Firle Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Firle Church of England Primary School The Street, Firle, Lewes, East Sussex BN8 6LF

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 8 and 9 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy at Firle Church of England Primary School. They make friends within their class and across the school. Older pupils are proud to ‘buddy’ younger pupils in Reception. There is a strong culture of nurture and care across the school. Pupils feel strongly that they are known individually by staff. Their individual talents and interests are recognised and carefully cultivated. This helps pupils develop a strong sense of confidence in themselves. They enjoy regular opportunities to perform. For example, pupils were excitedly preparing for an end year production of ‘Oliver Twist’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school have made improvements to the quality of education since the last inspection. However, too many pupils still do not achieve well enough academically. The school has not ensured that staff are expert in teaching early reading. Provision for children in Reception has been strengthened this year, but further improvements are needed to ensure children get off to the best start in their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave extremely well. They are polite and engaged. When pupils need additional support to manage their behaviour, the school provides this very effectively. The school is inclusive and welcoming of pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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

Since the last inspection, the school has worked to develop the quality of education that pupils receive. There has been a focus on early reading. Staff understanding of how to teach phonics and early reading has been developed, but this has not been sufficient. Not all staff who deliver phonics have the expertise they need. This particularly affects pupils with SEND and those who find reading more difficult. Some pupils at an earlier stage of reading are dependent on adult support to access the full curriculum. At times, they struggle to complete tasks independently. As a result, some pupils do not progress through the school’s wider curriculum as quickly as they should.

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

There is a positive culture of enjoying reading within the school that begins from the start of the Reception Year. Children relish the stories, rhymes and poems that are read aloud. As pupils move through the school, many develop positive reading attitudes and a strong sense of the books that they most enjoy.

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

In other subjects, well-organised, ambitious curriculums have been introduced. The school is part of a federation of two schools, and leaders at all levels from across the schools have worked collaboratively to strengthen provision. This work has had a particularly positive impact in mathematics where most pupils are achieving well.

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

Most pupils enjoy learning and are developing their knowledge in a broad range of subjects. Teachers generally have good subject knowledge. They teach with enthusiasm so that learning is brought to life for pupils. The ways in which staff check on what pupils have learned and remembered are developing. In some subjects the information gathered 8 and 9 July 2025

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does not inform teaching as effectively as it might. As a result, gaps in pupils’ understanding are not consistently remedied.

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Work on curriculum development is at an earlier stage in writing. This year, the school has begun work to strengthen provision for early literacy in Reception and Year 1. However, the current writing curriculum is not supporting younger pupils well enough. The school has not ensured that teachers know how to adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. These pupils are often moved too quickly onto tasks before they have secured the foundations, such as forming simple and accurate sentences. There is no consistent approach to teaching letter formation, handwriting and supporting pupils who continue to struggle with handwriting as they move through the school.

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The school recognises that, over time, children in early years have not achieved as well as they should. This year, action has been taken to ensure that children can learn within a positive environment. Within the year, the school has redeveloped the curriculum for early years so that staff have a clearer understanding of what children need to learn and be able to do to be ready for Year 1. These changes are having a positive impact on how well children learn. However, the school recognises that, to achieve consistently well across the areas of the early years’ curriculum, staff will need further support to strengthen their subject knowledge and understanding of effective teaching.

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The school’s provision for personal development is a strength. Pupils are supported to develop positive character traits that enable them to flourish. The warmth and positivity that staff model permeates throughout the school. Pupils treat each other with kindness and sensitivity. They learn to value each member of the school’s small community. The school has worked to ensure that pupils learn about difference and diversity through the school’s curriculum. The school’s curriculum is carefully enriched by a wide range of trips and visits, both within the local area and beyond. Pupils receive a comprehensive personal, social and health education.

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Leaders are dedicated to the school and want the very best for pupils. However, the school does not maintain sharp enough oversight of the quality of education. Weaknesses are not always identified or addressed. While governors are highly supportive and ask challenging questions, they have not held the school fully to account in this regard. Staff feel very well supported by the school. Staff well-being is a high priority. However, staff do not consistently get the support they need to develop their expertise.

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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 reading and phonics is not consistently accurate or effective. As a result, some pupils develop misconceptions, do not read frequently enough, and fall 8 and 9 July 2025

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behind. The school should ensure that early reading is taught with expertise and that the phonics programme is delivered consistently and as intended, so that pupils learn to read confidently and securely.  The school’s approach to teaching writing does not ensure that pupils secure key foundational skills, such as handwriting and sentence formation. As a result, some pupils do not develop the skills they need to write with fluency and accuracy. The school should ensure staff have the expertise to teach early writing effectively and introduce a clear, sequential approach to handwriting and sentence construction.  The school does not maintain sharp enough oversight of the quality of education that pupils receive. It has not identified or addressed weaknesses in expertise and subject knowledge across key areas of the curriculum. The school should strengthen its oversight to ensure weaknesses are promptly identified and addressed, so that pupils’

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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). 8 and 9 July 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 June 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a Church of England primary school in the Diocese of Chichester. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection was carried out in January 2024.  The school is federated with one other school. The executive headteacher (Rachel West) and the head of school (Vicki Brown) work across this school and the other school within the federation.  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. 8 and 9 July 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the school’s headteacher and head of school. The lead inspector met with representatives of the governing board, the local authority and the diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, 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 pupils’ work. Inspectors listened to pupils reading. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects and looked at samples of pupils’ work from across the curriculum.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central

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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

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Inspection team

Natalie Broad Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 July 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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