Peasmarsh Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Peasmarsh Church of England Primary School School Lane, Peasmarsh, Rye, East Sussex TN31 6UW

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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 Previous inspection grade Good 5 and 6 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a small and friendly village school in the heart of its community. Pupils enjoy getting to know each other and being part of a village community. Pupils know how to make and keep friendships. They are clear that the school has helped them learn how to do this and can give examples of how this has impacted positively on their well-being and mental health.

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What is it like to attend this school?

When children start school, topics in the curriculum are planned around what interests them and this approach gives the children a firm foundation on which to build as they get older. Pupils learn a full curriculum and enjoy it. They find learning memorable and develop a huge love of reading. They describe themselves as ‘Peasmarsh Proud’ of their efforts and rightly so.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at school and they say they feel safe. Staff and parents agree. There is a very comprehensive online safety programme which pupils are taught, and they are very knowledgeable about this. This contributes well to keeping them safe in today’s world. Behaviour is good and pupils learn without distraction. Although there is some occasional bullying, it is dealt with effectively and swiftly.

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better?

The curriculum is broad, well thought out and sequenced effectively from Reception to Year 6. It sets high expectations of pupils and staff. There is an established model of training and support for staff which enables all teachers to be skilled in delivering high-quality lessons. Pupils’ work demonstrates their good learning from the very beginning of Reception onwards. Reading is a strength of the school. The school has a clear, structured approach to teach early reading. There is support to help pupils to catch up if they fall behind. Pupils say they love reading and talk enthusiastically about their favourite types of books and authors.

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better?

Staff adapt their approaches to ensure they meet the needs of all pupils, including those with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has a robust process for identifying the needs of pupils with SEND accurately. The school’s ambition is that all pupils achieve well. The school uses checks on children’s learning really well in early years and is rightly developing this process across the whole school. While effective in many areas, teachers do not yet use these checks to adapt subsequent learning fully effectively across all subjects. As a result, pupils could achieve even more in some subjects.

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better?

Behaviour is positive across the school. There are clear routines for all pupils, including the youngest. This helps pupils to know how to behave. The school teaches pupils how to manage their own behaviour well. The school has worked hard to improve pupils’ attendance. This has been successful and attendance has improved greatly. The majority of pupils attend very regularly. 5 and 6 March 2024

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There is a strong curriculum for personal, social and health education. This is for all pupils, including in Reception. The curriculum for relationships and sex education is woven expertly through this. Pupils are confident talking about their learning and personal development. Pupils of all ages are able to discuss and debate issues effectively.

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The school teaches pupils about equalities and protected characteristics well. Pupils are clear about what these are and about respecting people from different backgrounds. In Reception, for example, children are taught about different cultures looking at books and different types of food. Pupils take an active part in village life, being part of such things as the ‘litter-pick’ and the local music festival. Pupils have opportunities to take on leadership roles, such as being one of the school’s ‘Good Samaritans’, or a ‘lunchtime buddy’. There are trips and visitors to school, both of which enhance pupils’ learning.

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While the school works hard to communicate with parents well, which most parents appreciate and value, there are some who feel that this needs to improve. At times, some parents are not fully clear about key processes in the school, such as how pupils’ behaviour is managed and provision for pupils with SEND. Some do not feel that their concerns are dealt with effectively.

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The school has developed a culture of high expectations and manages staff workload well. Staff well-being and morale are high. The school rightly seeks to continually improve. For example, although reading is a strength of the school, there are plans in place to expose pupils to an even wider range of books. Governors understand their statutory duties and are well placed to fulfil them. They support and challenge the school well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Despite the school’s good work to communicate with parents, which many appreciate very much, a small proportion of parents do not find this as effective as it could be. This means that these parents are not fully clear about some aspects of the school’s work. The school should make sure that it liaises well with all parents and deals with any concerns effectively.  Assessment processes are not yet as fully effective in some subjects as they are in others. This means that pupils could achieve even more in some subjects. The school should continue its work in this area to ensure that subsequent teaching meets pupils’ needs consistently well across the curriculum. 5 and 6 March 2024

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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 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). 5 and 6 March 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 June 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The Genesis Federation with another local school with one governing board overseeing both schools.  The school is a voluntary-controlled Church of England school. The last Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools was in May 2017.

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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

 Inspectors discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, history and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject 5 and 6 March 2024

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leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils, and looked at pupils’ work.  The lead inspector also looked at the curriculum for personal social and health education, and relationships and sex education.  The lead inspector listened to a range of pupils read.  Inspectors met with leaders, teachers and support staff.  Inspectors considered documentation from the school, including the school’s own self-evaluation, the school development plan and reports from local authority adviser visits.  The lead inspector met three members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  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.  Inspectors took account of the responses to the staff survey and spoke to a range

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of staff about their views of the school.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire and the additional free-text responses. Inspectors spoke with a range of parents about their views of the school.  Inspectors met with a range of pupils to discuss their views about the school and talked to pupils informally during social times and in lessons.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority and one from the diocese.

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Inspection team

Kate Owbridge, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Howard Fisher Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 March 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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