Baldwins Hill Primary School, East Grinstead

Inspection of Baldwins Hill Primary School, East Grinstead Lowdells Lane, Baldwins Hill, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 2AP

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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 Good 18 and 19 October 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the moment that children join in the early years, staff at this school get to know them well. This means that pupils feel valued and are treated as individuals. As a result, pupils are supported well, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), where the help they receive is tailored to their needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to the ambitions that their teachers have for them, and this is reflected in the quality of work that pupils produce. There are high expectations for their behaviour, both in and out of the classroom, and pupils rise to meet them well. They are polite to each other, listening to what other people have to say, and responding with kindness.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and feel safe in this school. Bullying is rare. If bullying does happen the staff deal with it quickly and the actions that they take are usually effective in preventing it from happening again.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be part of an inclusive school. All pupils have access to clubs and wider opportunities and many pupils have represented the school in a range of sporting activities.

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better?

Pupils benefit from a well-thought-out curriculum, which allows them to build on what they have already learned. In Reception Year there is a clear plan for how children will progress through the different areas of learning. Leaders have carefully considered how best to promote children’s wider social development. However, sometimes pupils do not have access to activities which best represent these ambitious goals or the resources they need to achieve them. For example, materials for some activities are left in cupboards and children are unsure of how to make use of activities that have been set up for them.

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better?

Leaders have made sure that the whole school’s curriculum is well planned out. However, it is not consistently delivered effectively. Occasionally, teachers’ explanations are confusing, and pupils’ misconceptions are not corrected quickly enough. This is also the case in some reading activities. The curriculum for reading is suitable and children start learning to read from the beginning of early years. Children develop a love of books and reading but sometimes their mispronunciation of sounds is not picked up quickly enough by staff. However, pupils who need more help to read benefit from well-targeted support and catch up well. Older pupils read fluently and with obvious delight in the stories.

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better?

Staff are ambitious for all pupils in this school. Teachers use assessments well to identify gaps in knowledge. In most cases they then put in place measures to help pupils to catch up with anything that they have missed. Leaders make sure that 18 and 19 October 2022

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teachers understand how to identify and meet the needs of pupils with SEND. They then work well with parents and carers to make sure that suitable adaptations are put in place. These adaptations mean that almost all pupils are able to follow the same curriculum and keep up with their peers.

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Leaders ensure that staff follow a consistent and calm process if pupils start to lose focus in lessons. They successfully bring these pupils’ attention back to learning. This is effective and pupils behave well throughout the school, showing very positive attitudes to their learning. They are proud to be part of the school community and they know why lessons are important.

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Leaders have recently adapted their relationships and sex education curriculum to make sure that pupils get these important messages throughout the year. Pupils are taught about issues including consent and how to keep themselves safe online. As a result, pupils are confident in explaining what is, and what is not, ‘OK’. Pupils learn about respecting cultural differences and they understand the importance of tolerance. Teachers consider how character is developed through the rewards given to pupils which are linked to the school values of responsibility, compassion, courage, and respect.

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Teachers work closely with parents. One parent commented that ‘all staff members are kind, welcoming, helpful and approachable’. This view is shared by many parents and is the result of the way that leaders communicate with parents and help them to support their children’s education.

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Governors work closely with the school and have identified clear development priorities. As a result, the Partners in Learning Academy Trust have put in place effective support. Leaders are mindful of the well-being and workload of teachers, and because of this, teachers have been able to spend their time focusing on the activities that will have the greatest impact on the pupils in their care.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff are well trained to recognise when pupils might be at risk of harm and leaders ensure that this work continues throughout the year. Leaders are quick to respond to concerns that are raised. They make sure that pupils get the help that they need and they work with different agencies to ensure that this happens. Staff manage safeguarding concerns well and this is rightly prioritised by leaders.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including when online, and they know who to go to if anything happens to make them feel unsafe. 18 and 19 October 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, teachers do not present subject matter clearly enough. When this happens, pupils do not learn the knowledge that is intended, and misconceptions can creep in. Leaders should ensure that all staff are confident with how best to help pupils understand and remember their learning. They should also be alert to misconceptions and errors, so they can address them quickly and effectively.  The resources and activities chosen for children in early years are not always well presented or explained to children. As a result, children miss many of the learning opportunities that are planned for them. Leaders must ensure that staff know how to check that children are benefiting from meaningful learning across the curriculum.

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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

Website www.baldwinshillprimaryschool.co.uk

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Date of previous inspection

3 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in 2021 after 16 months as acting headteacher. There have also been many other changes in staffing.  The school is part of Partners in Learning Academy Trust multi-academy trust.  The school currently uses one unregistered alternative 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.  The inspectors met with leaders including the headteacher, acting deputy headteacher and special education needs coordinator. The lead inspector also met with trustees, local governors, and officers of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, and PE. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with 18 and 19 October 2022

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subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also met with subject leaders in other subjects to discuss the delivery of their curriculum and they looked at a wider range of pupils’ work with them.  The single central register was checked, and the inspectors spoke to the designated safeguarding lead and members of the safeguarding team about their approaches to safeguarding. They also sampled case studies and documentation and spoke with a range of staff and pupils about their knowledge of safeguarding.  Inspectors met with a range of staff and considered their views through the confidential online staff survey.  Inspectors met with pupils formally and informally around the school, in lessons and at playtime. Inspectors met with some parents and carers at the start of the school day and took account of responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey.

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Inspection team

Mark Enser, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Liz McIntosh 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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