Cornfield School, Littlehampton

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Pupils are proud to attend Cornfield. Many arrive with historic negative attitudes to education.

The school works hard to break these barriers down quickly. Pupils develop strategies to manage their behaviour and to express how they feel in a positive manner. This means that pupils build strong relationships with staff.

Pupils trust staff deeply and know that they will help them to deal with any issues they have effectively. As a result of this work, pupils feel safe and happy in school. This also helps pupils to behave very well.

Staff know the pupils well. They use this knowledge to identify quickly pupils who may need additional help to manage their behaviour. Pupils respond positively to this and return to lea...rning quickly.

The school is a calm and respectful environment. This helps pupils to become increasingly confident and independent.The school ensures that pupils have the skills they need to be ready to learn.

This helps them to concentrate well and work hard. Older pupils are typically well-prepared for their next steps. They achieve a wide range of qualifications and have a broad experience of the world of work.

This supports them to be successful in their next steps after school. However, some younger pupils arrive with significant gaps in learning, and, while the school has begun to address this, it is too early to show the impact of this work. As a result, these pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

Pupils enjoy school. They benefit from high levels of care. Pupils enjoy the wide range of activities that the school offers.

For example, pupils broaden their skills and talents through well-planned enrichment activities. Pupils are keen to discuss these exciting experiences. They benefit positively from these opportunities, and this equips pupils well for life beyond school.