Littlehaven Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Littlehaven Infant School Hawkesbourne Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 4EH

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Outcome

Littlehaven Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are confident and well motivated in this inclusive school. They develop an understanding of the school’s core values of respect, independence, perserverance, reflection and working together. These help them to behave well, concentrate and work hard. The school has prioritised improving the focus and concentration of pupils, and this is evident in the way that pupils listen attentively to teachers. Pupils enjoy attending the school and know that teachers will help keep them safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard to meet teachers’ high expectations. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and show high levels of resilience when completing their work. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. They are calm and courteous and respond to teachers’ instructions quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop a deep appreciation of the fundamental British values. They understand the importance of democracy through choosing the active school council, as well as the role of laws and rules in society. Pupils have a strong understanding of protected characteristics and discuss them sensitively and maturely. When discussing the different cultures and beliefs within the school, pupils commented that ‘it’s good to be unique’ and ‘we’re all special’.

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

The school has carefully planned a broad and ambitious curriculum. It is well sequenced across nearly all subjects. In some subjects, such as reading and mathematics, pupils learn important knowledge and skills quickly and effectively. They build on prior learning and start to make clear connections between topics. However, subject curriculum planning is not as detailed in some other subjects. Consequently, pupils do not always learn as well as they could in these areas.

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

Teachers clearly identify the needs of pupils, including those with SEND. They design a range of adaptations that ensure that pupils can access the whole curriculum and achieve 29 February 2024

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well. Teachers carefully structure their lessons to recap on prior learning before introducing new ideas. They explain new concepts clearly, and they model activities very well. However, in a small number of subjects, teachers do not have strong enough subject knowledge. As a result, their chosen activities do not always ensure that pupils build successfully on their prior knowledge.

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Teachers check pupils’ understanding effectively. Teachers identify and address any gaps in learning and design activities that support pupils to catch up. The school prepares pupils for their next steps effectively. They learn to become confident readers and develop the mathematical skills that they need.

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The school teaches reading well. It has designed a well-structured and systematic approach to developing pupils’ fluency and comprehension. Teachers teach the sounds and letters that pupils need to know clearly, checking pupils’ understanding frequently and ensuring that any pupils who fall behind receive well-matched support to catch up. Pupils enjoy reading, and the wide range of rewards motivates them to read more.

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Pupils know the importance of being ready, safe and respectful in school. They demonstrate this through their positive conduct and cooperative play. The school carefully analyses how frequently pupils attend. Leaders recognise that pupils do not currently attend frequently enough. Consequently, they have developed a range of strategies to support families and ensure that pupils improve their attendance. The school works well with other agencies to help those pupils who require additional support.

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The school offers a variety of high-quality artistic and cultural opportunities. Pupils work with a range of professional poets, writers, and a local theatre company. They broaden their knowledge through the wide range of artists and musicians that they study. Pupils are keen to take up a number of responsibilities, including play equipment monitor or as part of the active school council. These important roles help pupils to understand personal responsibility and develop their leadership.

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Leaders have made a number of changes recently that have supported staff in managing their workload. They have prioritised well-being, and staff feel well supported. Governors have a clear impact on the school. They know the school well and support leaders in meeting the needs of the changing cohort effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s historic professional development programme has not ensured that all staff have secure subject knowledge. As a result, teachers’ chosen activities do not always support pupils in learning as well as they could. Leaders must ensure that staff 29 February 2024

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receive high-quality training so that teachers’ subject knowledge and activity choice are strong across all subjects.  In some subject areas, curriculum planning does not support pupils’ progression in important knowledge and skills. Consequently, pupils do not learn as much as they could and do not sufficiently deepen their learning. Leaders must ensure that the subject planning in these subjects is sufficiently detailed to ensure that pupils learn well across all subjects.

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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 June 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). 29 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school is part of the Greenfields federation with Northolmes Junior School, Horsham. The schools have a single federated governing body. Samantha Cox is headteacher of both schools.

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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 lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspection team met with the headteacher and other leaders. The lead inspector also held a meeting with school governors and held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the 29 February 2024

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curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of 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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Inspection team

Gavin Thomas, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

James Freeston Ofsted Inspector 29 February 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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