Earls Hall Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Earls Hall Primary School Carlton Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex SS0 0QN

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Outcome

Earls Hall Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are happy in lessons and when they meet with their friends at breaktime or in school clubs. Relationships in school are friendly and kind. Pupils have respectful friendships with their peers. They all try hard to meet the school’s expectations of being honest, reflective, creative, respectful, unique and responsible members of the school community. As a result, pupils feel safe and cared for.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of all pupils. Pupils meet these expectations by behaving very well and working hard. They are encouraged to think ‘smartly’, reflect on their choices and make the right decision. As a result, pupils learn in a calm and orderly school, where learning is rarely interrupted. They know bullying can happen but also know that all adults respond and sort it out when it does occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very proud of their school and interested in making it better. They feel responsible for each other and their community. They enjoy the responsibilities they have, including taking care of the school farm, looking after Mabel the school dog and being on the school council. They invite friends and neighbours for coffee and raise funds for charity.

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

The school has developed a well-considered and broad curriculum. It outlines the important knowledge pupils need to know. Knowledge is sequenced so pupils learn new information at the right time. Pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), enjoy and learn the curriculum well. In a few areas of the curriculum, staff can adapt or choose what they teach. When this happens, pupils do not always learn what the school intends.

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

The school has established effective systems to check what pupils know and remember in most areas of the curriculum. However, in a few subjects, teachers are not clear about 5 and 6 June 2024

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what pupils remember. As a result, in these subjects, new learning does not always build on what pupils know and can do.

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Children begin learning to read as soon as they start school. They listen carefully to their teachers and quickly learn to sound out and read new words. Pupils concentrate well in these lessons and practise reading every day. Staff make regular checks to ensure pupils remember what they are taught. Pupils who need more support to keep up get the right help. Pupils enjoy reading. They become confident and fluent readers. Pupils can readily name their favourite authors and books.

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Children in the early years have a good start to school. Staff have high expectations of them. They provide a stimulating and effective learning environment. This supports children to learn and behave well. Leaders of early years and key stage 1 work together effectively. This ensures the expectations of what children need to learn are clear. Consequently, children are well prepared for the next stage of their learning.

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Pupils behave very well and attend school regularly. The school takes appropriate and effective action when pupils’ attendance begins to decline.

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The provision for pupils with SEND is a strength of the school. Leaders work tirelessly to ensure pupils’ needs are identified and supported effectively. The school has a wide range of resources and expertise. This ensures pupils with SEND receive the specific help they need to progress through the curriculum. Therefore, pupils with SEND become successful and resilient learners.

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The school wants all pupils to have a wide range of opportunities. They aim high for everyone. Pupils’ personal development is prioritised as well as their academic progress. The wide personal development offer is a strength of the school. Pupils are supported to be mentally and physically healthy. They learn how to make important decisions. They enjoy the wide range of after-school clubs on offer. Pupils are confident to discuss their views and challenge stereotypes. They learn about a range of people and cultures. They accept and respect differences between people. Older pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe when online.

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The school community has a successful shared vision. Leaders work well with everyone to help the school improve. Governors, school improvement leaders and the local authority know the school well. They provide regular and knowledgeable advice and monitoring to ensure the school meets its aims and ambitions. Staff feel well supported to manage their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 5 and 6 June 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, teachers do not always teach the curriculum as the school intends. They sometimes change or choose what to teach. As a result, some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge. The school should ensure that the curriculum is taught systematically and consistently in all subjects.  In a few subjects, assessment systems are not well established. Staff do not always spot where pupils need further practice. Consequently, some pupils cannot build on their learning effectively. The school must ensure effective assessment systems are in place in all subjects so that teachers know what pupils have already learned before introducing new knowledge.

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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, 5 and 6 June 2024

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looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 5 and 6 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 June 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.  The school does not use external alternative provision.

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school  The inspectors spoke with the headteacher and senior leadership team, as well as school subject leaders and phase and year group leaders.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science and art. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also scrutinised the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single 5 and 6 June 2024

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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 that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector reviewed a wide range of documents, including the school’s self- evaluation, improvement plans and information on the school’s website.  The inspectors considered 196 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text responses. The inspectors also took account of 57 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. Inspectors gained pupils’ views of the school through various discussions.

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Inspection team

Debbie Rogan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Paul Fykin Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 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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