Broadwater CofE Primary School

Inspection of Broadwater CofE Primary School Rectory Gardens, Worthing, West Sussex BN14 7TQ

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 12 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 28 and 29 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They are enthusiastic about their learning and their school experiences and are animated when discussing local community work. This includes supporting both local and international charities, such as Chestnut Tree House and Friends of Mombasa, and showcasing their artwork in the local community. Pupils thoroughly enjoy extending their learning through trips, such as visits to the planetarium and local rivers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils are valued and nurtured. This creates an environment where pupils feel respected and safe. The school has high ambitions for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are supported to achieve well across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s ethos and values are a core part of school life. The school’s vision, ‘Turn your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding’, is realised and lived out by pupils. Behaviour across the school is calm and orderly. Parents recognise that the school offers a nurturing and caring environment, and the pastoral support for pupils and parents is a real strength. Everyone is clear that all are welcome at Broadwater Church of England Primary School. This approach underpins the inclusive nature of the school.

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better?

The school has established an ambitious and well-designed curriculum in most subjects. The majority of subjects are well developed but a few are still being refined. Staff carefully identify pupils’ misconceptions or gaps in understanding in many subjects and use this information to inform future teaching. For example, in mathematics, staff routinely revisit key content to support pupils’ understanding, such as in fluency with number. In most subjects, staff emphasise the most important knowledge and skills so that pupils build learning over time and confidently make links to what they have learned before. This is not yet consistent across the curriculum.

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better?

Most staff have secure subject knowledge across the curriculum. This helps them to explain concepts clearly and provide helpful models to support pupils’ learning. The school swiftly identifies pupils who have SEND. Staff adapt their teaching well to support pupils with SEND to achieve well across the curriculum. Teachers in early years use high-quality discussions with pupils to promote language and vocabulary development. Consequently, pupils are supported to learn the intended curriculum well.

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better?

Pupils are supported to develop a love of reading. The library is a vibrant and welcoming environment which pupils love to visit. They enjoy the range of books and stories they read across the school, linked to the curriculum. The school’s phonics provision is well established. The teaching of phonics starts as soon as children are settled into Reception class. The school ensures that weaker readers are 28 and 29 November 2023

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given effective support to help them to keep up. This supports pupils to learn to read with confidence and fluency.

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Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Pupils know and understand the school rules. Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and based on respect. Staff ensure that there is a purposeful atmosphere which encourages a focus on learning. This starts as soon as they join the school as the youngest children are taught how to behave. In Reception, children are supported to develop the language they need to talk about their emotions. Staff help pupils to develop very positive attitudes to learning.

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Pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils benefit enormously from the well-considered, inspirational curriculum. Staff provide an exceptional range of activities to develop pupils’ talents and interests. Pupils highly appreciate the range of opportunities that enrich the curriculum. The school carefully tracks attendance to ensure all children, including disadvantaged pupils, benefit from the opportunities available. Staff support pupils to develop an age-appropriate understanding of relationships and keeping safe, both at school and online. Pupils are well prepared to take their place as active citizens in modern Britain. The curriculum develops pupils’ understanding of healthy friendships and different types of families. This is a truly inclusive school, which develops inclusive pupils.

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Governors and leaders care deeply about their school and their community. They have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and current priorities for development. Governors provide high-quality challenge and support, and this is driving improvements to the school. All staff feel valued and appreciated. The whole school, including all stakeholders, works together positively and keeps pupils at the centre of any decisions made.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the curriculum thinking needs refining. As a result, in these few subjects, pupils’ learning is variable. The school should ensure that staff emphasise the most important content and help pupils to make links to what they have learned before, so they achieve highly across the curriculum. 28 and 29 November 2023

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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’ 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). 28 and 29 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 31 October and 1 November 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher started their post in January 2023.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  This is a voluntary-aided school in the Diocese of Chichester. Its last section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character was in September 2016.  The school received a no formal designation inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 on 31 October and 1 November 2018.

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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

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 28 and 29 November 2023

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders, staff, and pupils. The lead inspector met members of the local governing body and local authority and a representative of the diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, English, art and design and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning, looked at samples of work and listened to pupils read.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects and looked at pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: 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.

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 Inspectors reviewed a range of documents. These included the school improvement plan, the pupil premium statement and minutes from governing body meetings.  Inspectors observed behaviour at lunchtime and in lessons.  The views of parents, staff and pupils were considered through Ofsted’s online surveys and from conversations during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Baljit Bhabra, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Neil Small Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 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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