Lyminster Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Lyminster Primary School Wick Street, Littlehampton, West Sussex BN17 7JZ

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Outcome

Lyminster 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?

The school encourages pupils to ‘find your roar’. Pupils embody this in a number of ways. They discuss their learning excitedly with each other and staff. Pupils talk about their career aspirations and know how to achieve them. They share their opinions confidently and consider the views of others carefully. The school helps pupils to develop these skills through the wide range of leadership roles that they can hold. Positions such as peer mentors encourage pupils to take on personal responsibility and act as role models for the school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy in school. They have warm and positive relationships with staff. These help pupils to behave well. As a result, the school is calm and purposeful. Pupils know that staff will deal with any concerns they have quickly. All pupils have trusted adults they can share these worries with. This helps pupils to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils work hard to meet them. They recall their prior learning and apply this in their lessons. Pupils’ work shows they learn the important skills and knowledge they need. They are well prepared for their next steps.

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum that begins in early years. Teachers identify clearly what they want pupils to learn. Pupils revisit these important skills and knowledge. As a result, pupils deepen their understanding over time. For example, when completing experiments in science, pupils in Year 2 make simple predictions based on their prior learning. By Year 6, pupils use data they have collected to predict outcomes accurately. 4 and 5 February 2025

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Leaders have responded swiftly and effectively to low published outcomes in some subjects. The school has refined the curriculum as a result. Pupils generally learn the important skills and knowledge they need. They have age-appropriate mathematical knowledge and can write accurately in a variety of styles. However, a small number of older pupils are less accurate in their spelling and use of grammar. This means that these pupils do not always communicate their ideas as clearly as they could.

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Teachers ensure that they know their pupils well. They use this knowledge to make effective adaptations to the curriculum for pupils, particularly for those with SEND. Pupils who require additional support also benefit from individualised support from skilled staff. Consequently, pupils with SEND achieve well against their personal targets.

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Pupils in the early stages of reading are well supported. Skilled teachers deliver phonics consistently well. They check pupils’ phonics knowledge carefully. Staff use this information to select appropriate books for pupils to read. This helps pupils to practise their reading independently. Teachers also identify gaps in knowledge and plan support to help pupils catch up swiftly. As a result, the vast majority of pupils are fluent and confident readers by the end of key stage 1.

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Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They explain content clearly, showing pupils precisely what they need to know to be successful. Teachers check pupils’ understanding carefully. They address inaccuracies swiftly and design activities to help pupils catch up if they fall behind. However, in a small number of subjects the activities that teachers select are not matched to the curriculum precisely enough. They do not always help pupils to learn the curriculum content as deeply as they could. As a result, some pupils do not develop as secure an understanding in these subjects as they do in others.

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Leaders at all levels are reflective, and are constantly refining the work of the school. They know the school well and have high ambition for all pupils. Governors share the same aspirations and offer challenge and support to the school in equal measure. The school provides staff with training that builds their confidence and subject expertise. The committed staff work in the best interests of pupils effectively.

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Pupils are well prepared for life in 21st century Britain. They learn how to stay safe online and in the wider community. Pupils experience a range of different cultures and beliefs. They have positive attitudes to difference and diversity. They have ample opportunities to develop their skills and talents through the school’s rich offer of clubs. These include activities as diverse as chess, rugby and gardening. The school ensures that disadvantaged pupils benefit from these, too.

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Pupils love learning. This starts in early years, where children settle quickly into well- designed classroom routines. Pupils listen intently to teachers and concentrate well on their work. These positive attitudes continue in breaktimes, where pupils play together excitedly. The school tracks pupils’ attendance carefully. Staff identify pupils who need additional support swiftly and plan appropriate support. Pupils attend regularly, but leaders are ambitious for this to improve further. 4 and 5 February 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The historic teaching of spelling and grammar was not strong enough, and while leaders have addressed this, the approach is not yet fully embedded. As a result, a small number of pupils do not always spell or use grammatical features accurately enough. The school must ensure that it continues to embed its approach and ensure that these essential skills are taught consistently well.  In a small number of subjects, the tasks that teachers select do not always support pupils in developing the subject-specific skills they need deeply enough. As a result, pupils do not always learn the curriculum content as well as they could. The school must ensure that the activities staff select enable pupils to learn the important skills and knowledge they need.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in September 2019. 4 and 5 February 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). 4 and 5 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 September 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school currently uses no alternative provision.  The school manages a breakfast club for pupils.

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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 their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher and other leaders. The inspector also met members of the governing body. The inspector held a phone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector focused inspection activity on groups of subjects. For each group of subjects, the inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 4 and 5 February 2025

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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.  Throughout the inspection, the inspector met with groups of staff. They also considered the opinions expressed through the staff survey.  The inspector met some parents at the start of the school day and took account of the views expressed through Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Gavin Thomas, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 4 and 5 February 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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