St Augustine's CofE Primary School

Inspection of St Augustine’s CofE Primary School Vicarage Lane, Scaynes Hill, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 7PB

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 28 and 29 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and are extremely happy. They know the school’s values well and strive for excellence. Pupils also understand what it means to be kind, and they support each other whenever they can. They are polite, confident and resilient, and they are respectful of each other. Pupils have been taught to behave well and how to manage their own behaviour. They learn to follow routines quickly. Bullying very rarely happens. If it does, pupils know who to report it to, and they are clear that it will be dealt with immediately.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils work hard and achieve well. This includes children in early years. Pupils are fully involved in the day-to-day life of the school, taking part in visits, trips and competitions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide pupils with a range of opportunities to develop their own interests, and they build elements of the curriculum around this. Pupils regularly take part in the forest school and enjoy taking on roles of librarian or ‘playground buddy’. They enjoy learning through stories, and staff give them time to reflect on what they have learned.

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better?

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is ambitious for all. They ensure that the right adaptations are made for pupils with SEND to help them reach those high expectations. This is especially the case in mathematics. Pupils are taught about number right from the start of school. This allows them to develop the fluency they need to tackle problems effectively as they progress through the curriculum. Pupils also achieve well in a range of other subjects. In the strongest subjects, they demonstrate clear knowledge and produce work of a high standard as a result. Leaders have also constructed the curriculum in early years carefully. They have thoughtfully considered the skills the children need to be successful. Teachers skilfully plan where children can revisit key learning through a range of purposeful activities. Therefore, children are making effective progress.

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better?

In some subjects, however, leaders’ identification of knowledge is not as clear. Leaders still have high ambitions for pupils, but they have not broken down the content into what pupils should learn. This includes the vocabulary pupils need to know. Teachers are, therefore, not able to check that pupils have learned what is needed precisely. Pupils are not always able to achieve as highly as they could in these subjects. This also includes children in the early years. Children are not as fully prepared for their next steps as they could be.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised reading, and older pupils read with confidence. The sharing of books and stories is a strong focus throughout the curriculum. The phonics scheme leaders have adopted begins in early years and is delivered effectively. Most 28 and 29 March 2023

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pupils, therefore, quickly become fluent readers. For a small number of pupils who need extra help with their reading, the materials used to support them are not matched closely enough to what they have learned. This means that pupils are not always focusing on the specific sounds they need to practise to help them become fluent readers. Leaders have also not yet ensured these pupils are being given enough time to practise what they need in order to catch up quickly with their peers. As such, the progress of these pupils is not as rapid as it could be.

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Pupils’ personal development is effective. The school’s values underpin all that pupils do, and leaders have considered when and how they will teach these carefully. They also ensure that the programme is adapted to incorporate recent events from the news to enrich pupils’ learning. As a result, pupils talk confidently about how to stay safe, how to be healthy and how to develop positive relationships. Leaders ensure they provide opportunities for pupils to be active citizens, both within the school and beyond. This means that, in addition to being part of the school council, they participate in fundraising activities. Pupils also engage with visitors from the local community and enjoy going on a range of trips.

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Leaders, including governors, are mindful of workload and the well-being of staff. They ensure that staff are well supported. Leaders are reflective and continually evaluate the work they do to focus on making further improvements. Governors also carefully check the processes used to ensure they are effective.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that the systems they have in place for safeguarding are robust. They have developed a culture that focuses on keeping children safe. Staff know how to report any concerns, and leaders take appropriate steps to manage risks. Leaders, including governors, are clear about their responsibilities and undertake the right training. They check that everyone knows what safeguarding means. Leaders are also tenacious in following up concerns and checking that pupils have the support needed.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to stay safe, including online. They take part in workshops and other safeguarding topics.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The identification of knowledge and vocabulary in a few subjects is not yet precise enough. This means that pupils do not always have all of the important knowledge they need. Leaders need to do further work to ensure this knowledge is identified, taught and assessed more carefully. 28 and 29 March 2023

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 There is a small number of pupils who need additional support with reading. Some of these pupils are not making as much progress as they could be. This is because the sounds they need to practise are not yet identified carefully enough, and the resources used are not closely matched to what they need. Leaders need to ensure that teachers identify what pupils do and do not know so they can provide the right support and opportunities for them.

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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. 28 and 29 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268826 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.st-augustines.w-sussex.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 January 2018, 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 school’s last Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools took place in October 2017.  The headteacher has been in post since 2012.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 lead inspector met with a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body. 28 and 29 March 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with the subject leader, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work. They also spoke to leaders about other subject areas.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons.  Inspectors also met with groups of pupils and spoke to a range of pupils in and outside of lessons.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors checked the single central record of recruitment checks, talked to leaders responsible for safeguarding and looked at the school’s safeguarding records and documents. Inspectors also talked to a range of staff and pupils about safeguarding.  A range of the school’s documentation was scrutinised, including leaders’ evaluations of the effectiveness of the school, information about pupils’ behaviour

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and attendance and minutes of meetings of governors.  Inspectors met with members of staff to discuss the school’s work and considered responses to the confidential Ofsted staff survey. They also looked at parents’ responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors met with a representative from the diocese and a representative from the local authority.

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Inspection team

Zoe Enser, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Vickie Farrow Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 March 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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