St Martin's CofE Primary School

Inspection of St Martin's CofE Primary School Hartington Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN2 3LJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 4 and 5 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to meet the high expectations in this highly nurturing school in the heart of Brighton. Parents say, ‘St Martin’s is a wonderful school with a great community feel’. The ethos is welcoming, inclusive and ambitious. The school values are modelled and promoted by everyone, contributing to a happy and successful school environment. Pupils are joyful, enthusiastic and thriving. There are consistently high ambitions for all, and pupils achieve well across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is impeccable. Relationships are supportive, caring and compassionate. Pastoral care for families is exceptional. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are strongly supported. The school nurtures pupils’ talents and interests through music lessons, choir, theatre, and extensive involvement in local sports opportunities. The high proportions of disadvantaged pupils particularly benefit from this rich offer of wider development opportunities. Leaders make sure that nobody misses out.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school promotes multiculturalism through the curriculum and an impressive range of trips, visitors and experiences. Pupils don’t just tolerate, they celebrate difference. They have a highly developed understanding of equality and diversity. British values are enriched through the democratic election of school councillors. This was enhanced impressively when pupils took the train to London to experience the Houses of Parliament and Lords.

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better?

Children make a strong start in early years, joyfully meeting high ambitions in the caring Nursery and Reception classes. Early language is highly prioritised. Staff constantly model sounds and words to help children acquire vocabulary. Early mathematics skills are blossoming well, and children’s writing is particularly impressive in Reception. Expertise across the school ensures that the high numbers of pupils with SEND receive effective help. Needs are identified swiftly from early years onwards, and plans are frequently reviewed to adapt support for disadvantaged pupils. As they move up through the school, all pupils access the whole curriculum with helpful adaptions and consistent support.

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better?

Every subject is planned and sequenced clearly with essential knowledge and skills. Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure. Professional development has equipped staff to understand and embed a consistent whole school approach for teaching and learning. Small steps of learning are well defined, and frequent recall activities capture how well pupils can remember key content. Pupils are enthusiastic, engaged and achieving well. In some foundation subjects, staff checks of pupils’ understanding is not fully embedded. The school is prioritising this, to avoid the risk of pupils having gaps in their knowledge.

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better?

Reading is central to the school’s impressive improvement work since the last inspection. Phonics is taught consistently well, and catch up support is now a 4 and 5 June 2024

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strength. Books are precisely matched to give pupils the practice they need. Staff use consistent language and modelling to give struggling readers crucial support. As a result, pupils learn to read with fluency, comprehension and enthusiasm. This effective work particularly benefits disadvantaged pupils including those with SEND. The school provides a diverse book offer, prioritising multicultural awareness. From early years onwards, the school keeps families well-informed about their children’s progress, routinely offering guidance to support learning at home.

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Behaviour is exemplary as a result of well-established routines, warm relationships and high expectations. The school environment is an oasis of calm. Pupils show excellent self-regulation, using the school’s nurturing approach to help them manage their feelings and make positive choices. Conduct in lessons is excellent. Learning time is never lost because pupils listen well and try their best. Pupils show respect for each other and feel special, because staff care about them and their unique qualities and needs. Leaders’ work to ensure strong school attendance has proved effective. Persistent absence is significantly lower than elsewhere in the country.

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The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum equips pupils superbly for modern Britain. Pupils learn about online safety, healthy relationships and how to stay safe in the local community. The school enriches pupils’ lives with high-quality cultural experiences. For example, fully funded cinema trips are used to enhance pupils’ historical learning opportunities. Pupils learn to be charitable by actively making a positive difference to society. The school collects vital donations for a local food bank and charity. Pupils are proud to fundraise for a local hospice and sing at a residential care home.

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Leaders are reflective, inspirational and determined to help all pupils succeed. Governors use their breadth of expertise to give strong support. Their strategic questioning holds the school to account, driving secure improvements since the last inspection. The school has engaged well with support from the local authority, collaborating with a local partner school and external consultants. This work has proved effective. Staff are dedicated, proud, happy and well-supported. This ensures a joyous school community, where learning flourishes and pupils always have a chance to shine.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Assessment is not fully embedded in some foundation subjects. In these areas of the curriculum, teachers do not always precisely identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge. The school must ensure that assessment is used effectively 4 and 5 June 2024

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across the whole curriculum to help pupils securely learn key content across every subject.

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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). 4 and 5 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.stmartins.brighton-hove.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 February 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Chichester. The school was rated outstanding in its most recent section 48 inspection in March 2018.  The school currently uses one registered alternative provider.  The school offers a before- and after- school club, overseen by the governing body.  There is a Nursery for three-year-old children.

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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 educa- tion provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 4 and 5 June 2024

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, inclusion manager, subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  The lead inspector met with the chair of governors and four members of the gov- erning body.  The lead inspector met with two representatives from the local authority, and spoke by telephone with a representative from the Diocese of Chichester.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: geography, science, early reading and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pu- pils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to a range of pupils read. He observed catch-up inter- ventions to evaluate how staff provide extra support to pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and consid-

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ered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the responses to the staff survey and spoke to a range of staff about their views of the school.  Inspectors evaluated responses to the pupil survey and spoke with a range of pu- pils in meetings, lessons and break times.  Inspectors spoke to a range of parents and took account of responses to Ofsted Parent View questionnaire and the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Scott Reece, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Paul Bateman Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 June 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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