, and staff use it consistently. Leaders and staff promote pupils’ positive behaviour at every available opportunity. Pupils are rising to these increased expectations, in lessons and more widely. The behaviour of some pupils, who in the past have struggled, has much improved. The previously high number of exclusions is reducing significantly, and pupils’ attendance overall is improving.

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Building on recent improvements to the wider curriculum and pupils’ behaviour, leaders have well-constructed plans to develop pupils’ personal development, including for disadvantaged pupils. Many pupils already take part in a growing programme of clubs, such as debating club. The whole school has recently created a rousing school prayer, which pupils recite with impressive confidence.

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The headteacher is praised by parents and staff for the positive changes she has made since her arrival. Staff enjoy working at the school. They feel well supported and appreciate the help they get with their well-being and work-life balance.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The headteacher has ensured that staff are well trained in safeguarding, so that everyone is aware of their responsibilities to keep pupils safe. Procedures and systems in the school to keep pupils safe are fit for purpose. Staff are vigilant and report their concerns promptly.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work closely with the local authority and external agencies to ensure that 5–6 November 2019

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pupils are kept safe. They are resolute in their determination to get the right support for pupils and their families.

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In early years, risk assessments to check the safety of the environment and resources that children use require further strengthening.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders should develop the inside and outside environment in early years so that children are provided with a suitable range of stimulating activities and resources that develop their learning and interests well.  Staff in early years should ensure that comprehensive risk assessments to keep children safe are routinely carried out.  The proportion of pupils who are achieving the Year 1 phonics screening check is improving and is now in line with the national average. However, the newly implemented reading programme is not currently effective for all pupils. Leaders need to ensure that the teaching of phonics is accurate and consistent. Books that pupils are given to read need to match their phonics ability. This is so that pupils, including those in early years, get off to the best possible start in their reading.  All subject leaders need to have a thorough knowledge of the subject they lead and how it should be taught. These leaders need to check the quality of provision

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

in their subject so that any actions needed for improvement can be swiftly identified.  Teaching and support staff lack the necessary skills and subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum in ways which meet all pupils’ needs, including those pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils. Leaders need to ensure that staff receive appropriate training so that they can effectively support all pupils with their learning in a wide range of subjects.  Leaders should implement their firm intentions to further strengthen pupils’ personal development.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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 . 5–6 November 2019

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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. 5–6 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10122196 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Southgate Primary converted to become an academy school on 1 July 2017. When its predecessor school, Southgate Primary, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate overall.  The headteacher joined the school in September 2018.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders, middle leaders and teachers.  Inspectors did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, writing and religious education. We discussed the curriculum design with subject leaders, carried out a series of lesson visits, scrutinised pupils’ work and spoke to pupils and teachers about the curriculum.  Inspectors evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding. The school’s single central record was reviewed. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead and the deputy designated safeguarding lead. Inspectors scrutinised 5–6 November 2019

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documentation, including a sample of case files, and spoke to pupils and staff.  The lead inspector met with two members of the school’s strategy board.  Inspectors met with pupils to discuss their views about the school and talked to pupils informally about the school. There were 49 responses to Ofsted’s online pupils’ survey.  Inspectors took account of the 36 responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey, and 24 additional free-text responses.  Inspectors considered the views of 34 members of staff who responded to Ofsted’s staff survey and spoke to a range of staff about their views of the school.  The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer, the education director and the education partner from GLF Schools multi-academy trust.

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Inspection team

Frances Nation, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nigel Cook Ofsted Inspector 5–6 November 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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