The Gattons Infant School

Inspection of The Gattons Infant School Royal George Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 9SL

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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 Requires improvement 14 and 15 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning at this happy and caring school. They discuss their work excitedly and are proud of their achievements. Teachers have high expectations and pupils work hard to meet them. They listen to teachers attentively and concentrate deeply on their work. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well in most subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are kind and considerate to all. Pupils play with each other joyfully. They share equipment in the well-designed breaktime activities happily. Pupils know how to stay safe in school and beyond. They know that staff in school will address any worries they may have. All pupils have a trusted adult in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ learning extends far beyond the classroom. They enjoy rich experiences as part of the schools ’22 activities’. For example, all pupils learn to play a musical instrument and younger pupils learn how to post a letter. The school has considered how to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain carefully. They read texts from a range of cultures and learn about their rights and responsibilities in assemblies. Pupils celebrate difference and welcome new pupils to the school enthusiastically.

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better?

The school considers what pupils should learn carefully. Leaders have designed an ambitious and broad curriculum. Pupils learn important skills and knowledge, and these become increasingly sophisticated over time. Leaders have ensured that there are strong connections from the early years curriculum to what pupils learn in Years 1 and 2.

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better?

Teachers know their pupils well. They identify the needs of pupils with SEND accurately. Teachers use this to design a range of adaptations and extra support that help pupils with SEND to achieve well and follow the same curriculum as their peers. Expert support from staff helps pupils with SEND to make strong progress towards personalised end points.

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better?

Staff model important language and vocabulary well. They help pupils to communicate their ideas clearly. However, some activities are not designed precisely enough and the skills and knowledge pupils should learn are not always clear. As a result, some pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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better?

The assessment system is well thought through. In some subjects, such as history, this is well-embedded and pupils receive help to fill any gaps in their learning. However, in a small number of subjects this is less effective. Teachers do not check pupils’ understanding precisely enough. Consequently, pupils in these subjects do not learn all the important skills and knowledge that they need.

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better?

Pupils are well prepared for their next steps. In Year 2, pupils can write confidently and build secure knowledge of mathematical concepts and vocabulary. Pupils 14 and 15 May 2024

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deepen their understanding of the important skills and knowledge they learn over time. They take great pride in their work. In some subjects, pupils develop complex skills quickly. For instance, in music children in Reception read music to play tunes on a glockenspiel, helping them to recognise different notes and appreciate making music themselves.

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Pupils love reading. They enjoy the engaging stories that they read and discuss them excitedly. Teachers are trained well to teach phonics. They teach pupils the sounds and letters that they need accurately. Teachers plan a range of interventions to help pupils keep up with learning. However, they do not always check understanding carefully enough in lessons. As a result, a small number of pupils learn sounds inaccurately and this is not addressed quickly enough.

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The school is calm and welcoming. Leaders have worked hard to improve pupils’ behaviour. Staff help pupils who require additional support to manage their emotions well. These pupils learn a range of strategies, and, as a result, pupils know how to regulate their behaviour. Pupils know the school’s routines and follow them happily. They attend frequently and punctually. Leaders analyse attendance information rigorously and plan a range of support for pupils who attend less well. Consequently, pupils’ attendance has improved over time.

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Leaders have prioritised pupils’ personal development. All pupils have ample opportunities to develop their skills and interests. They participate in the wide offer of clubs excitedly and share their talents in inter-school sports or concerts in the local church. Teachers ensure that pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of concepts such as healthy relationships or consent.

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Governors have high expectations for the school and work with leaders very effectively. They hold leaders to account well. Staff are very positive about the school. They feel leaders manage their workload appropriately and enjoy the high- quality training on offer.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, teachers are not precise enough about they want pupils to learn in the activities they design. As a result, pupils do not always learn as well as they could. Leaders must ensure that the activities that teachers design are focused on what pupils should learn and that pupils develop their knowledge and skills well.  In some subjects, including phonics, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding swiftly or accurately enough. As a result, gaps in learning are not identified quickly and pupils do not learn as well as they could. Leaders must ensure that 14 and 15 May 2024

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pupils’ understanding is checked precisely, and that gaps in learning are quickly addressed so that pupils can keep up with learning.

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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). 14 and 15 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 September 2021, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses no 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 the school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into their account of the school.  The inspection team met with the headteacher as well as with other leaders and staff. The lead inspector also held a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, design and technology, music and history. They also sampled pupils’ work from English and science. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions 14 and 15 May 2024

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about the curriculum, 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 considered the views of parents and carers through their responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. The inspectors spoke to staff and pupils during the inspection and took account of staff and pupil responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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

Mark Enser His Majesty’s Inspector 14 and 15 May 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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