Vale School, Worthing

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 2 June 2026

The school’s ambition of 'valuing all learners' equally is realised in this inclusive and caring community. Pupils arrive with joyful smiles and greet staff warmly. Attendance is high. Leaders, governors and staff promote the importance of attending school with determination. Behaviour is excellent. Pupils show highly positive attitudes to learning. They listen attentively to teachers and collaborate purposefully in lessons. Conduct around school is calm, orderly and respectful. Playtimes are lively and well supervised. At lunchtime, boys and girls share the football pitch fairly so that everyone can join in. Pupils feel happy and safe. They do not worry about bullying because they trust staff to act quickly and effectively. Leaders have developed a precise and effective approach to identifying pupils’ needs. As a result, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities access learning with confidence and increasing independence. Pupils achieve highly in national tests, often significantly above national averages. Across the curriculum, pupils learn and remember knowledge securely. High-quality mathematics teaching prepares pupils very well for secondary school. Art and design is a particular strength. Pupils demonstrate impressive technical skills and produce accomplished work. Pupils produce high-quality writing in English lessons. However, they do not consistently apply these skills in subjects, such as religious education, history or geography. Pupil leadership is well established. The school council gathers pupils’ views and contributes to school improvement. Well-designed discussion activities help pupils to express their opinions confidently and develop their understanding of modern Britain and the wider world. The school provides thoughtful pastoral support that helps disadvantaged pupils to overcome barriers, including challenges linked to health or anxiety. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm, positive and kind. This ensures that pupils feel a sense of belonging to help them flourish.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that teaching and learning activities are consistently effective, so that pupils produce high-quality work across the whole curriculum.
• Leaders and governors should ensure that staff wellbeing is assured, so all staff feel valued, respected and involved in the strategic direction of the school.

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