Shoreham Beach Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Shoreham Beach Primary School Shingle Road, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex BN43 5RH

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 December 2024

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Outcome

Shoreham Beach 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?

Shoreham Beach Primary provides a nurturing environment in which pupils are kept safe. Pupils know they can trust adults to help them if they have any worries. The school has high expectations of all pupils’ achievement and ensures these are met. Pupils look forward to the ‘Funky Friday’ events in which their learning is celebrated.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has well-established rules and routines, which pupils learn to follow well. As a result, behaviour is orderly, both in class and at breaktimes. Through their time at the school, pupils learn to be increasingly resilient and how to take responsibility for helping others. Year 6 pupils acting as ‘buddies’ for the Reception Year children, or ‘minnows’, typifies the atmosphere at the school. The before- and after-school provision in the extra space in the converted bus on the playground is warmly welcomed by parents and carers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The well-planned curriculum ensures pupils achieve well academically and gain other important knowledge for later life. For example, they learn how to treat others fairly and about where they live on a narrow spit of land almost surrounded by water. Pupils are keen to talk about their role in taking care of the environment around them.

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

The school ensures pupils learn subject content in a logical sequence so their knowledge builds securely. From the start, staff place a high value on reading. The Reception Year offers a language-rich environment, which supports strongly the development of children’s communication. This, coupled with well-planned activities, sees Reception children avidly developing their early reading skills. Effective support for pupils’ reading continues as they get older. Staff accurately identify any pupils needing extra help. They provide what is 10 and 11 December 2024

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required so that they catch up. The school strongly supports pupils’ enjoyment of reading. For example, ‘SQUIRT’ (sit quietly it’s reading time) is enjoyed by pupils every day.

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Typically, teachers explain new learning well so that pupils understand it. Teachers often select effective ways of explaining new knowledge to pupils, for example, using imagery, verbal explanation or practical equipment. The school ensures staff have good information about pupils’ past progress and any special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers usually use this to make suitable adaptations to their approaches to ensure all pupils achieve well. However, on occasion, this is less effective, notably for pupils with SEND. Some pupils are left unclear about what to do and learn less securely.

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Staff generally make good use of tests, assessments and in-class techniques, such as questioning, to understand how well pupils are learning the curriculum. They often make effective use of what they find out to make short-term adjustments to activities in class or to plan future teaching. Nevertheless, there are some inconsistencies in how well this is done. This means that sometimes teachers do not identify pupils’ misconceptions and tackle them.

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The school puts much care into ensuring pupils learn the full national curriculum. This means they are ready for later learning in key areas, such as mathematics. Logical links between subjects deepen pupils’ understanding. For example, learning about changes in their bodies in science as they learn about leading healthy lives in personal, social, health and economic education. Pupils are taught to be respectful of others and to understand fundamental British values, such as democracy and the rule of law. This goes a long way to explaining how well they cooperate with each other and the zest for learning displayed by pupils. There is little unkindness, but staff quickly resolve any that occurs.

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The school provides many opportunities to take on responsibilities. Pupils keenly take these up, for example, as ‘eco-warriors’ or ‘library monitors’. The school also offers a wide range of clubs and enrichment activities, taking care to check that all pupils can take part.

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Attendance is high, and staff work sensitively with families where support is needed for children to attend well. Parents are very positive about the work of the school. They appreciate the regular communication with them. They like the support to understand what their children are learning and how they can help with key areas like reading.

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Leaders have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They make sure that resources and staff development are targeted effectively. For example, they are currently working on improving mathematics further. They check carefully the impact they are making as leaders and adapt their approach, where needed. Staff feel well supported by leaders. They are proud to work at the school. Governors are a committed group. They have relevant expertise, gather useful evidence about the school’s work, and provide a good blend of support and challenge for the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 10 and 11 December 2024

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(Information for the school and the local authority)

 On a few occasions, teachers do not explain new learning in ways which ensure all pupils, especially those with SEND, understand it. This means that some pupils do not learn the curriculum content as well as others. The school should support staff in refining their work so that all pupils understand fully.  There are a few instances where teachers’ checks on how well pupils have understood new learning in class are not effective. As a result, gaps in their knowledge are not identified so that additional support can be provided to help them catch up. Staff need guidance on how to do this more consistently.

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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.

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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. 10 and 11 December 2024

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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). 10 and 11 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Shortly after the last inspection, the headteacher left and the current headteacher was appointed. The deputy headteacher was appointed in September 2021.  The chair of governors took on the role in September 2023, having been co-chair before.  Three new teachers started in September 2024.  The school currently makes use of one unregistered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of the 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 this into account in his evaluation of the school. 10 and 11 December 2024

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 The inspector met the headteacher and other senior staff, a group of governors, including the chair and vice-chair, a representative of the local authority. Parents were spoken to at the school gate while dropping off their children.  The inspector talked with a group of pupils and a group of staff, visited lessons, spoke with pupils in classes and looked at work. He talked with pupils at breaktimes and visited the breakfast and after-school provision. He analysed the responses to Ofsted surveys completed by parents, staff and pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record of checks on adults; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has established an open and positive culture that puts pupils’ interests first

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Inspection team

Stephen Long, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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