Singleton CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Singleton CofE Primary School Charlton Road, Singleton, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0HP

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Outcome

Singleton CofE Primary School continues to be a good school. However, inspectors have some concerns that standards may be declining, as set out below.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well cared for in this school. Staff have created a strong community feel where each child’s uniqueness is valued. Pupils are safe. They are happy in school. Pupils have many opportunities to mix with other pupils of different ages. They are very supportive of each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders recognise each child’s individual potential. They expect pupils to achieve to the best of their ability. Leaders identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and or/disabilities (SEND) appropriately. They support most pupils with SEND to do well in the subjects they study. More pupils with SEND are achieving better now than in recent years.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils help develop the rules they are expected to follow in and around the school. Most pupils behave well. Pupils say bullying does not happen at the school. If they have any concerns among each other, pupils are confident that staff will help them resolve things quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents and carers value the education their children receive at this school. One parent spoke for many, commenting that the school ‘has an amazing family atmosphere, with all the children looking out for each other’.

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

Leaders have planned some subjects well to help pupils remember more subject-specific knowledge. For example, in science, pupils have secure scientific knowledge because the curriculum is planned and implemented well in a logical and sequential manner by teachers. However, leaders have not ensured that all subjects are consistently well planned to meet the needs of all pupils. Consequently, not all pupils achieve as well as they could by the end of key stage 2. 17 December 2019

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Phonics teaching is not sufficiently effective. Some pupils do not learn the sounds they need to become better readers. Staff do not select books for pupils to read across the curriculum precisely enough to enable pupils to practise and remember the taught sounds. As a result, some pupils do not get off to the good start with learning to read that they should.

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Leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND accurately. However, the curriculum does not always meet the needs of these pupils. Leaders are aware of this and are in the process of taking remedial action.

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The interim headteacher and her team have focused on ensuring that all pupils are safe and happy in school. Leaders have made sure that there are effective procedures in place to support pupils with any concerns raised by pupils and/or staff. As a result, pupils talk positively about the help and support they receive from staff, if they need it.

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Most pupils follow their teachers’ expectations for good behaviour. However, staff do not always have high enough expectations of pupils in the younger years. Here, a few pupils do not routinely follow their teacher’s instructions quickly enough. As such, learning time is not used productively.

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Leaders provide a wide range of opportunities for pupils to learn more than the academic subjects they study. For example, planned nature walks help develop pupils’ knowledge of the local environment well. Leaders have also focused on ensuring that pupils recognise their own and others’ rights to a good education. Similarly, pupils learn to respect people’s differences and diversity well. Parents sometimes talk to pupils, in assemblies, about their own cultural heritages.

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Governors fulfil their legal duties well. They know the strengths of the school and the areas the school needs to improve upon. They ask the right questions to ensure that leaders continue to develop the school appropriately.

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Staff are supportive of each other. They work well together and feel listened to and supported by leaders. They value the ‘open door’ culture developed by the interim headteacher. Most parents agree that they are listened to by school leaders. This school is a close-knit community of staff, parents and pupils. Together, they are developing the school’s education provision further.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know their safeguarding responsibilities. They have developed systems to respond swiftly to any concerns about a child’s welfare. Staff know when and how to report any worries they have about a child. There is strong culture of safeguarding ‘being the responsibility of everyone’. Most parents say their child is safe and happy at this school. 17 December 2019

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Governors regularly review the culture of safeguarding to ensure that it remains effective. They know their safeguarding duties. Governors assess the school’s procedures for employing staff, to confirm they are completed as necessary.

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Leaders support vulnerable pupils and their families responsibly. They work well with other agencies to help theses pupils and families receive the support they need.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not planned all parts of the curriculum well enough. Some subjects are not planned to help pupils know and remember more. Leaders need to ensure that all subject areas of the curriculum are planned logically to help pupils build on what they have previously learned, so more pupils securely grasp the knowledge they are taught.  Leaders have not ensured that the phonics curriculum that pupils study is sufficiently well planned and implemented. Across the curriculum, staff do not always know which books pupils are reading and why. Leaders need to ensure that the planning and delivery of the phonics curriculum improves, so more pupils have the necessary phonics skills and knowledge to help them read and write better.

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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 12 July 2012.

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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. 17 December 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. 17 December 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111388 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Laura Sibley (interim headteacher)

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Information about this school

 The interim headteacher has been in post since September 2019. A substantive headteacher has been appointed for January 2020.  The school was last inspected under section 48 of the 2006 Education Act in January 2018. The school was graded outstanding.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with senior leaders, curriculum leaders, teachers and pupils.  The lead inspector met a representative group of governors.  The lead inspector met a representative group of staff.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the local authority and the Diocese of Chichester.  An inspector met with parents at the start of the inspection. We considered the 16 responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey.  The lead inspector reviewed the school’s website, publicly available pupil performance information and other relevant school documentation.  An inspector reviewed safeguarding procedures in place at the school, including 17 December 2019

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checking the single central record and safeguarding policies. An inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead.  We observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms, at lunchtimes and as they moved around the school.  We did deep dives in reading, mathematics and science.

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Inspection team

Dylan Davies, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Simon Francis Ofsted Inspector 17 December 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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