Pashley Down Infant School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 12 March 2024

Pupils are very happy at this unique school. The school's values, such as respect, kindness and resilience, are known and understood by pupils exceptionally well. Pupils are inspired by thoughtful extra-curricular activities and opportunities to care for each other and their school environment. For example, pupils love the school farm, which includes chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs. The school allotment, which includes an apiary, gives pupils wider experiences such as checking honey being made as part of project work about bees. Trips, like visits to the neighbouring South Downs, motivate pupils to try their best with their work. Pupils learn about road and sea safety and welcome visitors, including authors and musicians. These experiences help pupils to develop confidence and positive attitudes to their learning. Staff have high expectations for pupils' behaviour. The playground is calm and full of imaginative play. Clear boundaries and strong pastoral support contribute significantly to pupils feeling safe. The school has the highest ambition for all pupils to achieve strong outcomes across the curriculum. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. Leaders have rightly focused on improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils to ensure that these pupils achieve as well as their peers.

What the school should improve

• The school has been developing its approach to checking pupils' understanding in foundation subjects, and this work needs to continue. The school should continue to develop the assessment system, and use information gathered to address errors and misconceptions so that all pupils achieve exceptionally well.

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