Worthing primary school headteacher ‘very proud’ after Ofsted inspection result is revealed

Vale School, in Vale Drive, has been judged to be a ‘good’ school after an inspection in March.

The report, published this month, noted that pupils ‘enjoy their learning, feel safe and strive to meet high expectations of behaviour and learning’.

The inspectors recognised that children get off to a ‘good start’ when learning to read and said the support they receive in their personal development is ‘well considered throughout the curriculum and wider school life’.

The report read: “An appetite for learning abounds. This extends beyond the taught curriculum to the wide range of additional opportunities available to pupils. Pupils explained how they were proud of their achievements in cross-country or inter-school mathematics competitions.

"They relish opportunities to take on responsibility within school by, for example, becoming a digital leader. When pupils leave the school, they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.”

Inspectors, who were visiting the school for the second time since 2013, said that pupils feel safe at school and are ‘supported well by nurturing relationships’ with staff and each other. Children also ‘enjoy their learning, feel safe and strive to meet high expectations of behaviour and learning’.

The report continued: “Pupils have a clear understanding of the school’s ‘HEART’ values: honesty, excellence, appreciation, respect and teamwork.

"They are motivated by the rewards they receive for demonstrating these attributes. The school’s central rule, be kind, is meaningful to pupils. This supports good behaviour throughout the school and helps to ensure that incidents of bullying are rare and dealt with quickly.”

Headteacher Martin Garratt he was ‘very proud’ of all the staff at Vale School for the ‘excellent way’ they have taught the children throughout the pandemic, ‘enabling the children to reach their very best’.

He added: “I would like to thank the children and the whole school community for their commitment to making our school such a kind and wonderful place to learn.”

The inspectors noticed some room for improvements, to help the school reach ‘outstanding’ status.

“Occasionally, pupils with SEND are not getting the effective support that leaders have recommended and planned for them,” the report read.

"This means that sometimes pupils are not supported well enough to help them overcome barriers to learning. Leaders should ensure that pupils with SEND are consistently provided with the effective support they need to experience success.

"The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned and sequenced in some subjects in the wider curriculum. This means that pupils are not consistently learning or remembering knowledge as well in some subjects as they do in English and mathematics.

"However, it is clear from leaders’ actions that they are in the process of bringing this about.”

The inspectors said ‘transitional arrangements’ have been applied to enable leaders to complete the process of reviewing the curriculum in the foundation subjects ‘within their identified timescale’.

For information about tours for prospective pupils, please contact the school. [email protected] 01903 87232

The full report can be found on the school’s website: www.valeschool.org

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