St Luke's Primary School

Inspection of St Luke’s Primary School Queens Park Rise, Brighton, East Sussex BN2 9ZF

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since October 2013. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 11 and 12 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love to come to this school, where they feel comfortable to be themselves. Everyone is made to feel welcome. Relationships between staff and pupils are supportive and respectful. Pupils feel secure and rightly trust staff to help them if they are worried or need to talk. Pupils are surrounded by a strong culture of high expectations and support from staff, who understand their interests and needs. As a result, pupils develop self- confidence, and they flourish.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school teaches pupils to take responsibility for their behaviour and show kindness and consideration for others. In lessons, pupils concentrate well. They learn independently and cooperatively, with partners. Through their leadership roles, such as peer tutors and art mentors, pupils uphold the school values and take pride in contributing towards the school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils achieve highly. They learn an ambitious curriculum, which teaches pupils about their responsibilities towards their local community, the school environment and the sustainability of the planet. The school is aspirational in its aims for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers an extensive range of extra-curricular clubs and sporting and creative events. Disadvantaged pupils benefit especially well from these well-considered opportunities for them to develop their talents and interests.

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

The school has a strong, shared vision that every pupil will achieve highly and be prepared for life in modern Britain. There is a broad and ambitious curriculum in place, which is well sequenced from Reception to Year 6. Leaders have recently further refined the curriculum so that the precise knowledge pupils must learn is clearly defined. Teachers know exactly what pupils need to understand and the order in which it must be taught. Key knowledge is revisited frequently. Pupils can remember and discuss what they have learned. They apply their knowledge as they ask questions, solve problems and connect ideas. Pupils learn to be independent and enquiring learners right from the start of school. They appreciate the interesting lessons that teachers create and relish the challenges provided.

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

Staff are skilled teachers of phonics and place a high priority on reading. Pupils read frequently. They enjoy the wide range of stories, poems and information books that their teachers read to them. Reading is placed at the centre of the curriculum. In Reception, staff skilfully interact with pupils, sparking their imaginations as they play at being different characters from stories. Most pupils read fluently by the end of Year 1. Pupils with SEND have their needs identified quickly. Staff provide the right help and support, and pupils achieve well. Some children start Reception with limited vocabulary and lack confidence when discussing ideas. Practising talk is a focus in Reception, and adults expertly act as role models through conversations with children as well as involving them in songs and rhyme. 11 and 12 March 2025

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Teachers routinely check that pupils understand what they are learning. They spot misconceptions and address them straight away, so pupils do not develop gaps in their knowledge. Teachers explain new ideas well. The activities they use help pupils to understand the curriculum. In the more well-developed subjects, teaching is consistently, skilfully adapted to enable all pupils to achieve highly. Where effective adaptations are not fully in place, some pupils do not deepen their understanding of curriculum concepts, and they sometimes do not achieve as well as they could.

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Pupils behave well. They learn the school’s consistent routines and high expectations as soon as they start in Reception. Pupils understand the school values well and apply them in practice. They show high levels of responsibility as they use the school’s extensive playground equipment, play ball games, climb and build shelters. Older pupils are proud to help younger ones with reading.

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Pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. They learn about positive relationships and how to build healthy friendships. Pupils think deeply about complex issues, such as climate change and racism in modern Britain. They take part in projects about sustainability. Pupils work on conservation initiatives to protect the local wildlife within the school playground. The school matches trips and visits closely to the curriculum and these help to bring learning to life for pupils. Keeping healthy is made enjoyable as the school tailors activities and sports clubs to pupils’ interests.

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Staff are proud to be part of this school and the shared, aspirational vision. Leaders carefully consider staff workload when introducing changes. Everyone is committed to enabling pupils to achieve their very best, irrespective of any challenges or barriers to learning. Governors are knowledgeable and supportive about leader’s work to ensure all pupils achieve even more highly than they already do.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Adaptations to teaching are not consistently used across all areas of the curriculum. As a result, some pupils do not develop a deep understanding of key curriculum concepts, and their learning does not build as securely as it could. The school should ensure that all pupils have the support they need across the whole curriculum, to achieve the school’s ambitious aims for them. 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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.stlukes.brighton-hove.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 October 2013, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.  The school does not currently use any 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 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. 11 and 12 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.  The inspectors carried out deep dives into reading, mathematics, writing, art, music and geography. For each deep dive, they 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.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher, the senior leadership team and representatives from the local authority. The lead inspector also met with members of the school’s governing body.  The inspectors met with groups of pupils about their learning.  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

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interest first.  The inspectors considered parents’ views expressed through the survey, Ofsted Parent View.  Throughout the inspection, the inspectors met with groups of staff. They also considered the opinions expressed through the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Jo Brinkley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Claire Martin-O’Donoghue Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sukwinder Samra 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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