Amberley CofE Primary School

Inspection of Amberley CofE Primary School School Road, Amberley, Arundel, West Sussex BN18 9NB

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 October 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 15 and 16 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe, happy and secure. They are surrounded by adults and peers who know them well and care for them at this small friendly school. An adult with a listening ear is never far away if pupils need to share a worry. They appreciate that any concerns will be listened to and acted upon.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff expect pupils to behave well and work hard at school and they do. This is the norm. Pupils rise to these expectations and are clear that respect is important. They are positive about how they are treated and extend this to others. Pupils enjoy their social times. They get along well together at playtimes, when they enjoy the games and activities on offer in the extensive space.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils apply themselves with industry and enthusiasm to the tasks they are set. They listen to their teachers and follow instructions. These factors contribute to pupils achieving well at school. Parents and carers are, rightly, positive about the provision. They appreciate that their children ‘flourish, feel valued and are heard’ at this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from opportunities to be part of their wider community through, for example, carol singing. Well-chosen trips help expand their understanding of other communities and more urban environments.

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

The school has taken swift and effective action to respond to the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection in May 2023. The school has acted upon a range of external advice to help drive things forward successfully. Staff feel positive about the changes that have been made. These have included careful consideration of their workloads so that they can focus on teaching. Morale is high and everyone shares a sense of pride in being part of the team. Staff are united in their determination to continue to raise standards even further and secure the very best for pupils.

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

The school has ensured that an ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum is in place. This sets out clearly what pupils will learn and when, from Reception to Year 6. All pupils are supported well to access the curriculum. Recently a review of some subjects, such as history, and design and technology, has helped to further develop sequences of learning. Pupils are building knowledge and skills increasingly well in these subjects. The school is in the process of reviewing other subjects across the wider curriculum.

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

The school ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified accurately. Staff use this understanding to ensure that pupils with SEND get the help they need to participate fully in all aspects of school life and to be successful.

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

In English and mathematics, systems for checking what pupils remember, know and understand are well developed. Staff have strong subject knowledge, which helps them to deliver the planned curriculum effectively. Teachers use this to adapt their teaching and 15 and 16 October 2024

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activities. This supports all pupils well, including those with SEND. These systems are not yet fully in place across the wider curriculum. This makes it harder for teachers to identify and build on pupils’ prior knowledge successfully in these subjects.

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The teaching of early reading through phonics has been strengthened through staff training and improved resourcing. The school has ensured that learning to read is a priority. Children start to learn their phonics straight away in Reception. Careful checking swiftly identifies if pupils start to fall behind. These pupils are given the help they need to catch up quickly, using books that are accurately matched to their needs. This helps them to achieve success and builds their confidence. Pupils learn to read accurately. They enjoy both reading and being read to.

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Pupils mostly attend school well. The school rightly promotes the importance of regular attendance. The school works closely with parents and carers to help support pupils in coming to school every day, on time and to address any barriers to this.

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Pupils’ personal development is well provided for through the curriculum. In addition, pupils enjoy a wide range of opportunities to explore interests and take on roles of responsibility, such as being part of the school council. Pupils have a strong awareness of the school values. These are important to them. They carefully consider their nominations for the ‘values ambassador awards’ that are given out weekly in assembly. Pupils also demonstrate a secure understanding of fundamental British values. For example, by making links between tolerance and the school value of respect.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of foundation subjects, the school has not fully set out clearly enough the specific content they expect pupils to learn. This leads to gaps in pupils’ knowledge, meaning pupils are not yet sufficiently building their understanding over time. The school should ensure that all subjects have clearly outlined curriculums to help pupils learn well in every subject.  Processes for checking what pupils have learned and remembered are not yet fully developed across all foundation subjects. This means that teachers do not always identify and address pupils’ gaps or build on prior learning in all subjects as successfully as they do in English and mathematics. The school should ensure that systems to check pupils learning are used across all subjects consistently so that pupils build on prior learning successfully. 15 and 16 October 2024

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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, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 15 and 16 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Elizabeth Martin (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 May 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average primary school. The school is federated with another local primary school.  The school currently has fewer than five children in Reception. Therefore, early years provision was not given a separate grade. Information about the early years provision was considered as part of the other graded judgements.  This school is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Chichester. Its last section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character took place in September 2024.  The school does not currently use any 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. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form 15 and 16 October 2024

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with school leaders. The lead inspector also talked to representatives of the governing body and had telephone conversations with a representative from the Diocese of Chichester and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and design and technology. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects. The lead inspector listened to pupils read as part of the early reading deep dive.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders and staff; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupil’s interests first.  The inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online parent survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also considered responses to the online pupil and staff surveys.  The inspectors talked to staff to gather their views about the school, including their workload and well-being. As well as speaking to pupils during lessons, playtimes and at lunchtime, the inspectors met with several groups of unaccompanied pupils.

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Inspection team

Deborah Perkins, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Maria Roberts Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 October 2024

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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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