A school has been rated "requires improvement" by Ofsted.

The inspectors said that Sheddingdean Community Primary School in Petworth Drive, Burgess Hill, was "good" in all areas except the quality of education.

In the report, the school was described as a "friendly and welcoming place where pupils feel safe".

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The school, which teaches children between the ages of four and 11, was also praised for making classrooms "purposeful" places, with inspectors stating that children display good behaviour as a result of the high expectations in place.

Despite these positive aspects, Ofsted noted that the school still had shortcomings in its curriculum which meant outcomes at the end of key stage two were "too low".

Inspectors also said that many students are "not prepared for the next stage of their education as well as they should be" despite the overall improvements made since the previous report in 2021.

The new report read: "The curriculum is structured well. This includes in the early years, where the curriculum reflects children’s starting points and meets their specific needs effectively.

"There is a sharp focus on children’s language development and early mathematics, while ensuring children’s interests are fostered. Therefore, children are ready to learn in Year One.

"Despite this vital work to the curriculum, there is still more to be done to make sure pupils achieve consistently well across the school.

"Teachers’ checks on pupils’ learning are variable. Teaching does not build on pupils’ prior learning sufficiently effectively.

"As a result, pupils’ misconceptions are not always addressed. This means that pupils are not sufficiently prepared for the next stage of their education as seen in published outcomes.

"While the school is ambitious for pupils with SEND and staff adapt their approaches to support these pupils, these pupils’ needs are not identified precisely enough."

In the report, the inspectors said that the school, which is described as a "calm" environment, is also taking steps to address these shortfalls.

The report read: "Although it is clear that pupils’ achievement is not yet good enough, the school has identified the right priorities and the actions to tackle them.

"Leaders have the capacity to improve the school further and have already made significant changes, which are beginning to have an impact."

Hannah Riley, headteacher of the school, said: "Since my arrival as headteacher in September 2022, the school has been on a journey of improvement.

"Whilst we are pleased that the progress made in these areas has been validated, we accept there is still more to be done so that quality of education and therefore overall effectiveness can be judged as 'Good'.

"Our next step as a school is to ensure that our statutory outcomes improve and that every child is ready for the next stage in their education. 

"School leaders, governors and staff are committed to addressing the actions in the report as quickly as possible."

The school, which has almost 200 students, has been rated "requires improvement" since 2021.