Seething and Mundham Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love their school.

They are happy and safe. Pupils know, understand, and live the school values. Pupils enjoy the many clubs and other enrichment activities the school offers.

Pupils organise events to raise money for local and national charities. A feature of the school's curriculum centres around pupils' love of nature. Pupils are given opportunities to explore the natural world, learning more about aspects of the planned curriculum, using what they know to increase their understanding in subjects, such as art and science.

Pupils enjoy learning. They forge strong relationships with teachers. They appreciate how teachers make lessons interesting.
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Pupils also value how teachers encourage and support them when they find learning challenging.

Behaviour is exemplary. Pupils are polite, thoughtful and care for each other.

Pupils are confident to talk to an adult if they have any concerns. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) greatly value the nurture room. Most know when they need some quiet time out of class to manage negative emotions.

In such circumstances, they are exceptionally well supported by the staff.

Parents speak highly of the school. They are thrilled with the improvements made over the last two years.

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

Over time, since the previous inspection, the school has rapidly improved. Leaders at all levels have a very clear and highly ambitious vision for providing the best quality of education they can for every pupil.

Teachers have good subject knowledge.

The training provided by the school and trust subject networks has been particularly beneficial. All subjects are effectively planned. Subject knowledge is carefully structured, so pupils gain new knowledge in the right order.

Teachers check throughout lessons that pupils understand what they are trying to learn.

The reading curriculum is well structured and taught. Pupils with SEND are well supported.

Pupils develop a love of reading from the moment they come to school. Children in Reception love to read and hear stories. Older pupils continue to enjoy reading and many say they spend a lot of their leisure time reading.

Older pupils talk confidently about their favourite authors and the types of books they like to read.Phonics is mostly well taught. However, at the earliest stages of reading the organisation of the curriculum delivery hinders some pupils from learning phonics as effectively as they could.

Those pupils who rapidly gain phonic knowledge are not always given timely opportunities to take next steps in their learning. In contrast, pupils who need further consolidation of their phonic knowledge and skills, do not always have sufficient time to practise and gain proficiency in lessons. Nevertheless, the school's effective catch-up systems ensure that most pupils fluently read age-appropriate texts by the end of Year 2.

There is excellent provision for pupils with SEND. Teachers are highly skilled at making suitable adaptations in lessons to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. The school ensures staff have the right training to enable them to meet pupils' needs.

The school liaises well with external experts to ensure these pupils get the best possible provision.

The school has been highly successful in raising pupils' attendance and reducing persistent absence. There is effective support for families who need help in getting their children to school on time every day.

Children rapidly settle and make an exceptional start to their education in the early years. The curriculum is very carefully planned to ensure a highly effective balance between covering all the areas of learning and catering to children's interests. Children love learning because learning activities are fun and engaging.

Children behave well and listen to their teachers. They work well together in small groups. They share resources and chat happily about what they are making or learning about.

Children are safe and, on occasions when they become sad, they are confident talking with adults.

There is an extensive range of enrichment and after-school activities. The school provides many curriculum visits and visitors.

Older pupils are excited about their upcoming residential visit. Pupils enthuse about the additional contribution they make to their school through being school councillors, play leaders, lunchtime supporters and sports leaders. There is a strong sense of community within the school.

Governance is exceptionally strong. The trust provides highly effective support and training when needed. Trustees know the school very well.

They regularly visit, as do officers of the trust. The trust has high expectations for the school to excel, and the school rises to this challenge.

Teachers are proud to work at the school and say that workload is well managed.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, the organisation of the early reading curriculum and its delivery does not ensure that all pupils learn phonics as effectively as they could. Some pupils do not get well-timed opportunities to take their next steps in learning how to read.

Other pupils do not get sufficient time to practise and gain proficiency in lessons. The school should review their organisation of phonic teaching to ensure all pupils learn the basics of early reading effectively. This will ensure pupils learn to read better during these earlier stages of their access to the reading curriculum.