Estcots Primary School

Inspection of a school judged Good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Estcots Primary School Bourg-De-Peage Avenue, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 3TY

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Outcome

Estcots Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are inspired to learn at this vibrant school. They are excited by the rich learning opportunities on offer, which are further enhanced by a wide range of visits and visitors. Pupils enthusiastically recall their trips out to a steam railway as part of their learning about World War II or the knight on horseback who visited the school. These experiences help bring learning to life for pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that they are expected to work hard, and they do. They are keen to learn and to share their knowledge. Pupils are rightly proud of their many achievements. They build secure knowledge and are well prepared for the next stages of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well, both in lessons and around the school. They appreciate that the school is calm and quiet and explain that it is easy to concentrate in class.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value kindness. They are keen to demonstrate this by helping others. They are delighted to recognise kindnesses shown to them by making nominations using the kindness box. Pupil volunteers diligently discharge responsibilities, such as staffing the tuck shop. Everyone plays their part in helping Escots Primary School to be a welcoming happy place in which to learn.

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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 for pupils. The knowledge that pupils will learn has been clearly set out from Reception to Year 6 in all subjects. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities 3 and 4 December 2024

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(SEND) have their needs quickly identified. Learning is adapted well so that pupils with SEND experience success.

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In English and mathematics, regular checks on what pupils know and remember help ensure that knowledge builds sequentially. Pupils achieve well in English and mathematics. They develop a depth of understanding of mathematical facts and methods early. This helps them confidently explore more challenging concepts, such as generating algebraic equations, later on. A sharp focus on developing rich language in early years supports pupils in their learning across the curriculum.

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Pupils learn to read quickly and well. Staff have skill and expertise in teaching phonics, which makes a real and positive difference to pupils’ learning of sounds. Staff are quick to note anyone who needs extra support and just as quick to put the right help in place. Pupils practise what they learn by reading books that are well matched to their needs. Right from the start in Reception children enjoy the wide range of stories that are read to them. Pupils are keen readers who eagerly talk about stories that link to their learning or discuss their favourite authors.

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In subjects other than English and mathematics, staff are rightly developing ways of checking pupils’ subject knowledge. Although pupils learn well across the curriculum, sometimes their specific understanding in, for example, geography or design technology is confused. Staff know that developing these checks will help them to build more precisely on what pupils know and remember across subjects.

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The new behaviour policy is helping pupils to understand even more clearly what is expected of them at school. Children in Reception learn to work and play well together quickly. There are warm relationships throughout the school between pupils and staff. Pupils who need a little extra help to manage their behaviour and emotions benefit from a wide range of sensitive and well-developed support. Pupils are positive about the new school values, ‘proud, resilient, respectful, courageous and collaborative’, which are being introduced to them through a series of assemblies. These reflect their everyday experience of school life.

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Pupils typically attend school well. The school monitors attendance and punctuality carefully. Where there are barriers to regular attendance, these are well understood and supported by the school.

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The school carefully monitors the implementation of the extensive personal development provision. Any identified needs, such as around e-safety, are quickly acted on so that pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. The school is rightly proud of a focus on additional links with the wider community through joint projects with care homes or putting on productions in a local theatre.

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Staff are positive about working at the school. They feel listened to, supported and involved in important decisions. Staff recognise that their workload is considered when making any changes. Parents and carers appreciate the care that the school provides for 3 and 4 December 2024

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their children. Several describe how the school ‘goes the extra mile’ to enhance learning and nurture pupils’ interests and talents.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Checks on what pupils know and remember are not currently fully developed across foundation subjects. Sometimes, the knowledge pupils are building in these subjects is confused or unclear. This makes it hard for staff to build on pupils’ knowledge accurately. The school should continue to develop the checks it uses to fully understand what knowledge pupils have secured so that staff can build on this as effectively as possible.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2015. 3 and 4 December 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 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). 3 and 4 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Stephanie Gibson

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 July 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school currently uses one registered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in this evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with a range of school staff and held regular update meetings with leaders. The inspector also met with some members of the governing body and had a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 3 and 4 December 2024

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 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.  The inspector reviewed responses to Ofsted’s parent, pupil and staff surveys.  The inspector talked to staff to gather their views about the school, including their workload and well-being. The inspector met with several groups of pupils, as well as speaking to pupils during lessons and at lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Deborah Perkins, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 December 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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