White House Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: White House Academy Marshfoot Lane, White House Academy, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 2FB

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Outcome

White House Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Grace Marshall. The acting headteacher is Chloe Parks. This school is part of STEP 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), Paul Glover, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ross Gardner. There is also an executive headteacher, Alun Evans, who is responsible for this school and four others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are excellent ambassadors for White House Academy. They appreciate all the ways in which staff support and care for them. They are proud of their inclusive school community. Pupils know, for example, that their differences are what makes them special. This enables pupils to be confident and happy at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is passionate about empowering pupils to express their views and opinions. Pupils know their views are listened to, both directly and through the pupil parliament. Pupils engage in planned debate and discussion. For example, older pupils are very proud to have reached the semi-final in a recent inter-school debating competition.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s expectations for pupils’ academic achievement continue to rise. Staff recognise that supporting pupils to learn to read confidently is central to their wider academic success. Pupils develop very positive attitudes to learning. They are attentive to teachers and try their best, even when they are finding learning challenging.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has a carefully planned programme of trips and visitors that bring the curriculum to life. For example, pupils were confidently able to explain to explain how visiting a local castle helped them to deepen their understanding of medieval history. 13 and 14 May 2025

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

The school ensures that all pupils study a broad and ambitious curriculum. This year, the school has worked to deepen teachers’ knowledge and understanding of how to adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is helping more pupils with SEND successfully access the curriculum and achieve well. Careful checks of children’s starting points at the start of the Reception Year ensure that the school has a clear understanding of younger children’s needs and areas where they need more support.

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

Reading is well prioritised. The school ensures that all staff are expert in how to teach pupils to read. Pupils who fall behind in reading are identified and receive ongoing support. Staff ensure that they read aloud to pupils regularly to promote their enjoyment of and engagement with reading.

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

The school has precisely defined the important knowledge and skills that it wants pupils to learn over time across all areas of the curriculum. Teachers explain learning clearly and carefully consider how to bring learning to life for pupils. However, on occasion, teachers do not check effectively that pupils have learned and remembered this important knowledge. This means that some pupils’ misconceptions and gaps in knowledge are not identified and addressed.

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

The school has developed a clear approach to teaching writing, underpinned by high quality texts. However, the school has recognised that some pupils do not achieve as well as they would like in writing. This is because teachers do not consistently ensure that younger pupils, and children in early years, get enough practice in letter formation, handwriting and learning to write simple sentences. Consequently, some pupils continue to struggle with these elements as they progress through the school.

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

The school has robust systems for achieving high attendance. Over time, a small number of pupils have remained persistently absent. The school has established positive relationships with many of these pupils’ families to help them understand the importance of attending school. This has led to more pupils attending regularly, and persistent absence reducing. The school recognises the importance of continuing its effective work to improve attendance.

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

Pupils’ personal development is a key priority. Pupils develop a deep understanding of why it is important to treat everyone with respect. Classrooms are calm, settled and focused because pupils know they need to help contribute to a positive learning environment that is good for everybody. Pupils have high levels of trust in school staff and know that they will help and support them with any worries.

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

Pupils embrace and celebrate difference and diversity within their school community and wider society. They learn about discrimination, and why it is important to stand up against it. Comprehensive personal, social and health education helps pupils to develop a strong understanding of healthy friendships and relationships, and how to stay safe and well. 13 and 14 May 2025

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Leaders at all levels share a strong moral commitment to the school, its pupils and the wider community. Staff feel extremely well supported in their roles. The training they receive enables them to better understand and meet the needs of pupils. This supports them in promoting positive behaviours in the classroom. Those responsible for governance have a precise understanding of the school’s performance. They are rightly proud of the school’s progress and performance but also understand what the school’s key priorities are.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The teaching of early writing is not as effective as it should be. In some cases, pupils do not learn transcriptional skills such as letter formation and punctuation well enough. In others, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to practise these skills. The school and trust should ensure staff are supported to strengthen their teaching of early writing so that all pupils develop writing fluency.  Occasionally, teachers’ checks on pupils’ learning are not as effective as they should be. This means some pupils’ errors and misconceptions go unaddressed. The school and trust should ensure they support teachers to use assessment consistently to identify gaps in learning and adjust their teaching to address these.

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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 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. 13 and 14 May 2025

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in September 2019.

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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). 13 and 14 May 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 September 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of STEP Academy Trust.  The headteacher was on maternity leave at the time of the inspection. An acting headteacher has been in post since October 2024.  The school uses no alternative provision.  The school operates before- and after-school care 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 her evaluation of the school. 13 and 14 May 2025

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 The inspector met with the acting headteacher, the executive headteacher and the executive director of primary education. The inspector met with the vice chair of trustees and the CEO of the multi-academy trust.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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.

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Inspection team

Alice Roberts, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 May 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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