Alfriston School

Overview

Alfriston School provides an education where safeguarding standards are met, ensuring pupils feel safe within an open culture. While attendance, behaviour, personal development, and post-16 provision meet the expected standard, the report identifies that achievement, curriculum delivery, inclusion, and leadership require attention. Leaders have an accurate understanding of necessary improvements, though progress in some areas has been slow.

Strengths

• Safeguarding is effective, with leaders establishing an open culture where concerns are actively identified and managed.
• Attendance is broadly in line with national averages for special schools, supported by positive relationships with parents and personalised strategies.
• Pupils behave well in a calm, orderly environment, demonstrating positive attitudes to learning and strong peer relationships.
• The PSHE curriculum successfully teaches pupils about safety, cultural differences, and fundamental British values.
• Post-16 provision is well-designed, offering real-life experiences and high-quality careers education that supports smooth transitions.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must strengthen their understanding of pupils’ academic needs and support teachers to adapt teaching so pupils achieve more highly.
• Support for pupils at early stages of learning to read must be improved to enable rapid progress and access to the wider curriculum.
• Assessment arrangements need strengthening to help teachers check understanding and address gaps in pupils' knowledge effectively.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, meaning leaders have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon, and managed.