Hawthorns Primary School, Durrington

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.1

Wendy Lawson Headteacher Hawthorns Primary School, Durrington Poplar Road Durrington Worthing West Sussex BN13 3EZ

p.1

Durrington

This letter sets out the findings from the monitoring inspection of your school that took place on 14 December 2022, on behalf of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills. The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and took place because the school has received two successive judgements of requires improvement at its previous graded (section 5) inspections.

p.1

Durrington

During the inspection, I discussed with you, other leaders, governors and the local authority the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection. We discussed the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. I also visited lessons and talked to pupils and staff. I have considered all this in coming to my judgement.

p.1

Durrington

Hawthorns Primary School, Durrington continues to require improvement.

p.1

Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but more work is

necessary for the school to become good.

p.1

Main findings

Since the last inspection in October 2021, a number of staff have left or joined the school. The special educational needs coordinator took up her post in January 2022. Most of the learning support assistants are new since the last inspection, several having joined the school in recent weeks. Your improvement work over the past year has been focused on two specific and connected aspects. Useful training has helped all staff to better understand their subject leadership roles. Staff have worked together to share their knowledge of the subjects that they teach and lead. As a result, their combined confidence and expertise, particularly in teaching subjects other than English and mathematics, have increased. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are now supported well in class because teachers better understand how to adapt teaching to meet specific needs.

p.1

Main findings

Deliberate investment in subject leadership is paying dividends. Effective training and support are enabling staff to have increasing ownership of improvement work in the subject areas they lead. For some subjects, leadership has changed as staff have left and joined the school. Your senior leaders manage this carefully so that any impact on the pace of improvement is minimised as new staff get up to speed. Leaders, staff and governors have a shared and accurate view of standards in the school. They use the school’s improvement plan successfully to maintain a shared focus on the progress being made towards achieving appropriate development targets.

p.2

Main findings

Since the last inspection, you’ve reflected thoughtfully on pupils’ behaviour, and how to improve it further. Pupils respond well to the consistently high expectations of their teachers. However, you know that some pupils do not hold themselves to the same high standards when working with a less-familiar adult or when unsupervised. Your deliberate work to develop pupils’ attitudes and self-regulation is evident in the reduction you have seen in instances of poor behaviour.

p.2

Main findings

The local authority is providing the school with ongoing support. You and governors find this gives you a useful external perspective on the work you are undertaking and how it is helping to raise standards.

p.2

Main findings

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the Department for Education’s regional director and the director of children’s services for West Sussex. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

p.2