Albourne Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Albourne Church of England Primary School The Street, Albourne, Hassocks, West Sussex BN6 9DH

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act

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The headteacher of this school is Fiona Keeling. This school is part of Hurst Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Tim Manly, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Anthony Jarvis. 4 and 5 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this friendly school. Pupils benefit from constructive and compassionate relationships with adults. They feel safe and welcome the school’s principles of shared respect. Open and honest communication between pupils and staff builds robust, caring relationships. Staff provide a welcoming greeting for pupils receive at the gates in the morning and this continues throughout the day. This positivity is reflected in pupils’ exceptionally strong attitudes to school. If pupils have worries or concerns, they are assured that staff will help them. Pupils behave well and are kind to each other. They demonstrate the inclusive spirit of the school and show a high standard of manners and politeness.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish opportunities for pupil leadership. From Reception onwards, pupils aspire to positions of responsibility, such as being an Albourne ambassador. Pupils recognise how the broad range of trips and experiences link to what they learn. This includes trips to Butser Hill’s neolithic settlement and Arundel castle.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour. The ambition for children starts in Reception and applies to all pupils. Pupils love learning. They delight in opportunities to show their knowledge. As a result, pupils usually achieve well. Pupils love their school.

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

The school has an ambitious curriculum. The school has carefully defined what pupils need to know and when they should learn it. Staff design activities that focus on the important content they want pupils to learn and remember. Pupils practise and apply their knowledge effectively in most subjects. Pupils’ books demonstrate their pride in their learning and they can usually recall key knowledge. The school’s checks of what pupils know and can do is not securely developed across the curriculum. As a result, there is some variation in what pupils can remember and apply in a few subjects that have been recently developed.

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

Children in the Reception class follow an equally ambitious curriculum. They learn to successfully communicate and apply early mathematics in a range of situations. Pupils across the school with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are swiftly identified and effectively supported. Consequently, pupils, including those with any disadvantage, typically achieve well and are ready for the next stage of education.

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

Reading is a strength of the school. The school’s success in the teaching of reading builds on strong foundations that begin in the Reception class. Children learn letters and the sounds they represent as the earliest opportunity. They independently practise saying aloud rhymes and stories with their peers. Weaker readers in need of support are swiftly identified and supported effectively by expert staff. Pupils enthusiastically talk about their favourite authors, poets, and playwrights. They make meaningful links between the diverse characters they read about and their daily lives. The school consistently supports 4 and 5 February 2025

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parents and carers with reading support at home. Pupils are supported to develop into fluent and accurate readers.

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Pupils understand how to treat their peers and adults with respect. As a result, they display impeccable manners and behave well. Children in the Reception class quickly learn the important behaviours they need to socialise and learn. They learn how to cooperate and take turns. They play and speak with their friends with consideration for each other’s space and feelings. The school makes effective adjustments to the routines in class and breaktimes to be inclusive of all pupils. Consequently, pupils with SEND are fully included in the life of the school. The have equally positive attitudes to school as their peers. The school’s work on attendance is comprehensive. Pupils, including those with any disadvantage, are attending school more regularly.

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Pupils develop a strong appreciation of equity and diversity. They are taught about communities and the world beyond Albourne village. Pupils relish opportunities such as the links with schools in South Africa. They understand and respect the value of diversity in their local community. Pupils have a detailed understanding of different relationships and diverse needs. As a result, pupils including those with SEND, feel welcomed by the school. They enjoy a wide offer to pursue interests and develop talents through an extensive club provision. Pupils understand and apply the fundamental British values. The ‘Albourne learners’ characters provide pupils with aspirational role models.

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Governors and trustees support and challenge the school. Staff, including those early in their career feel the professional development they receive helps them continue to develop. Governors uphold their statutory duties and provide timely and important challenge. Staff workload and welfare are well considered by the school. Staff and parents work closely for the benefit of pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of foundation subjects, the checks of what pupils know and can do are underdeveloped. This means that pupils sometimes do not successfully learn and remember the key content over time. The school must methodically check that the chosen knowledge is remebered effectively by pupils before new content is taught. 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

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Albourne Church of England Primary School converted to become an academy in April 2022. When its predecessor school, Albourne CofE Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness.  The school has been part of the Hurst Education Trust since April 2022.  The school does not currently use any provider of alternative provision.  The school is part of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester.  The school’s last section 48 inspection was in February 2025.

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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 4 and 5 February 2025

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspection team met with the headteacher, senior leaders, teachers, and pupils. The lead inspector met with the members of the governing body, including the chair of governors and a representative of the trust and diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, art and design mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning, and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also reviewed pupils work from a range of other subjects.

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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 inspection team observed behaviour in lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They spoke formally with groups of pupils, as well as talking to pupils in lessons and around the school.  Inspectors spoke with parents at the start of the school day. They considered the views expressed in Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors spoke with groups of staff and considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Toby Martlew, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Katie Hancock 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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