Framfield Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Short inspection of Framfield Church of England Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 11 June 2019, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in November 2015. This school continues to be good.

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You were appointed in September following an unsettled period of several leadership changes in a short time. You quickly united the staff and swiftly addressed the most urgent areas for development.

You are committed to d...eveloping the school and ensuring that every pupil is able to be the best that they can be. Staff, governors, pupils and many parents and carers agree that the school has improved since your appointment. You value the support that you receive from the local authority and work closely with the other school in the federation.

Pupils enjoy school. They behave well in class, listen attentively to their teachers and concentrate on their work. Consequently, an above-average amount of pupils achieve the expected standard, or better, in reading and mathematics.

Pupils say that they want to do well and work hard but could sometimes work a little harder. They are proud to be part of this small school. Pupils use the school values, respecting others and appreciating their friends.

They enjoy the opportunity to help others through the roles that they have, such as being a buddy to younger pupils. They know that they are making a positive difference to school life as school councillors, house captains and class monitors. The large majority of parents are very supportive of the school.

They recognise that the staff are working hard to make the school a positive and productive community. They appreciate the individual approach to meeting their children's needs and the way that the school includes everyone in its activities. A very few parents say that there are some issues with bullying.

Pupils do not agree. They say that they understand and respect the school's new behaviour policy. If there are any small incidents, they can manage them themselves.

Matters of greater concern are swiftly dealt with by teachers, who are always available to listen and help. Behavioural records show that staff take matters very seriously and always work towards a response and resolution that satisfies all parties. You know the school and its needs very well.

You have focused on improving writing and developing mathematics. This year, the English leader has raised the profile of writing through a range of successful initiatives. The vibrant curriculum provides stimulus to write and use the skills learned in mathematics and science.

At present, these skills are not being used effectively across the curriculum. The quality of work in topic books is not of the same standard as that in English, mathematics and science. The mathematics leader has led a new approach to mathematics throughout the school.

Staff and pupils have embraced the changes and pupils are making good progress. Teachers are knowledgeable. However, there are missed opportunities for pupils to deepen their learning through reasoning, explaining and using mathematics in real-life contexts.

At the previous inspection, you were asked to ensure that there was high-quality teaching, strong rates of progress for all groups of pupils and a strengthening of leadership skills. You have addressed these issues through strengthening the team spirit of your staff. They have responded to the coaching, training and advice that you have given them.

You now judge the quality of teaching as strong. Work in the pupils' books shows steady improvement over time. All pupils are making good progress in writing and mathematics.

You have empowered subject leaders to introduce new approaches to teaching and learning and these are beginning to have an impact on pupils' outcomes. Throughout the school, staff have a keen appreciation of teaching mixed-age ranges in the same class. Increasingly, work is well tailored to meet their differing needs.

Safeguarding is effective. Systems, policies and procedures are effective in ensuring that pupils are kept safe. Staff carry out all the checks needed to ensure that suitable staff are employed.

Governors check safeguarding arrangements regularly. All staff have regular safeguarding training and advice. Staff are clear about their responsibilities for the care of pupils.

Records are conscientiously kept. Advice is always sought regarding any concern about a pupil. Support for pupils and families is well planned and carefully monitored.

The designated safeguarding lead makes sure that parents are well informed at each step of the support process. Staff, pupils and parents agree that school is a safe place. Pupils are knowledgeable about how to keep themselves safe online.

They experience regular teaching about computer safety, and advice and contacts are provided for parents through the school website. Attendance is above the national average for primary schools. It is closely monitored and staff contact parents when there is any falling off.

There have been a small number of exclusions. These have been well managed, and the pupils concerned have been helped to moderate their behaviour and reintegrate successfully into school. Inspection findings ? We agreed to focus on safeguarding the effectiveness of the new approaches to English and mathematics, and the quality of the wider curriculum.

• The English leader is new to her post. She has immersed herself in her role, taking every opportunity to train herself, and advise and develop other staff. Pupils are making better progress than previously in writing due to the new approaches to teaching that she has put in place.

An arts festival in the school gave pupils a strong purpose for their writing, encouraged them to do their very best, and showcased excellence. Such events have provided a higher benchmark for writing than was the case and pupils now realise that they can achieve more. Teachers are building stamina for writing with daily writing tasks and pupils are able to write more in the time allowed.

Pupils say that they understand their next steps in learning because : they know what they have to do to improve and are able to edit their own work. Spelling is improving for many pupils due to the popular new online spelling activity which is played at home as well as at school. The emphasis that has been placed on the spoken word has helped all pupils to express themselves.

This has been of particular help for the youngest and least-able pupils. It has boosted their confidence in their writing abilities and many pupils now see themselves as successful writers. Younger pupils are particularly proud of writing that they have done independently.

• The mathematics leader has led the new approach to mathematics with enthusiasm. He has provided training, encouragement and support for staff across both schools in the federation. He monitors the teaching of mathematics and checks that pupils are being taught the appropriate content for their age.

Pupils work hard and many enjoy mathematics. The introduction of daily fluency practice has improved pupils' ability to calculate at speed. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and they challenge them with stretching problems and expect them to apply themselves swiftly to their work.

Pupils are well supported by teaching assistants, who use questioning to good advantage. Teachers frequently use word problems so that pupils can apply their learning and show their understanding. All pupils continue to make good progress in mathematics.

However, the leader recognises the need for pupils to deepen their learning and develop their understanding of the use of mathematics. ? Your curriculum is vibrant and exciting. You provide a wide range of visits, visitors and engaging practical activities for all pupils.

For example, pupils have recently had the opportunity to go to the Houses of Parliament and have a day in France. During the inspection, one class was outside looking for bees with an expert beekeeper. These experiences contribute positively to the pupils' enjoyment of school and their understanding of their place in their community, country and the world.

Staff make sure that learning is related to the values of the school and links are made to wider social issues such as women's suffrage. Key knowledge is taught in history and geography. However, evidence of the richness and breadth of the pupils' learning is not evident in their topic books.

The work in the books is minimal. Presentation is poor and pupils do not show the same pride in their work that they do in English and mathematics. Links are not made between knowledge and skills learned in other subjects such as English, mathematics and science and the wider curriculum.

Next steps for the school Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that: ? pupils deepen their knowledge of mathematics through the use of reasoning, explanation and real-life application ? pupils use the knowledge and skills learned in English, mathematics and science in their learning in the wider curriculum. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the director of education for the Diocese of Chichester, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children's services for East Sussex. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

Yours sincerely Lesley Corbett Ofsted Inspector Information about the inspection I met with you, five governors, a group of pupils, some staff and the school secretary. I held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority. We visited every classroom together to observe teaching and learning and look at pupils' books.

I considered seven responses to the Ofsted staff questionnaire and 44 responses to Ofsted's online questionnaire, Parent View. In addition, I examined 17 free-text comments from parents. A range of the school's documents were also taken into account, including leaders' self-evaluation and improvement planning, minutes of the governing body's meeting, and safeguarding checks, policies and procedures.

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