Goring-By-Sea CofE (Aided) Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Goring-By- Sea CofE (Aided) Primary School Mulberry Lane, Goring-by-Sea, Worthing, West Sussex BN12 4RN

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Outcome

Goring-By-Sea CofE (Aided) Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school and the majority attend regularly. Pupils demonstrate the school’s values of faith, love and respect in all they do. They engage politely with staff and each other. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including online. They know how to report any concerns they have and are confident to do so. Pupils understand what bullying is and are clear that unkindness is never tolerated and, if it does happen, it is dealt with quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are learning well, especially in the core subjects. They produce work of a high standard, which meets the high expectations the school has of them. Pupils are curious to learn more and are encouraged to ask questions, which they do eagerly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school ensures pupils are provided with a wide range of experiences. Pupils have opportunities to work with the community as part of the choir and the drama and musical performances in each year group. Pupils know that their views are considered and acted upon by the school. In addition, older pupils have the opportunity to support their younger peers, applying for a range of roles, including through the ‘raising voices’ programme, where they gather the information around well-being.

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

The school has invested significant time in developing their curriculum. There has been careful consideration of the knowledge pupils need across each of the subjects. This is ambitious and broad. The school is committed to achieving strong outcomes for all pupils, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. The expectations the school has of what all pupils can achieve are high. The knowledge pupils need is clearly sequenced, building on the curriculum in early years. 7 and 8 November 2023

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Teachers check pupils’ learning effectively in most subjects, so that they know what pupils have learned and can do at each stage. Where gaps in pupils’ knowledge exist, the school acts swiftly to address these. This information is also used to ensure that pupils with SEND receive any additional support that is needed, so they can achieve highly too.

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Reading is a clear priority. Pupils start to learn to read right from the start of their time in school. Again, those who need support to learn to read with accuracy receive this quickly. This means pupils become confident and fluent readers. Older pupils talk enthusiastically about the books they have read in class and what they have read independently. At times, there is some variation in the approaches used by staff to support pupils who need the most help learning to read. Checks on whether pupils know the sounds they need to learn are not always precise. This means that some pupils are not catching up as quickly as they could be.

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Pupils are confident mathematicians. They draw on the processes they have been taught in order to solve a range of increasingly complex problems. The school introduces the mathematical vocabulary pupils need in Reception and builds this over time. Staff check the knowledge pupils have precisely and, as a result, pupils are learning well in this area. In subjects where the curriculum is newer, these checks are not as precise. Pupils are not always able to make the links between what they are learning now and what went before. Their understanding of the knowledge of the subject is not always as secure as it could be.

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The opportunities pupils have to develop beyond the academic curriculum are extensive. The school has considered what pupils need to experience at each age and stage thoughtfully, drawing up a list of the range of opportunities pupils should have by the time they leave the school. This was developed in collaboration with pupils and parents. The school ensures that as many pupils as possible participate, including pupils with SEND or those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Through these experiences, pupils develop the resilience they need to be successful. Pupils also take part in a wide range of clubs and competitions, competing at times at a national level. The school also ensures pupils learn about difference and tolerance, including of those who have different beliefs. Pupils show pride in how inclusive their school is.

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The school has made significant changes to its curriculum over the last few years. Staff feel that, while this has been demanding, they are well supported with their workload, including by governors. Staff have been provided with time to develop their knowledge and to work together. There is a strong culture of ongoing improvement in the school and they share some of their strongest practice with other schools.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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 In some subjects, teachers do not always check pupils’ learning carefully enough to ensure pupils remember and build on the specific knowledge being taught. As a result, pupils’ learning is not secured as consistently as it could be and pupils are not always really clear about the key concepts that run through a subject. The school needs to continue to provide clear support and guidance to all staff, so that assessment processes are implemented consistently and effectively.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in 9 and 10 May 2018.

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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.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 7 and 8 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 May 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a Church of England school. Its last Section 48 inspection took place in December 2019.  The school is part of the Diocese of Chichester.  The school makes use of one registered and one unregistered alternative education providers.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector completed deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. To do this, she met with subject leaders, had discussions with staff and pupils, visited a range of lessons and looked at pupils’ work. 7 and 8 November 2023

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 The inspector discussed assessment in some other subjects.  The inspector also scrutinised a range of documents, including the school and trusts evaluation of the school and their priorities for improvement.  The inspector met with a range of senior leaders, subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  The inspector also met with representatives of the diocese and the local authority, the chair of governors, and a range of other governors.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record, took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were considered through discussions and a review of Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Zoe Enser, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 November 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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