Peacehaven Heights Academy

Inspection of Peacehaven Heights Academy Hoddern Avenue, Peacehaven, East Sussex BN10 7QY

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 November 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is David Dowling. This school is part of STEP Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Paul Glover, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ross Gardner. There is also an executive headteacher, Zoe Griffiths, who is responsible for this school and two others. 26 and 27 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have experienced a significant improvement in their education over the past two years. Staff hold consistently high expectations for every pupil. Pupils are keen to live up to the school’s values, for instance by showing commitment to their learning. The school is adamant that special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) should not be a barrier to success. These high expectations are supporting pupils to achieve strongly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in early years settle in quickly. Staff provide clear and consistent routines to help children understand what is expected as they learn and play. This helps to create a secure foundation for positive behaviour throughout the school. Behaviour in classrooms is calm and focused. Pupils share the playground spaces with one another well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop a sense of pride in their school community. They embrace opportunities to represent their school in sporting fixtures and debating competitions. Pupils enjoy taking part in community events such as bake sales and the fireworks display. Through the ‘pupil parliament’, they feel that they have a voice in the future of their school. Staff demonstrate the kind and respectful interactions that they encourage amongst pupils. Pupils know that they can always talk to staff about any worries or concerns.

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

The school has put reading at the centre of its improvement journey. Staff are trained well in how to support early readers. By revisiting and repeating key sounds, pupils learn how to break down unfamiliar words. Weaker readers benefit from precise extra support to become more confident readers. In the Nursery Year, children learn to listen for sounds, and enjoy the stories and rhymes that staff read with them. Despite the low starting points of some pupils, over time they catch up with their peers. This strong foundation in reading helps to support pupils to write with increasing accuracy. As a result, pupils are achieving more highly than current published data would indicate.

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

The curriculum reflects the school’s high ambitions for every pupil. It is designed to enhance pupils’ cultural understanding as well as their academic knowledge. For example, in English pupils study classic texts such as a version of Beowulf in Year 3. For pupils with SEND, teachers make careful adaptations to learning. By providing well-chosen extra resources or helping with unfamiliar vocabulary, staff make sure that all pupils can access the full curriculum.

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

In most subjects, teachers explain and demonstrate new ideas well. In mathematics, they provide clear models for pupils to work from. This helps to develop pupils’ confidence in applying these ideas for themselves. There are a few areas of the curriculum in which teachers do not have the same depth of subject knowledge. In these instances, their introduction of new learning is not as clear as in other subjects. This leads to some pupils not gaining as much understanding from the lessons as they could.

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

The school makes effective use of assessment information. Checks on pupils’ knowledge in English and mathematics are used to adjust upcoming learning. Staff know their pupils 26 and 27 November 2024

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well. This knowledge helps the school to identify additional needs early in pupils’ time at school. There are some variations in how well teachers identify and correct pupils’ misconceptions. When this happens, gaps in learning can persist for some pupils.

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The school’s approach to attendance is detailed and effective. Staff take time to understand and overcome potential barriers to attendance. This has led to a sustained reduction in pupils’ absence. However, the attendance of disadvantaged pupils is below the school’s expectations. In response to this, the school continues to take every opportunity to promote and support good attendance.

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Outside of academic subjects, the school provides extensive opportunities for its pupils. This helps them to develop their talents and interests. Disadvantaged pupils are encouraged and supported to make the most of this offer, from trips and workshops to gardening and sewing clubs. All pupils benefit from the caring and supportive ethos of the school. Children in the early years are taught how to share and take turns. Pupils develop a clear understanding of what it means to be a good friend. The school is passionate about making sure that everyone is treated fairly, regardless of their background.

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The trust and those responsible for governance provide ongoing support and challenge for leaders at all levels. The school supports staff well to keep workload manageable as it delivers improvements. In all aspects of school life, leaders have instilled a culture of high expectations. Staff have a clear sense of shared purpose. They are committed to helping pupils to overcome whatever barriers they may face in their education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, teachers do not have as much depth of subject knowledge as in the strongest areas. As a result, their explanations are not as effective as in other areas of the curriculum, and pupils do not develop the same depth of knowledge. The school needs to ensure that teachers’ knowledge of the curriculum is consistently strong across all subjects.  Teachers do not always check for and correct pupils’ misconceptions, or gaps in their understanding. This can lead to pupils’ mistakes or misunderstandings not being addressed fully. The school needs to ensure that teachers routinely identify gaps in knowledge and address misconceptions swiftly. 26 and 27 November 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). 26 and 27 November 2024

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School details

Website www.peacehavenheightsacademy.org

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the STEP Academy Trust. It opened as a sponsor-led academy on 1 February 2022.  The school operates across two sites in Peacehaven. Key Stage 2 provision is located on Hoddern Avenue, BN10 7QY and Key Stage 1 and Early Years provision is located on Roderick Avenue, BN10 8UZ.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club on the school premises.

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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 26 and 27 November 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 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 met with school leaders including the headteacher and deputy headteacher. The inspectors also met with the trust leaders including the chief executive officer and the executive headteacher. The inspectors met with representatives of the local governing board and the board of trustees.  The inspectors considered the views of parents, including through Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, music, mathematics, English and geography. For each deep dive, the inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke

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to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also discussed the curriculum and provision for pupils with SEND and sampled work from other areas of the curriculum.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, governors, staff, parents and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts the pupils’ interests first.  As part of the inspection evidence, inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for school staff.

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Inspection team

Daniel Botting, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Lucy English His Majesty's Inspector 26 and 27 November 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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