Twineham CofE Primary School

Inspection of Twineham CofE Primary School Church Lane, Twineham, Haywards Heath, Avon RH17 5NR

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 13 and 14 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this small, rural school. They feel happy and safe. Pupils like the caring, family atmosphere. Older pupils say that the school is accepting of everyone so that no one feels left out. The school has high expectations regarding pupils’ behaviour. Committed staff have warm and supportive relationships with pupils. Throughout the school, pupils behave well. For example, they play happily together during breaktimes. Any rare incidents of bullying are well dealt with by staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have many opportunities to contribute to school life, such as library monitors or sports leaders. Older pupils take their roles as ‘buddies’ to the Reception class children very seriously. They help children to settle into school routines and play with them at breaktimes. Pupils enjoy learning about the natural world, such as through forest school, ‘welly walks’ or as members of the eco-committee. The garden area is well used for planting vegetable seeds.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school now has a clear direction and high ambition for pupils. However, weaknesses in the delivery of the curriculum remain. This means that some pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not achieve as highly as they should.

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better?

The school has been through a significant period of change since the last inspection less than two years ago. Staff say that with each new change, there has been a different vision for the school. Now the school is on a firmer footing. It is working with determination to strengthen the quality of education.

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better?

The curriculum is well designed and sets out the important knowledge and skills that pupils need to know. It also details how pupils’ knowledge is checked. However, many of the changes are new. Staff are still getting to grips with making sure that pupils’ knowledge builds in a step-by-step way so that they are able to know more and remember more. There is a clear process for the identification of pupils with SEND. However, work provided in some subjects is not adapted well enough for their needs. This means that some pupils, including those with SEND, do not achieve the best possible outcomes.

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better?

The school has made reading a priority. Staff are well trained to deliver the phonics programme. Children in the early years practise matching letters to the sounds they represent. Pupils develop a love of reading through a range of experiences that stimulate their interest such as reading events, competitions and visiting authors. Many pupils enjoy looking at a book with the school’s ‘reading dog’. Pupils with SEND have positive attitudes to reading. In this aspect of the school’s work, they receive the support that meets their individual needs well. 13 and 14 March 2024

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In early years, the curriculum is well designed. Children settle quickly into the Reception class. They enjoy practical and purposeful activities. Children enjoy exploring the interesting environment outside. The early years curriculum gives children the knowledge and skills they need so that they are well prepared for their learning in Year 1.

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Pupils behave well and have positive attitudes to their learning. They work hard in lessons and want to please their teachers. The new behaviour management approach has ensured that behaviour expectations are clearly defined. Pupils’ attendance is a high priority. The school takes appropriate action to address absence so it reduces over time.

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The school provides well for pupils’ personal development. They learn about different cultures and beliefs and the importance of respecting differences. Pupils learn how to stay physically healthy. Many pupils said how much they enjoyed the large range of sports available through local partnerships. The school organises a variety of memorable trips and visits that enhance pupils’ learning, such as to a local farm. Pupils learn how to run a company through an ‘entrepreneur experience’ organised by parents.

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Staff are positive about the recent changes that have taken place. They are proud to work at the school and consider that their workload is manageable. The governing body has been through a period of upheaval. New governors have joined recently. This has given the governing body a wider profile of skills. The governing body is in the early stages of gathering the information needed so that it can be effective. Currently, therefore, governors do not hold the school to account well enough or have a sharp enough understanding of what needs to improve further.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Staff do not always build the strong subject knowledge needed for pupils to learn well. This means that pupils have gaps in their knowledge and understanding. The school should continue providing effective guidance to ensure that the curriculum is well implemented so that pupils learn as well as they should.  The curriculum for pupils with SEND is not always adapted well enough to meet their needs. This means that pupils do not achieve the best possible outcomes. The school needs to ensure effective approaches are in place so that pupils with SEND learn consistently well.  Governors do not hold the school to account well enough. They do not have sufficient information to gain a clear insight into the school’s development needs 13 and 14 March 2024

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and priorities. Governors should gather sufficient information so they can provide robust challenge to help the school make the improvements needed.

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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). 13 and 14 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 November 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since June 2023, the school has been led by an interim headteacher. There have been several changes of leadership over the last couple of years.  The governing body has had some changes since the last inspection.  The school is part of the Diocese of Chichester. The most recent section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in 2018. The next is due to take place by 2026.  The proportion of boys is higher than average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is well above average.  The school does not currently use any external alternative provision.

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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 13 and 14 March 2024

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education provision.  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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other leaders, including those with responsibility for early years and SEND.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body. They also spoke to representatives from the local authority and the diocesan school adviser.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to some pupils read to a familiar adult. They also

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looked in books across a range of subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record, several risk assessments and a sample of case files for pupils receiving support from external agencies. Inspectors also took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils, observed play and lunchtimes and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation, improvement plans, records of governance and documentation relating to attendance and pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors considered the responses to the staff survey and Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text replies. An inspector spoke informally with parents at the end of the school day.

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Inspection team

Liz Bowes, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Catherine Hylands Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 March 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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