East Wittering Community Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 March 2023

Pupils enjoy learning at this inclusive and nurturing school. In the words of the school's vision, pupils are happy to be 'growing together'. Leaders know the pupils and their families well. One parent commented, reflecting the views of many, 'It is a lovely school with caring teachers. My children are very happy at the school.' Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to achieve their best, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders' high aspirations for pupils are underpinned by the school's values of 'Be kind. Be Confident. Be Creative. Be Happy. Be Safe'. Teachers provide pupils with a huge range of exciting learning activities based on these values. Pupils behave well around the school. Pupils are polite and kind to each other during break times. They do not worry about bullying because it rarely happens. When bullying does happen, staff listen to pupils and are swift to deal with any concerns. Pupils feel safe in school. They are calm, respectful and engage well with their teachers in lessons. Pupils work hard and are serious about their learning. Pupils benefit from a range of leadership roles that develop their confidence. Examples of these include pupils leading breaktime activities as playground leaders or older pupils supporting Reception children in the dining hall. In addition, pupils take their responsibility for the local environment seriously, and many are enthusiastic 'eco-warriors' or 'ocean cleaners'. These experiences prepare them well for later life when working with different people.

What the school should improve

• A few staff members are not fully equipped with the knowledge to teach early reading. This means that some pupils do not learn to read as quickly as they could. Leaders should ensure that all staff are provided with high-quality training so they have the essential skills to teach phonics effectively so that all pupils make strong progress in reading.
• Some teachers' subject knowledge is stronger in some subjects than others. This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they could across all subjects. Leaders should continue to deepen teachers' subject knowledge in all subjects so that pupils will be able to achieve exceptionally well across the curriculum.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)