Icklesham Church of England Primary School and Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Icklesham Church of England Primary School and Nursery continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils delight in attending this friendly school.

They are happy and feel safe. Older pupils care for younger pupils. For example, pupils run a lunchtime art club and others play games in mixed-age groups.

As one pupil said, 'I make great friends here.' Pupils enjoy their time in the school's swimming pool and discover wildlife in the nature pond.

The school is ambitious for its pupils.

They develop their individual character well and uphold the school's vision to 'let your light shine'. The school nurtures and celebrates pupils' ta...lents, whether that be academic, in the arts or on the sports field. Pupils develop their knowledge and skills across the curriculum well.

The school supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. This ensures that they engage in the full life of the school and achieve well.

Pupils behave well and are courteous.

They learn about how to manage their emotions. As a result, the school has a very calm and caring atmosphere. Pupils are respectful of the views of others and are happy to celebrate when others succeed.

This helps to create a culture where all pupils feel that they belong.

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

The school provides a well-constructed curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils. The curriculum matches the interests and needs of pupils well and has clearly defined end points.

Staff in the early years provide a rich range of activities that prepare children well for their transition into key stage 1. The school provides training that supports teachers to know how to deliver the curriculum. While this is secure in many subjects, teachers' subject knowledge in some subjects is less secure.

This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they could.Teachers ensure that pupils become enthusiastic learners and that they are eager to know more. They help pupils to gain the knowledge and skills needed to succeed.

Teachers use questioning to check what pupils know in class. They guide pupils to recall what they have learned previously. This helps pupils to connect what they learn to what they already know.

The school manages teachers' workload well. They appreciate this and say that this allows them to focus on their pupils. Teachers identify the needs of pupils with SEND effectively and ensure that they are able to access their learning alongside their peers.

Pupils develop their reading and mathematical knowledge well. Children in the nursery delight in hearing stories. Children in Reception class swiftly gain the knowledge to read simple words and to count with confidence.

They apply what they have learned when at play, helping them to secure what they learn. Teachers question pupils in class to check what they know and understand. They support pupils who have fallen behind in their reading to catch up quickly.

As such, pupils become increasingly confident readers as they transition to key stage 2. Older pupils read well and develop a love of reading. While the mathematics progress of pupils in national tests in 2023 was low, they now achieve well.

This is because the school's mathematics curriculum is now matched more closely to the needs of all pupils.

Pupils behave well in class. The school encourages pupils to connect the school's values to their actions.

For example, the school's values of love and forgiveness lead pupils to form strong and lasting friendships. On the rare occasion that pupils become distracted in class, with direction from their teacher, they settle back to their learning. The school places a high priority on school attendance.

While the attendance of some pupils has been low in the past, it is now improving.

The school develops pupils' personal talents and interests well through a range of clubs and competitive sporting events with local schools. They experience trips linked to what they learn in class.

For example, they visit a local opera house and castle. This helps pupils to explore their learning and connect to their locality. Pupils are given roles of responsibility.

Those elected as school councillors support charitable events for local and national charities. Pupils appointed as sports ambassadors encourage active games during playtime. As a result, pupils have a voice in the school and develop a sense of responsibility.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, teachers do not always deliver the content of the curriculum with sufficient clarity. This is because their subject knowledge is not secure in some subjects.

As a result, some pupils do not always embed the knowledge and skills needed. The school needs to strengthen teachers' subject knowledge to ensure that pupils achieve well in all subjects.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2014.