Ferring C of E Primary School

Inspection of Ferring C of E Primary School Sea Lane, Ferring, Worthing, West Sussex BN12 5DU

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 October 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 18 and 19 October 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Ferring C of E Primary is a welcoming school, where pupils flourish. Pupils model the Ferring values through their actions and in their work. They benefit from the excellent relationships they have with staff. This helps them grow in confidence rapidly. Pupils are happy and safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the school rules of ‘Ready, Respectful, Safe’. This helps them know how they are expected to behave. Pupils have a strong sense of what is right and wrong. Children in Reception learn school routines quickly. They show high levels of interest and engagement in learning. This continues as pupils progress through the school, where they learn and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like the strong sense of community. They take an active role in the school and are keen to help each other. Pupils take great pride in carrying out a range of responsibilities, including school council and playground activity leaders. Incidents of unkindness are rare. If bullying happens, it is dealt with swiftly by adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish the wider opportunities available to them. They enjoy clubs such as football and origami. They also look forward to trips, including visits to the local beach and Arundel Castle, enjoying the different ways these help them learn.

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better?

New leaders have raised aspirations to bring about a significant improvement across many areas of the school. They have a clear and accurate view of the school. Leaders have rightly focused on improving the school’s curriculum. This work has been effective. Pupils now benefit from a curriculum which is clearly structured to include what they need to know and how it is to be learned. This knowledge, including vocabulary, has been sequenced carefully. Pupils’ understanding builds over time from Reception onwards. As a result, pupils enter each school year well prepared for new learning.

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better?

Leaders have correctly prioritised the development of reading. They have introduced an effective approach to early reading that ensures pupils quickly learn how to read. Teachers choose books that help pupils to practise the sounds and words they have been learning in class. Pupils falling behind are supported well to catch up with their peers. As pupils move into key stage 2, they develop into fluent readers, who enjoy the vast range of high-quality books available.

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better?

Subject leaders share their expertise with teachers effectively. As a result, in most subjects, staff are skilful at enabling pupils to learn well. They use assessment effectively to check what pupils have understood and remembered. Staff use this information to accurately identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, these pupils are well supported with appropriate 18 and 19 October 2022

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resources. This means pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their classmates.

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In a small number of subjects, staff subject knowledge is less secure. This is because these areas of the curriculum are in earlier stages of development. This means that, in these subjects, teachers are not yet clear about what pupils need to learn and remember. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge, which are not routinely addressed by teachers.

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Pupils benefit from the school’s personal development curriculum. They are taught about different religions, cultures and beliefs. From Reception onwards, pupils learn about different relationships and how to identify those that may be risky. They learn about online safety. Older pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of social media. Pupils are encouraged to participate in their community. They raise funds for local charities, such as ‘Turning Tides’, and collect for the foodbank as part of the school’s harvest celebrations.

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Subject leaders receive high-quality support and mentoring to carry out their role. Those who have been in post a while have benefited from this. They know how well the curriculum is working in their subject and what needs to improve. A small number of subject leaders are inexperienced and yet to develop the same clear oversight.

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Governance is strong. Governors provide highly effective support and challenge to leaders. Staff are proud to work at this school. They appreciate the support they receive from leaders. They value the thoughtful actions of leaders taken to reduce their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding. They teach pupils how to identify potential localised risks. Pupils know who to talk to if they are concerned. They can share any worries they may have in the ‘ask it baskets’ in their classrooms as adults check these daily.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive ongoing training on their responsibilities for safeguarding. Staff know pupils well and are alert to anything that may be a concern. They know what action to take if they are worried about the safety of a child. Leaders act swiftly on these reports. They liaise well with other agencies to support pupils where necessary.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers’ knowledge about the curriculum is not fully developed. As a result, teachers are not able to identify and address gaps in 18 and 19 October 2022

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pupils’ understanding. Leaders should ensure that teachers have a consistent understanding of curriculum content and progression in all subjects.  Some subject leaders are new to the role. As a result, they are not yet able to provide timely support to staff. This means that in those subjects, pupils do not learn as well as they should. Senior leaders should ensure that subject leaders are well trained and supported to carry out their roles effectively.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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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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. 18 and 19 October 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241521 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 10 June 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Chichester. The last inspection of its religious character was in July 2017.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  There is before- and after-school childcare provision on site run by an external provider.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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. 18 and 19 October 2022

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. They also met with members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and the diocesan advisor.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, computing and art.  For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  During the inspection, inspectors met with a range of pupils to discuss their views about the school and talked to them informally during social times.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised a wide range of information, including a selection of the school’s records. Inspectors spoke to staff and pupils about safeguarding and looked at how pupils learn to keep themselves safe. Inspectors spoke to the safeguarding leader about the recording and reporting of

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safeguarding incidents.  Inspectors met some parents to gain their views of the school. They reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. They also took account of staff responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Laura James, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Neil Wilson Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 October 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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