Dallington Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Dallington Church of England Primary School The Street, Dallington, Heathfield, East Sussex TN21 9NH

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Outcome

Dallington Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this caring school. They form strong relationships with one another. Staff create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, where pupils feel happy and safe. One pupil voiced the views of many when they said, ‘Everyone supports you here, including the teachers.’ For example, older pupils take on the role of ‘playground leaders’ and look after younger pupils during playtimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders understand the needs of each pupil and have high expectations for all. Staff across the two schools in the federation work together to broaden opportunities for pupils. One pupil said, and others agreed, ‘Our teachers are really fun and engaging.’ Teachers support all pupils well across the curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive helpful support in lessons. This enables them to succeed across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in class and around the school. They enjoy spending time with one another and make good use of the school grounds. For example, they grow vegetables in the school garden and develop their problem-solving skills in forest school. Pupils learn about their emotional well-being. This helps them to understand and manage their feelings better. On the rare occasion when bullying occurs, pupils are very confident that staff will resolve this swiftly.

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

Leaders provide an ambitious curriculum, which is meaningful and relevant to the pupils. They have identified the important knowledge that pupils need to know by the end of each year. In reading and mathematics, the precise knowledge that pupils must learn builds in a logical sequence over time. This helps teachers to know exactly what to teach. 10 January 2023

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However, in some subjects, exactly what pupils must learn is less clear. Leaders are in the process of reviewing the curriculum for these subjects. These changes are not yet embedded.

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Teachers have good knowledge of the subjects they teach. They present subject matter clearly. They use questioning to check understanding and to clarify what pupils have learned and remembered previously. Teachers use this information to adapt their teaching to support pupils with gaps in their learning. Leaders have ensured that curriculum changes have not increased the workload faced by staff. However, in some subjects, the curriculum changes introduced are not consistently applied. Leaders have not picked up on this swiftly enough. This has led to inconsistency in the delivery of some subjects.

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Staff support pupils with SEND well. They receive helpful training that enables them to identify the needs of pupils. Teachers adapt lessons carefully to ensure that all pupils can succeed. Leaders work effectively with staff, governors and parents from across the federation to review the quality of provision for pupils with SEND. This is impressive and strengthens communication between the school and families.

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Leaders prioritise reading. They want pupils to develop a love of reading and become fluent, confident readers. Children in the early years develop a love of story. They quickly learn the sounds they need to know to learn how to read. Teachers encourage pupils to talk about what they learn. This helps pupils to build their vocabulary. As pupils move through the school, they read with increasing fluency. Teachers ensure that the books they read to pupils really broaden their reading experience. Staff support pupils who have fallen behind in their reading well, helping them to catch up quickly.

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Pupils behave well in class and around the school. From the early years, children show kindness towards one another, because this is modelled by adults and older pupils. If pupils become distracted in class, teachers help pupils to regain their focus swiftly. This ensures that pupils’ behaviour does not disrupt learning.

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Staff provide a wide range of opportunities for pupils beyond the curriculum. Pupils are enthusiastic about the variety of activities and events and know that they are open to all. Clubs are varied and include different sporting activities and a club that develops rural skills with ‘Farmer John’. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are fully included in the extra-curricular offer at the school.

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Leaders ensure that pupils learn about the wider world and their place in it. Visitors to the school have taught pupils about diversity and disability. Staff encourage pupils to consider the needs of others in their community. For example, pupils visit a local care home and read with the residents. Teachers help pupils to recognise and value the needs of others. This work helps to prepare older pupils well for their move to secondary school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 10 January 2023

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Staff receive comprehensive training, which ensures that they can identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. Leaders carefully track concerns raised, and they act swiftly to safeguard pupils. They work closely with other agencies to help pupils and families receive the help needed to keep pupils safe. Governors review the procedures in place to ensure that staff are clear about the expectations for safeguarding.

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Teachers ensure that pupils know how to stay safe online. Older pupils learn about issues such as radicalisation. Pupils are confident that they can speak with adults in the school if they have a concern.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not identified the sequence of learning precisely enough so that pupils develop understanding systematically. As a result, pupils do not always have the necessary prior knowledge for future learning. Leaders need to continue to refine the curriculum so that pupils achieve well in all subjects.  There is inconsistency in curriculum implementation for some subjects. This means that pupils do not always learn the intended curriculum as well as they could. Leaders need to monitor curriculum implementation in all subjects to ensure that it is embedded securely and consistently.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually, this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2013.

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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. 10 January 2023

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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. 10 January 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10241827 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 5 July 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England primary school within the Diocese of Chichester. It was last inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in June 2018. The next inspection will be within eight years of that last inspection.  The school is part of The Woodlands Federation, a federation with Punnetts Town Community Primary School. The federation has one governing body, which has responsibility for both schools.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The 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 the headteacher, other leaders, and a range of staff at the school. The inspectors also met with the chair of governors and seven members of the 10 January 2023

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governing body. The inspectors spoke with a representative from the local authority and the Diocese of Chichester.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, the 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. The inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspectors reviewed a wide range of documents, including those related to the governance of the school.  The inspectors considered the views of parents and carers through responses to Ofsted’s Parent View survey. The inspectors spoke to staff, parents and pupils during the inspection and took account of Ofsted’s confidential online surveys for staff.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead and

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considered safeguarding documents and records. This included the school’s records and plans for supporting pupils who have been referred to outside agencies.

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Inspection team

Graham Chisnell, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Liz McIntosh Ofsted Inspector 10 January 2023

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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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