Peacehaven Heights Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have experienced a significant improvement in their education over the past two years. Staff hold consistently high expectations for every pupil.

Pupils are keen to live up to the school's values, for instance by showing commitment to their learning. The school is adamant that special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) should not be a barrier to success. These high expectations are supporting pupils to achieve strongly.

Children in early years settle in quickly. Staff provide clear and consistent routines to help children understand what is expected as they learn and play. This helps to create a secure foundation for positive behaviour throughout the ...school.

Behaviour in classrooms is calm and focused. Pupils share the playground spaces with one another well.

Pupils develop a sense of pride in their school community.

They embrace opportunities to represent their school in sporting fixtures and debating competitions. Pupils enjoy taking part in community events such as bake sales and the fireworks display. Through the 'pupil parliament', they feel that they have a voice in the future of their school.

Staff demonstrate the kind and respectful interactions that they encourage amongst pupils. Pupils know that they can always talk to staff about any worries or concerns.

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

The school has put reading at the centre of its improvement journey.

Staff are trained well in how to support early readers. By revisiting and repeating key sounds, pupils learn how to break down unfamiliar words. Weaker readers benefit from precise extra support to become more confident readers.

In the Nursery Year, children learn to listen for sounds, and enjoy the stories and rhymes that staff read with them. Despite the low starting points of some pupils, over time they catch up with their peers. This strong foundation in reading helps to support pupils to write with increasing accuracy.

As a result, pupils are achieving more highly than current published data would indicate.

The curriculum reflects the school's high ambitions for every pupil. It is designed to enhance pupils' cultural understanding as well as their academic knowledge.

For example, in English pupils study classic texts such as a version of Beowulf in Year 3. For pupils with SEND, teachers make careful adaptations to learning. By providing well-chosen extra resources or helping with unfamiliar vocabulary, staff make sure that all pupils can access the full curriculum.

In most subjects, teachers explain and demonstrate new ideas well. In mathematics, they provide clear models for pupils to work from. This helps to develop pupils' confidence in applying these ideas for themselves.

There are a few areas of the curriculum in which teachers do not have the same depth of subject knowledge. In these instances, their introduction of new learning is not as clear as in other subjects. This leads to some pupils not gaining as much understanding from the lessons as they could.

The school makes effective use of assessment information. Checks on pupils' knowledge in English and mathematics are used to adjust upcoming learning. Staff know their pupils well.

This knowledge helps the school to identify additional needs early in pupils' time at school. There are some variations in how well teachers identify and correct pupils' misconceptions. When this happens, gaps in learning can persist for some pupils.

The school's approach to attendance is detailed and effective. Staff take time to understand and overcome potential barriers to attendance. This has led to a sustained reduction in pupils' absence.

However, the attendance of disadvantaged pupils is below the school's expectations. In response to this, the school continues to take every opportunity to promote and support good attendance.

Outside of academic subjects, the school provides extensive opportunities for its pupils.

This helps them to develop their talents and interests. Disadvantaged pupils are encouraged and supported to make the most of this offer, from trips and workshops to gardening and sewing clubs. All pupils benefit from the caring and supportive ethos of the school.

Children in the early years are taught how to share and take turns. Pupils develop a clear understanding of what it means to be a good friend. The school is passionate about making sure that everyone is treated fairly, regardless of their background.

The trust and those responsible for governance provide ongoing support and challenge for leaders at all levels. The school supports staff well to keep workload manageable as it delivers improvements. In all aspects of school life, leaders have instilled a culture of high expectations.

Staff have a clear sense of shared purpose. They are committed to helping pupils to overcome whatever barriers they may face in their education.

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 have as much depth of subject knowledge as in the strongest areas. As a result, their explanations are not as effective as in other areas of the curriculum, and pupils do not develop the same depth of knowledge. The school needs to ensure that teachers' knowledge of the curriculum is consistently strong across all subjects.

• Teachers do not always check for and correct pupils' misconceptions, or gaps in their understanding. This can lead to pupils' mistakes or misunderstandings not being addressed fully. The school needs to ensure that teachers routinely identify gaps in knowledge and address misconceptions swiftly.