Ticehurst and Flimwell Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Ticehurst and Flimwell Church of England Primary School Steellands Rise, Ticehurst, Wadhurst, East Sussex TN5 7DH

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school’s work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Until recently, pupils have not had the education that they deserve at this school. There have been changes in leadership since its last inspection. The school is now steadily improving. There are ambitious plans in place to enable pupils to achieve well academically and socially. Currently, pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is building an open and trusting culture successfully, where pupils’ needs are prioritised and their voices are heard. Through the school council, adults seek pupils’ views on what should improve. For example, pupils have suggested that everyone who is new to the school is allocated a partner to help them feel welcome. Pupils’ ideas are built into the school’s plans and acted on. As a result, pupils feel safe and valued. They know that they can take any worries to a trusted adult who will listen and help them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are taught the school virtues and helped to understand them through practical examples. Pupils demonstrate the virtues for younger pupils in their leadership roles as house captains, librarians and worship leaders. Pupils build strength of character through living up to the school’s high expectations. They try their best in lessons, are considerate of others and behave well.

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

The school has placed reading at the heart of its ambitious improvement work. Staff have had the training needed to teach the curriculum well. Children begin learning letter 17 December 2024

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sounds as soon as they join Reception. Stories and songs are woven throughout their learning. Children read books that are closely matched to their stage of learning. They can sound out and write letters at an age-appropriate standard. Many pupils from Year 1 upwards have not mastered reading and spelling sufficiently well enough. These pupils have gaps in their learning. The school is supporting pupils to begin to close these gaps. However, sometimes pupils’ learning gaps are not identified accurately or specifically enough. The work that they are given is too easy or too hard. These pupils are not catching up as quickly as they should.

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Teachers have secure subject knowledge in mathematics. They explain new learning well and show pupils clearly what is expected. Older pupils have historical gaps in their mathematics learning. Teachers revisit previous learning and use pictures and resources to help pupils to catch up and become fluent mathematicians. This means that pupils do not always have opportunities to move on to more challenging parts of the curriculum, such as reasoning and problem-solving. Some pupils do not attain as highly as they could.

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The school has a logically sequenced, ambitious curriculum in place for the wider subject areas. Much of the curriculum content is new to the school. Where teachers identify gaps in pupils’ learning, they explain the most important knowledge needed, so pupils build new learning securely. For example, there is a focus on teaching pupils subject specific, technical vocabulary so they can understand new ideas and discuss their learning.

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The school has recently strengthened its systems for identifying pupils’ additional needs, including special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This work is well under way and pupils’ needs are more fully understood than previously. The school is supporting staff to consistently adapt their teaching and use of resources so that pupils’ needs are met and they can achieve well.

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Pupils generally behave well. The school has recently developed a more positive and consistent approach towards behaviour. Adults have had training in the new approach and are putting it into action effectively. Pupils learn how to recognise and understand their emotions. They have self-help strategies if they feel angry or sad. Pupils are starting to use these approaches independently, to further improve their behaviour. These changes are having a positive impact for everyone, but especially for those who need additional support to manage their behaviour.

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Most pupils attend school regularly. Positive relationships are forged with families, and the school is starting to understand and meet pupils’ needs more fully. This is having a positive impact on helping pupils attend more regularly and therefore reducing persistent absence. The school has comprehensive support in place to help pupils and their families to overcome barriers to pupils’ attendance.

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Leaders and governors have an accurate evaluation of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They know what must be done and have taken swift action to help pupils achieve more highly. They have appropriate systems in place to check that the quality of education is improving. The school targets staff training precisely where it is 17 December 2024

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needed, so adults develop professionally and can work effectively towards securing the necessary improvements.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Due to historical weaknesses in the curriculum, pupils have gaps in their knowledge that hinder them building their learning over time. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge and expertise to use assessment effectively, so learning helps pupils to catch up rapidly and achieve well.  Assessment is not used consistently well across all areas of the curriculum. Consequently, adults do not always know precisely what pupils’ learning needs are. Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or who have SEND, do not always progress through the curriculum as well as they should. The school must ensure that assessment is used to inform adaptations to teaching consistently, so that all pupils can access the ambitious curriculum, and are ready for the next stage of their education.

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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 February 2016. 17 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 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). 17 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher David Hemsley (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  This school is a voluntary controlled Church of England school in the Diocese of Chichester. Its last section 48 inspection took place in June 2019.  The school is part of a federation with Wadhurst CE Primary School.  The school is let by an executive headteacher and a head of school.

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 17 December 2024

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 During the inspection, the lead inspector met with the executive headteacher, the head of school and other senior leaders. She also met with members of the school’s governing body.  The inspectors met with groups of pupils about their learning.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: 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 inspectors considered parents’ views expressed through Ofsted Parent View.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Throughout the inspection, the inspectors met with groups of staff. They also considered the opinions expressed through the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Jo Brinkley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mark Rivers Ofsted Inspector 17 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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