Petworth Cof E Primary School

Inspection of Petworth CofE Primary School South Grove, Petworth, West Sussex GU28 0EE

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 January 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 14 and 15 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ needs are at the heart of every decision the school makes. As a result, pupils feel happy and safe. They appreciate the caring staff, who swiftly resolve any concerns or worries. Staff and pupils model the school’s values of ‘inspire, nurture and challenge’ well. This enables pupils to build strong relationships with others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Pupils benefit from a well- thought-out curriculum that helps them to achieve well. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Learning is brought to life through many additional experiences. Pupils particularly enjoy their sessions outside in the forest or on the school’s own farm area. They also benefit from visits to a local gallery and a river, as well as trips to London and a residential trip to the Isle of Wight.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is typically good. Most pupils are attentive, listen well to staff and allow their classmates to learn. They show kindness towards their peers and staff and are considerate of others’ needs. Pupils have and show strong morals. They say that everyone is unique and treated equally. They celebrate difference and oppose any form of discrimination.

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

The school has designed a curriculum that is broad and ambitious. Pupils’ learning across all subjects is clearly sequenced from early years through to Year 6. This well-designed curriculum ensures pupils revisit prior learning on a regular basis. This helps them to remember their learning over time. Pupils are able to use their prior knowledge to help them with new learning. For example, Year 6 pupils could compare their previous learning about Ancient Greece to develop their current learning about the Mayan civilisation. In English and mathematics, teachers have a high ambition of what pupils learn. Typically, teachers explain new concepts effectively. However, on some occasions in the wider subjects, the curriculum is not delivered as well as leaders intend. For example, sometimes teachers do not ensure that pupils are clear how they should set about their work. This means, in those cases, pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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

Reading is prioritised. Staff are well trained to deliver the school’s chosen phonics programme consistently and expertly. At regular intervals, the school checks pupils’ knowledge of phonics effectively. It uses this information to identify gaps in pupils’ learning and to provide engaging support when needed. As a result, by the end of key stage 1, nearly all pupils can read with confidence and fluency.

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

The school has created a very nurturing environment where every pupil is welcome. Pupils with SEND are supported very well. Staff promptly identify pupils who may have additional needs and use their expertise to support them well. Developing positive mental health and well-being for pupils and staff is a high priority in school. Pupils who need help to understand and manage their emotions are given the pastoral support they need. 14 and 15 January 2025

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In the early years, children make a good start to their schooling. Children learn school routines quickly. They concentrate well, listen carefully and take turns when they talk together as a class. Children enjoy exploring the well-designed learning activities and develop secure early knowledge and skills. This means they are well prepared for Year 1.

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Pupils’ behaviour is good. They demonstrate good manners. In the corridors, dinner hall and playgrounds, pupils are calm and interact well with one another. Pupils typically behave well in lessons and are eager to engage in their learning. Some pupils, however, occasionally interrupt their lessons. This includes pupils calling out or being distracting in other ways. This means, in those instances, staff attention is diverted, thus disrupting the pupils’ classmates from learning as effectively as they could.

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The school has designed its personal development offer with great care. It has thought through key experiences it wants pupils to participate in. Pupils benefit from a range of enrichment activities, including sports and the arts. Pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain by learning about a number of different religions. They are passionate about the fact that everyone should be treated equally and fairly.

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Governors support and challenge the school well. They carry out their statutory duties well. Governors, and the school’s leaders, are proactive in supporting staff with their workload and well-being. As a result, staff morale is high, and staff feel appreciated and proud to work at the school. The school collaborates effectively with pupils’ families, fostering a strong sense of unity.

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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, the curriculum is not delivered as well as leaders intend. This means that not all pupils are achieving as well as they should. The school should continue to improve the staff’s teaching expertise so that all pupils can develop a strong body of knowledge over time in all subjects.  Occasionally, lessons are interrupted by low-level behaviours. This means that in those instances teaching and learning are not as effective as they could be. The school should ensure that all staff have consistent behaviour management strategies to enable all pupils to learn without interruption. 14 and 15 January 2025

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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). 14 and 15 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Sara Bennie and Eileen Lintill (co-chairs)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 2 and 3 July 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This Church of England school is located in the Diocese of Chichester. Its last Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) took place in March 2018. The school’s next SIAMS inspection will be carried out within eight years of the previous SIAMS inspection.  The school has had a number of new class teachers and leaders take up post since the last inspection.  The school uses no 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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 14 and 15 January 2025

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 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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders in the school. The lead inspector also met with members of the governing board, including a co-chair, and with educational representatives from both the local authority and diocese.

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 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 reviewed a range of the school’s documents, including self-evaluation reports, minutes of governing body meetings and behaviour incident logs.  The inspectors considered the views of parents shared through Ofsted Parent View. An inspector also spoke with parents on the first day of the inspection.  The views of staff were gathered through interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection, as well as through the staff survey.  Inspectors gathered pupils’ views throughout the inspection, including through the classroom visits, group discussions, and at playtime and lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Chris Parker, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Diane Charman Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 January 2025

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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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