Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing

Overview

Elm Grove Primary School is described as a “nurturing school” where pupils are “known and nurtured” within a “happy place” that feels “like one big family.” The inspection found that pupils are enthusiastic about learning, achieve highly, and benefit from an ambitious, well-thought-out curriculum, particularly in established subjects like English and mathematics.

Strengths

• The curriculum is “ambitious and well thought out,” with clear sequencing that allows teachers to know “precisely what to teach and when.”
• Staff “skilfully identify pupils’ additional needs” and work with outside agencies to ensure pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities access the same curriculum as their peers.
• Teaching in core subjects is effective, with teachers presenting learning with clarity and using checks to ensure work “builds on what they know.”
• Pupils demonstrate “kind and understanding attitudes,” resulting in an environment where “bullying is uncommon” and children feel safe.
• Leaders show a “relentless commitment to improvement,” and staff report a “palpable sense of ‘team’” where everyone feels valued.

Areas to improve

• Some teachers lack the subject expertise to teach newer parts of the curriculum precisely; the school must ensure staff receive necessary training to deliver all parts consistently well.
• Assessment in some subjects is not yet effective enough to identify knowledge gaps quickly; the school needs to embed an approach that routinely informs teaching.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”