Sussex Road Community Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 31 March 2026

Pupils are friendly, confident and safe in this happy and caring school. They collaborate and play happily across every year group. Pupils can share any concerns with caring staff and leaders. Bullying is rare, and staff address any incidents swiftly and effectively. Behaviour in classrooms reflects highly positive attitudes to learning. Pupils engage enthusiastically in lessons and readily apply their growing skills and knowledge. Pupils take pride in earning team points by demonstrating the school’s values of being respectful, responsible and ready. They develop these attributes through a range of responsibilities and extracurricular activities, including highly enriching trips. For example, pupils visit the Docklands to deepen their understanding of World War Two. Residential trips help pupils to learn teamwork, independence and resilience. Pupils develop into responsible citizens through leadership roles, such as representing the eco committee. Children make a strong start in early years, where staff's interactions are purposeful and of high quality. Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength of the school. Teachers adapt learning skilfully and use a range of strategies and resources to help pupils overcome barriers and achieve well. This excellent work particularly benefits disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. In published assessments, pupils’ attainment is significantly above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils learn and retain key knowledge impressively as a result of consistently strong teaching. Teachers and support staff design engaging tasks and provide effective support, ensuring that learning is inclusive and effective across the well-designed curriculum. Most pupils attend school highly. However, attendance for disadvantaged pupils is lower. Leaders and governors are taking action to address this. They recognise that persistent absence among disadvantaged pupils is increasing, and they are strengthening their strategies to secure consistently high attendance for all pupils.

What the school should improve

• Leaders and governors should strengthen their work to improve attendance for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged.

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