White Meadows Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: White Meadows Primary Academy Whitelea Road, Wick, Littlehampton, West Sussex BN17 7JL

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Outcome

White Meadows Primary Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s ambitious mission of ‘Laying the Foundations for Life’ is evident across the school’s thoughtful curriculum. Pupils learn to swim in the on-site pool as soon as they join the Nursery. They learn about the importance of looking after the environment as they grow food in the greenhouses of the school gardens. Pupils told the inspector that they felt lucky to have so many opportunities to create, play and learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel respected and safe because teachers make it very clear that being disrespectful is never acceptable. Staff help pupils resolve conflicts with their peers, so they know how to do this themselves in the future. Because of this, bullying is rare.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know their pupils very well. Helpful support is provided that encourages pupils to communicate their emotions. If a pupil has had a difficult day, reflection time with learning mentors helps them to consider how they can make the next day a positive one.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In lessons, pupils learn the ambitious ‘sticky knowledge’ that leaders have carefully identified. Staff focus on making this knowledge extra ‘sticky’ by teaching memorable lessons. For example, how to make a balanced food group pizza in science.

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

Leaders have reviewed the whole school curriculum to make sure that they have clearly identified what pupils must know and be able to do each year. Leaders carefully order this knowledge in every subject from when pupils start in Nursery until they leave school. Because leaders are precise about the knowledge pupils need to learn each year, lessons are purposeful and well designed. For example, in science, Year 5 pupils learn about plants and plant reproduction. They are able to link this knowledge to prior learning about the different seasons. Pupils are then able to identify examples of pollinators or asexual reproduction in a range of different seasonal plants.

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

Children in Nursery and Reception start learning to read as soon as they join the school. 12 and 13 July 2022

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As pupils progress through each year, leaders carefully check what sounds and words pupils can read. If pupils struggle to learn groups of sounds and words, staff provide effective class support to help them catch up. Pupils read to adults each week. Adults record detailed notes about the sounds that pupils struggle with. These notes help teachers identify gaps in pupils’ learning. Leaders know that not all pupils get enough opportunity to practise reading at home. Though leaders have plans to provide these pupils more time to read to an adult in school, these plans are not always consistently carried out.

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In reading and mathematics, leaders use assessment to check that the curriculum is accessible to all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers use this information to recap learning and close gaps in knowledge. In foundation subjects, such as science and physical education, assessment is less effective. Leaders do not have the same detailed overview. This means that staff are not always able to check whether pupils have remembered the learning in the foundation subjects. Leaders have begun to develop plans to address this to ensure they regularly review the effectiveness of the curriculum.

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Leaders know pupils well and are quick to identify emerging additional educational needs. They engage with external experts to make sure they have a strong understanding of the complex needs of some pupils. Leaders develop detailed plans which set out the support these pupils need. The special educational needs coordinator provides training so all staff know how to implement these plans. However, leaders have not ensured that all staff supporting pupils with SEND fulfil their responsibility to implement these plans. This means that some pupils do not get the support they need to access the full curriculum and achieve well.

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Leaders are determined to provide all pupils with a wealth of wider development opportunities. Pupils learn about key figures like Rosa Parks or Emmeline Pankhurst and how these people have influenced the world they live in today. Leaders encourage pupils to take on challenges such as ‘11 before 11’ where pupils aim to complete 11 exciting challenges, like riding a horse, before the age of 11.

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The trust and governors work closely with leaders to ensure there is an accurate view of the school’s priorities. They provide staff with a range of well-being and professional development opportunities that focus on making further improvements to the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a robust culture of safeguarding in place. Detailed records provide clear oversight of the swift and effective actions that leaders have taken to address concerns about pupils’ welfare. Leaders are tenacious in seeking support for these pupils and their families. Leaders provide help to families in need to access food, uniform and transport so that pupils can still attend school regularly.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe online and when outside of school. Pupils can 12 and 13 July 2022

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confidently explain the importance of protecting their identity online and how to report any online bullying.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not ensured that there are effective systems of assessment in place in the foundation subjects. Therefore, staff cannot easily identify pupils with gaps in their knowledge. Leaders must ensure that there are appropriate systems of assessment in place to help teachers to identify and provide additional support to pupils who are at risk of falling behind.  While leaders write detailed plans of support for pupils with SEND, not all staff implement them with consistency. As a result, these pupils do not always get the appropriate support they need to keep up with their peers. Leaders must ensure that their plans for pupils are well understood by all staff so that all pupils receive the appropriate support that they need.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, White Meadows Primary School, to be good in February 2014.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 12 and 13 July 2022

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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. 12 and 13 July 2022

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School details

Website www.whitemeadows.w-sussex.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 January 2017

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Information about this school

 White Meadows Primary School is part of the REAch2 Academy Trust.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The school offers before- and after-school provision. This is managed by school leaders.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, staff and pupils. They also spoke with representatives of the governing body and the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and physical education. They discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, teachers and pupils, visited lessons and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered the 44 responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire, including 30 free-text comments. They also took account of the responses to the 12 and 13 July 2022

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confidential staff questionnaire and gathered the views of both staff and pupils throughout the inspection.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the school’s website and policies and met with safeguarding leaders. They also spoke to pupils, staff and governors and scrutinised school records of the safeguarding checks on adults working in the school.  Inspectors reviewed and scrutinised a range of the school’s documentation, including leaders’ plans for improving the school, minutes of governing body meetings and records of behaviour incidents.

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Inspection team

Michelle Lower, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Parker Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 July 2022

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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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