Upper Beeding Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. School leaders show high levels of commitment to ensuring that the school is as good as it can be for its pupils.

This, together with the headteacher's unremitting focus on improving the quality of teaching, has resulted in pupils making excellent progress from their starting points, leading to outstanding achievement. Governors have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the school's performance. They are highly ambitious for the school, and have strongly supported leaders in their successful drive to improve teaching and to accelerate pupils' progress.

Leaders have thoughtfully and imaginatively developed the school's curri...culum so that it provides pupils with extensive opportunities to develop their skills, talents and interests. The curriculum contributes very effectively to pupils' spiritual and moral development and to their preparation for life in modern Britain. Pupils' cultural development is considerably enhanced by the school's strong focus on the arts, especially music.

Pupils' excellent behaviour has a highly positive impact on their learning. Their excellent attitudes contribute strongly to their academic achievement. Pupils are keen to take on responsibility, are polite and attentive to adults, and are considerate and helpful to one another.

Pupils feel extremely safe in school and know how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations. They have no concerns about bullying and their understanding of its causes helps them to prevent it from happening. Teachers are extremely enthusiastic as well as knowledgeable about the different subjects they teach.

They plan lesson activities closely matched to pupils' abilities and interests. Teachers check pupils' progress very regularly and give them detailed feedback on their work. Most teachers give pupils regular opportunities to respond to and to show that they have learned from their comments.

Pupils throughout the school make excellent progress and achieve extremely well in a large number of subjects, including English and mathematics. Expert and dedicated staff ensure that disabled pupils as well as those with special educational needs achieve as well as their classmates. Children in the Reception classes benefit from excellent facilities, both indoors and outdoors, as well as outstanding teaching.

As a result, they make extremely good progress in their learning and in their personal and social development. Parents are highly supportive of the school. An overwhelming majority say they would recommend it to others.

Information about this school

This school is larger than the average-sized primary school. The number of pupils on roll has increased substantially since the school's last inspection. The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and of those who are learning English as an additional language are well below the national average.

Children join the early years in one of the two Reception classes, where all the children attend full time. The proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium is well below the national average. This is additional government funding provided for disadvantaged children who are looked after or known to be eligible for free school meals.

In recent years, the number of disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 has been very low. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above average. Most of these pupils have moderate or specific learning difficulties, or additional speech, language and communication needs.

The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Since the school's last inspection, there have been several changes of staff. The present headteacher was appointed to her post in September 2010.

Also at this postcode