Seabrook Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop into extremely responsible and active citizens in this welcoming school. They demonstrate the school's vision of 'everybody matters' in their actions and exceptional behaviour. Pupils support younger children in Reception with great care and maturity, encouraging them to participate in rich discussions during assemblies.

Pupils celebrate diversity and difference routinely. They participate very enthusiastically in the schools 'everybody matters' celebration, where they celebrate diverse cultures and beliefs.

Pupils are incredibly enthusiastic learners.

This begins in Reception Year where children are highly motivated and show exceptional levels... of concentration. Pupils join in whole-class singing in music and share their phonics learning with their peers. They volunteer eagerly to answer questions or to share their learning with each other.

Pupils complete their work with purpose and resilience.

The school ensures that pupils develop an exciting range of skills and talents. They participate in a wide range of clubs and activities.

The school choir performs in local and national venues. Pupils work with professional artists and represent the school in a variety of sports.

Pupils take on positions of responsibility and leadership roles.

They can become ambassadors for reading or anti-bullying. Pupils in the eco-club were instrumental in securing the schools 'green flag' status. They show high levels of responsibility and take their duties very seriously.

Pupils take great pride in showing prospective parents around the school.

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

The school has designed an aspirational curriculum that builds on what pupils learn from Reception Year. The school has carefully identified what pupils in early years should know and have set ambitious goals for all children.

Pupils quickly develop a deep understanding across subjects and particularly in reading and mathematics.

Staff carefully assess what pupils learn. In mathematics and reading, gaps are quickly identified and teachers plan same day support for pupils to ensure that these gaps close.

Pupils work towards teachers' high expectations and are enthusiastic about learning. However, in history and music, teachers' assessments do not always support pupils in remembering what they have learned as effectively as they could. Consequently, some pupils do not retain all the important knowledge that they have learned in these subjects.

Staff in Reception skilfully model learning for all children including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff have high-quality relationships with children and this supports them in developing and deepening their knowledge quickly. Staff ensure that all communication is a learning opportunity.

For example, when staff were talking to pupils about celebrations, they moved the discussion skilfully to find out if they could remember the names of religious festivals.

Staff have strong subject knowledge and explain pupils' learning clearly. For example, they demonstrate musical notation through clapping exercises and model clear strategies for blending sounds to form words.

However, occasionally staff do not make clear links to what pupils have learned previously. As a result, some pupils do not always recall important knowledge.

The school has a high level of ambition for pupils with SEND.

These pupils achieve well and are actively included in all lessons, learning alongside their peers. Staff make a range of careful adaptations for these pupils. For example, adults teach some pupils important vocabulary before lessons begin.

Pupils' sensory needs are also carefully considered, and pupils with SEND use learning breaks to manage their emotions and behaviour.

Pupils behave exceptionally well and show consistently high levels of kindness. Children in Reception thoughtfully offer chairs to visitors and older pupils act as role models during social times.

Staff have very high expectations of pupils. They ask pupils to organise parental visits or activities with very little adult input. Pupils demonstrate great maturity while undertaking these duties.

They attend school frequently. The school monitors attendance and provides a wide range of help, including counselling and mentoring. The school's approach has ensured that pupils who struggle to come to school, attend more regularly.

The school prioritises pupils' personal development. Pupils learn excitedly about a range of moral and spiritual issues. They discuss the sacrifice of soldiers during war time with great sophistication.

Pupils develop an understanding of tolerance and acceptance. They endeavour to make the school as welcoming as possible. Pupils celebrate diversity and recognise how difference makes their school better.

They also deepen their understanding of protected characteristics and express mature attitudes when discussing them.

Staff benefit from a range of high-quality training and support. Leaders carefully manage staff workload.

Consequently, staff feel very well supported and cared for. Leaders have high levels of ambition for all aspects of school life and show great tenacity in developing the staff team.

Governors are knowledgeable and provide the school with appropriate levels of challenge.

They are regular visitors to the school and prioritise the well-being of staff and pupils. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They appreciate the relationship that the school has built with the local community and the extra mile that staff go to in order to get to know each pupil.

One parent summed up the school by saying, 'Seabrook Primary School is a family. We struck gold in finding a school that loves, nurtures and educates our children so well.'

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Occasionally, teachers do not take opportunities to deepen and extend the knowledge of pupils in some subjects. As a result, pupils do not always build on their prior knowledge as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff have the subject and pedagogical knowledge to ensure that every opportunity for learning is taken and all pupils achieve as well as they can.

• In some wider curriculum subjects, teachers do not always assess what pupils know accurately enough. As a result, pupils do not retain prior learning in a way that helps them to recall information quickly and accurately. Leaders should ensure that assessment supports pupils in remembering the full range of prior learning.