Seaside Primary School

Inspection of Seaside Primary School Freshbrook Road, Lancing, West Sussex BN15 8DL

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

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Lee Murley. This school is part of the New Horizons Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Lee Murley, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Simon Wood.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Seaside Primary School as an academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Seaside Primary School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it reopened with the same name as a result of conversion to academy status. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 4 and 5 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Seaside Primary School provides an exceptionally happy, welcoming environment for all. This very large school successfully ensures that pupils are well known as individuals. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent summed up the experiences of many when she reported to inspectors that her daughter ‘runs in every day beaming as she is so excited’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has very high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Staff work exceptionally skilfully with pupils from the Reception Year onwards to make these expectations a reality. Very well-planned academic learning is boosted by many clubs and activities. These ensure pupils fully develop their wider interests. Staff make excellent use of the local area to support learning. For example, pupils visit the beach and learn about where they live.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. They are extremely keen to learn. They follow closely the school rules in lessons and at breaktimes. Pupils feel very well cared for and are safe. They know they can turn to trusted adults if they have any worries. Pupils learn how to be active and healthy exceptionally well. Physical education is a big part of school life. For example, older pupils were really looking forward to a football tournament with other schools on the day of the inspection.

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

The school’s highly ambitious curriculum underpins pupils’ great enjoyment of learning. Reading is a very high priority. This starts in the Reception Year, where skilled teaching of phonics means pupils get off to an excellent start. From there, the very great majority learn to read quickly. The school rapidly spots those needing more support and helps them catch up. Pupils’ love of reading is striking. They are keen to spend time in the two well-stocked libraries and to make the most of their reading times.

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

Staff work industriously to plan pupils’ learning. They ensure it builds very securely on what pupils already know so that their achievement is outstanding. The school is highly reflective about its work. Last year, it identified room for improvement in how many pupils are supported to work at levels above those expected by the end of Year 6 in writing and mathematics. Very effective steps to tackle this mean it is now happening. Early years provision is exceptionally well designed to support all the required areas of learning. Pupils build really well on teacher-led learning when choosing what to do for themselves.

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

Across the school, staff are very skilled at explaining new learning. They use a rich range of strategies, including visual examples and discussion, to ensure pupils understand. Staff correct any mistakes or misunderstandings accurately. The school identifies carefully any pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Teachers expertly adapt what they are doing to support these pupils. The school monitors closely pupils’ progress over time. Effective action is taken where pupils need help to learn more confidently.

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

From the very start, staff apply the school’s high expectations for behaviour consistently. This ensures pupils learn how to behave exceptionally well. Pupils settle very quickly after 4 and 5 March 2025

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breaktimes and are keen to learn. They follow closely adults’ instructions. As a result, the school offers a remarkably calm environment for learning. Pupils learn to be persistent, even when learning is hard. Pupils are very keen to attend school and rarely miss days. The school supports effectively any families where pupils’ attendance is a worry.

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Support for pupils’ personal development is outstanding. Carefully considered experiences in personal development lessons, in subjects across the curriculum and in assemblies mean pupils are exceptionally well prepared for later life. They treat each other with great respect and tolerance. They learn very well about leading healthy lives and about healthy relationships. A vast range of clubs and activities support social and cultural development. They are highly valued by pupils. The school supports pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds so that they also benefit. Pupils prize the very many leadership opportunities they have, including as head boy and girl, being sport or library monitors or being in the ‘green’ group leading environmental activities.

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Leaders are highly committed and passionate about the school. Engagement with parents is exceptional, both to communicate about what their children are learning and if parents have any worries. Leaders’ vision for excellent academic and personal development is fully realised. They identify and tackle any areas for improvement sharply, for example further improving pupils’ achievement this year. Staff are very proud to work at the school, and leaders work closely with them to manage their work if they have concerns. Governors and trustees collaborate skilfully to support and challenge school leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 March 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, the school has founded and joined the New Horizons Academy Trust and has expanded significantly in size.  The school does not make use of 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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 4 and 5 March 2025

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 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 held discussions with the headteacher and senior colleagues, with the chair of the trust and other trustees, and with a group of governors, including the chair. Inspectors spoke with groups of staff and with parents at the start of the school day. Account was taken of responses to the Ofsted Parent View Survey and of a survey of staff opinion.  To evaluate the quality of education, inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, English, history and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of

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pupils’ work.  Inspectors met groups of pupils, observed breaktime and lunchtime and visited the library and other areas of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: 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

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Inspection team

Christopher Toye Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 March 2025

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