Sidlesham Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 25 June 2024

Pupils and their parents enjoy being part of this tight-knit community. Pupils love their school, feeling safe and very well cared for by staff. Strong relationships exist between pupils across year groups. At break times, pupils socialise widely, including others in their games. Pupils behave well and are polite and respectful. They enjoy being rewarded for their successes in weekly celebration assemblies. Diversity is valued with one pupil summing this up by saying, 'At Sidlesham we take differences as positives. It would be boring if we were just the same.' The school recognises that changes in leadership over recent years have had a negative impact on pupils' learning. The new headteacher has ambitious plans for improving the quality of education that pupils receive. However, current weaknesses in how the curriculum is designed and delivered means that pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Pupils take full advantage of the broad enrichment offer that the school provides alongside the academic curriculum. Many enjoy attending sports clubs or learning an instrument. 'Forest Fridays' are a highlight, where pupils value learning about the environment. Pupils develop a strong sense of responsibility through leadership roles, including school councillors, house captains and school librarians.

What the school should improve

• The school has not yet precisely identified and fully sequenced the detailed knowledge that they want pupils to learn in a number of subjects. This means that pupils are not systematically building understanding over time. The school should continue their work to explicitly identify what pupils should learn in all areas, including in early years, in readiness for the next stage of their education.
• There are inconsistencies in teachers' subject and pedagogical knowledge. This means that pupils do not learn as well as they should. The school needs to ensure that teachers deliver the intended curriculum consistently well to maximise pupils' achievement across all subjects.
• Persistent absence at the school is too high for too many pupils, including some who are more disadvantaged. This means that these pupils are missing out on too much of their vital education. The school should continue their work to intensify actions to secure better rates of attendance for those pupils who need more support.

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