Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Ditchling St Margaret’s Church of England Primary School Lewes Road, Ditchling, East Sussex BN6 8TU

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Outcome

Ditchling St Margaret’s Church of England Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Amy Clarke. 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 (CEO), Tim Manly, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Anthony Jarvis.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love their school. They are proud to reflect the school’s values of kindness, respect and perseverance. Pupils are caring and considerate of each other and like spending time with their friends. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. Pupils know they can rely on their trusted adults to help them if they are worried about anything. This helps pupils feel nurtured and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is aspirational for all pupils’ learning and behaviour. Staff reinforce the school’s high expectations through well-established routines. Pupils rise to meet these expectations and achieve well. Pupils behave extremely well. They are polite and courteous to staff and each other. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. Pupils know the importance of getting a strong education. As a result, they work hard and attend school regularly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school encourages pupils to develop a sense of responsibility. Pupils are given opportunities to undertake a range of roles. For example, digital leaders plan and lead the weekly ‘excellent effort’ assemblies, presenting pupils with certificates. School council members worked alongside leaders to design the school’s mental health strategy. These opportunities develop pupils’ strength of character and enable them to become confident and resilient individuals. 11 and 12 March 2025

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

The school is well led and managed. Leaders know the many strengths of the school and areas that require further development. In recent years, the school has made considerable improvements to the curriculum. Staff share expertise and help each other. This ensures that changes impact pupils positively. As a result, most pupils are competent readers, writers and mathematicians by the time they leave the school. Pupils achieve well in national tests.

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

From the early years, children learn and follow the school’s embedded routines. As a result, pupils’ behaviour is excellent. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are consistently positive. Their conduct in class and during social times is sensible and orderly.

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

The curriculum is ambitious and implemented effectively. Knowledge, skills and vocabulary are planned carefully to ensure clear progression as pupils move through the school. Teachers have secure subject knowledge in the subjects they teach. This enables them to teach curriculum content clearly. They know the important knowledge and skills pupils must learn. Teachers regularly check what pupils know. They use this information to develop further and deepen pupils’ understanding. This helps pupils continue to grow and remember their learning. They are proud of their developing knowledge and competently demonstrate what they have learned.

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

Children get off to a very strong start in the early years. From the Nursery onwards, children settle quickly into their routines and learn well. The curriculum is progressive and carefully sequenced. Staff provide a range of well-planned activities. They make sure that the children learn important social and communication skills. As a result, children are well prepared for Year 1 and beyond.

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

The school prioritises reading from the moment children start. In Reception, skilled phonics teaching develops pupils’ understanding of letters and the sounds they represent. Staff regularly check that pupils are keeping up. Pupils who need extra support receive carefully considered help. Pupils read books that include the sounds they have been taught. This helps them practise the sounds they know and quickly become confident readers. However, the teaching of early writing is not yet as strong. A small number of pupils sometimes undertake writing tasks that are too complex. Occasionally, errors in these pupils’ writing, such as spelling, punctuation and handwriting, are overlooked. This means this small group of pupils do not always develop the skills needed to write fluently. The school has rightly identified this aspect and is tackling it.

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

The school has high ambitions for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff identify the needs of pupils with SEND quickly and accurately. They have the required expertise to support and adapt learning for these pupils. This enables most pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum as other pupils. Some pupils require more targeted support. These pupils receive personalised help that ensures they learn effectively. Pupils with SEND achieve well. 11 and 12 March 2025

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The school provides extensive opportunities for pupils’ personal development. Pupils know the importance of being respectful to others. They understand that everyone is different, sometimes in ways that cannot be seen. Difference is celebrated. One pupil said, reflecting the views of many, ‘We are taught to respect everyone, no matter what they look like, what they believe or who they are.’ Pupils know they should be good citizens. During the annual ‘end of year tea party’, pupils in Year 6 create recipes and cook food for people who have helped them at school. They take orders, serve food and host the event. Younger pupils entertain the school’s guests by playing musical instruments.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A small number of pupils are not always given enough opportunities to practise and embed the fundamentals of writing. Occasionally, teachers do not correct handwriting, spelling and grammar errors. As a result, some pupils find it hard to write fluently or accurately. The trust should ensure that the school continues to define its approach to developing and securing pupils’ foundational knowledge in writing.

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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 predecessor school. Ditchling (St Margaret’s) Church of England Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in December 2017. 11 and 12 March 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). 11 and 12 March 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Hurst Education Trust.  Ditchling St Margaret’s Church of England Primary School converted to become an academy school in June 2022. When its predecessor school, Ditchling (St Margaret’s) Church of England Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness.  Ditchling St Margaret’s Church of England Primary School is a voluntary-aided school in the Diocese of Chichester. As such, it is subject to an inspection of denominational education under section 48 of the Education Act 2005. The most recent section 48 inspection took place in May 2024.  The school is smaller than the average size primary school.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education 11 and 12 March 2025

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provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and extended leadership team, including leaders responsible for SEND, pastoral development and safeguarding.  The inspector met with the CEO of the trust and members of the local governing board.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. She also met with pupils to talk about their experience of school life.  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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered the views of parents submitted via Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. She also reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s survey for school staff.

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Inspection team

Luisa Gould, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 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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