Beckley Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Beckley Church of England Primary School Main Street, Beckley, Rye, East Sussex TN31 6RN

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Smiles abound at Beckley Church of England Primary School. Pupils enjoy coming to school here. They attend well. Pupils arrive cheerfully, brimming with enthusiasm for the day ahead.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils want to do well. They apply themselves, follow instructions and work diligently. Teachers expect pupils to work hard and behave well, and they do. Relationships throughout the school are warm and good natured. Pupils are well known and well supported. Pupils know that if they have any worries or need help, staff will listen and respond. This helps them to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish opportunities to be part of the wider life of the school through being part of the school council or organising lunchtime games as ‘sports leaders’. Library monitors support others in using the inviting library at lunchtimes. They eagerly read to their peers or recommend good titles. Outside, pupils play happily. They enjoy the organised games, using the exercise equipment or the ‘outside classroom’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are positive about the school. They like the community nature of the school, which they describe as being ‘like a big family’. Parents feel included and welcomed. They are rightly confident that their children are happy and well cared for.

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

The school has worked hard to devise an ambitious curriculum which interests pupils and builds their knowledge in a wide range of subjects. Pupils achieve well. Outcomes in English and mathematics are consistently strong. Pupils are well prepared for the next stages of their education. In most subjects, including mathematics and English, the curriculum starts in Reception and is well sequenced through to Year 6. However, links to the early years are not as strong in a few other subjects, such as history. 31 January 2024

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Teachers use the well-designed curriculum and the training they have received to link sequences of learning across the curriculum effectively. Occasionally, however, the curriculum is not matched well enough to what pupils already know and can do. When this happens, pupils sometimes finish work too quickly or it lacks sufficient challenge, meaning they do not achieve as well as they could. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their particular needs identified and supported well. Mostly, this helps them to access learning alongside their peers. Where adaptations are needed, these are regularly reviewed and adjusted as necessary so that pupils with SEND are successful.

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Reading and learning to read are recognised as important priorities. Pupils get off to a good start because phonics is taught well. Careful checks by teachers on pupils’ learning helps to quickly identify any pupils who are at risk of falling behind. These pupils are given the help they need to catch up. Pupils throughout the school are confident and enthusiastic readers. They are captivated by the books that their teachers read to them and keen to discuss their favourite authors and genres. As pupils learn to read, staff take great care to give them well-matched books that help them apply their knowledge and grow in confidence.

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The school has clear behaviour guidelines in place which support pupils well. Pupils think carefully about how they are feeling and behaving. They are encouraged to be reflective and thoughtful around others. This helps them to work well in pairs or groups, which they enjoy. Pupils are very proud of being awarded the ‘Shining Lights’ awards for being successful learners, caring citizens or confident individuals. Throughout the school pupils are polite and well behaved. Unkindness and bullying are rare and responded to quickly and effectively by staff.

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Pupils’ personal development is well provided for, both through the planned curriculum and through the wider life of the school. Pupils learn about themselves and others. For example, they have strong knowledge of a range of different faiths. Through being involved in groups discussing policies or choosing resources pupils learn about decision making and responsibility. They can also explore their interests and talents through the wide range of clubs and community events on offer.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel supported by leaders to focus most on their teaching. Staff feel that leaders understand the particular needs of a small school. Subject leaders value the time they have been given to develop and lead their subjects. Governors share leaders’ ambition for the school and its pupils. They know the school well and have an accurate view of its strengths and needs.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a priority. Staff are aware that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Staff are well trained in knowing what to do if they have concerns. Governors take an active role in checking all is as it should be. Pupils are confident in raising their concerns if they have any worries. They know that these will be taken seriously. 31 January 2024

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There are some minor adjustments that would improve record keeping in order to link information and to help manage risks. Some of this, such as providing sufficient context and detail in reports of incidents, has been identified and addressed through training. However, actions such as transferring information on entry for pupils who join from other schools are not yet sufficiently well developed. This can mean that some important information is not available on the school electronic safeguarding reporting system.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, when pupils join the school from other provisions, their safeguarding records are not fully transferred to the school electronic safeguarding system. This can mean that information pertaining to their needs is not fully centralised. The school should continue to strengthen safeguarding record keeping, particularly when pupils transition into the school.  In a few subjects, the curriculum is not linked to the early years foundation stage effectively enough. This means that the curriculum in key stage 1 does not always build on what pupils already know and can do in these subjects, so that they achieve as much as they could. The school should ensure that there are strong relationships between the curriculum in early years and the curriculum from Year 1 onwards.  Occasionally, learning is not well matched to what pupils already know and can do. When this happens, pupils do not learn as much as they could. The school should

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

continue to support teachers so that they can consistently identify and build on what pupils already know and can do.

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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 February 2014. 31 January 2024

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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). 31 January 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school forms part of The Genesis Federation along with another local primary school. The two schools share a governing body.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in the evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with school leaders. The lead inspector also met with the representatives of the governing body and had telephone conversations with a representative from the local authority and a representative of the diocese of Chichester.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the 31 January 2024

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curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to pupils read.  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.  The inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s parent, pupil and staff surveys.  The inspectors talked to staff to gather their views about the school, including their workload and well-being. The inspectors met with several groups of pupils, as well as speaking to pupils during lessons, playtimes and at lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Deborah Gordon, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Catherine Hylands Ofsted Inspector 31 January 2024

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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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