Seething and Mundham Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this small, friendly school.

They told us they enjoy meeting up with friends at breaktime. Pupils say it is a chance to 'let it all out' and be ready to concentrate in lessons. Pupils of all ages play well together and look after one another.

Staff expect pupils to behave around school and work hard. Mostly, pupils listen carefully to their teachers and follow their instructions.

Pupils say adults help them to keep safe.

In lessons, they learn how to deal with and report bullying, which does not happen often. When there is an incident, it is generally pupils being mean to each other. Pupils told us these problems are sorted out... quickly.

Parents and carers agree that their children are safe and are well cared for.

Opportunities for pupils to develop socially and personally are varied. Outdoor learning, trips, discussions and sporting competitions with other schools all help to increase pupils' confidence and self-esteem.

Pupils do not achieve well enough in all subjects because the quality of education, except in the early years, is not consistently good. Teachers do not always plan learning in the right order to build on what pupils already know and can do.

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

Leaders, supported effectively by the trust, have mapped out what should be taught in all subjects and in each year group.

They have effectively focused their efforts on improving reading and writing. In English, teachers plan learning so that pupils gain new knowledge and skills systematically, based on what they have learned before. Adults adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and give them extra help.

They use information gained from assessments about what pupils already know to plan what they need to know next. While this happens in English, teaching in other subjects is not as organised.

Curriculum planning for other subjects is new.

Staff are working to improve this by ensuring that they teach pupils knowledge and skills in the right order. Teachers' knowledge in some subjects is underdeveloped. Plans are not implemented as precisely as they should be.

Pupils' learning is often disconnected, and they do not achieve as well as they could.

After a secure start in the early years, most pupils have gone on to achieve above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave school. In contrast, too few pupils meet the standards expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2.

Although curriculum leaders do keep an eye on how well the new plans are being put into practice, their checks in every class are not as accurate as they could be. Consequently, actions to improve subjects are not always aimed where they are most needed.

Leaders want pupils to be good readers.

Children begin to learn phonics as soon as they start school. They use their phonics knowledge effectively to read and spell words. In all classes, teachers read to pupils daily.

They take every opportunity to share books with pupils and introduce new vocabulary. Teachers guide pupils' choice of books to ensure that they are suitably matched to their ability.

Pupils are pleasant, polite and conduct themselves well.

They seek opportunities to be helpful and considerate, like holding doors open for adults and each other. Management of pupils' behaviour is consistent and effective. The vast majority of pupils are interested and engaged in learning.

Occasionally, they lose concentration when the work they are set is too easy or too hard. Pupils attend regularly and are rarely late for school.

Leaders, with good support from the trust, organise lots of activities for pupils which promote their personal development well.

Pupils learn about the religions, cultures and beliefs of others and understand that everyone's point of view is equally valid. In debates, they form their own opinions, for example whether 16-year-olds should be able to vote. Pupils are confident learners and see mistakes as a learning opportunity.

They are particularly proud to represent the school, for example singing at the Royal Albert Hall recently.

Children in the early years are happy and feel safe. Adults have secure knowledge of how younger children learn.

They organise engaging learning experiences, for example designing and testing a racetrack for a choice of cars or dinosaurs. While they play, adults ask children challenging questions to check their understanding and use this information to plan future learning. Consequently, children achieve well.

Although a few parents have concerns about bullying, most are complimentary about the positive ethos and culture of the school and its staff. They especially appreciate how well their children are nurtured and the variety of learning experiences that staff provide.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe in different situations. Pupils have a thorough understanding of how to keep safe online. Leaders make sure that staff are properly trained and are clear about systems for reporting, recording and following up their concerns.

Leaders work well with support agencies to keep pupils safe. Leaders make sure that all the necessary checks are made on the suitability of adults who work in the school. Governors and members of the trust make sure that leaders carry out their duties effectively.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Some subjects are more organised than others. In subjects other than English, teachers do not consistently plan learning in lessons that enable pupils to learn new knowledge and skills by building on what they already know. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum in all subjects allows pupils, including pupils with SEND, to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in the right order so that they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

. Not all teachers have the knowledge they need to teach all subjects effectively. This means that they are unable to identify what pupils need to learn next in each subject across the curriculum.

Leaders should provide teachers with further training to ensure that pupils are taught the right things in the right order and are fully challenged in all subjects. . Recent improvements to curriculum planning have enabled leaders, including those who lead subjects, to be clearer about its intent.

However, their monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of these new plans in key stage 1 are not as effective as they are in key stage 2. This means that improvement strategies are not targeted at the right year groups. Leaders need to ensure that they have greater oversight of curriculum implementation and its impact to focus their support where it is most needed.