Canterbury Road Primary School

Canterbury Road Primary School School Road, Sittingbourne, ME10 4SE

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Teaching is good. Some is outstanding. Lesson activities are well matched to pupils’ different abilities, and teachers work well with teaching assistants to ensure that all pupils are fully involved and make good progress.  Consequently, pupils achieve well overall by the time they leave the school.  Pupils feel very safe in school and have very few concerns about bullying.  Pupils relate well to one another and to their teachers, and their good behaviour makes a positive contribution to their learning.  Leaders and managers have successfully improved teaching and pupils’ achievement and well-being since the previous inspection.  The curriculum enables all pupils to achieve well and provides them with memorable experiences which strongly promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 A small minority of teaching, and consequently pupils’ progress, is uneven. It is best in Years 3 to 6, especially in reading and mathematics, but has been less effective in raising pupils’ attainment in writing in Reception, and Years 1 and 2.  Some teachers do not always focus strongly enough on ensuring that pupils pay sufficient attention to accuracy in spelling or give pupils sufficiently detailed written information to enable them to improve their work.  Not all middle and subject leaders monitor the quality of pupils’ work regularly or rigorously enough.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 14 part-lessons, two of which they observed jointly with senior leaders, observing all the teachers present in the school at least once. They also made shorter visits to a number of other lessons and an assembly, and listened to a selection of pupils read.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ work, and met groups of pupils to discuss their work and their experience of the school.  Inspectors also held meetings with the chair and vice-chair of the governing body, members of staff, a representative of the local authority and, informally, with parents and carers.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, which included: the school’s own data on pupils’ attainment and progress; improvement plans; safeguarding arrangements; behaviour and attendance records; and records of school leaders’ monitoring of the quality of teaching.  In planning and carrying out the inspection, the inspectors took account of the 26 responses to

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Information about this inspection

the online Parent View survey which were submitted before and during the inspection, and of the 24 questionnaires completed by members of staff.

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Inspection team

Robin Gaff, Lead inspector Additional inspector Liz Kissane Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a broadly average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium support (additional money allocated to schools by the government) is above average.  Approximately one fifth of pupils are supported through school action, and one eighth are supported at school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs. These proportions are above the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There have been a number of changes of staff, including middle leaders, since the school’s last inspection. Both the chair and vice-chair of the governing body were elected to their posts in 2011.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the levels of pupils’ attainment, especially in writing, by ensuring that they make faster progress in Reception and in Years 1 and 2.  Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by ensuring that all teachers consistently:  focus more closely on the accuracy of pupils’ spelling  give pupils sufficiently detailed information about how to improve their work, and encourage pupils to respond to teachers’ written comments.  Ensure that all middle and subject leaders regularly and rigorously monitor the quality of pupils’ work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the school in Reception with skill levels that vary from year to year. They are generally below those found nationally.  Pupils make good, and in some cases outstanding, progress from their starting points. By the time they leave the school, their levels of attainment in English and mathematics are now consistently in line with, or above national averages.  Pupils read confidently and with evident enjoyment. Both older and younger pupils benefit from paired reading activities, in which the former help and encourage the latter. As a result, attainment in reading is above average at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6.  Children settle quickly when they join the Reception class, and rapidly develop their ability to play safely and cooperatively together. They make relatively slower progress in developing their communication skills.  Pupils make faster progress in Key Stage 2, where teaching is best, than they do in

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The achievement of pupils is good

Reception and in Years 1 and 2 and this sometimes slows progress, for example, in writing.  Boys and girls write with enthusiasm and in a range of styles. Their grasp of spelling, however, is not always secure, because they are not always guided sufficiently to relate their knowledge of phonics (linking letters to sounds) to their writing.  Pupils develop a good understanding of mathematical concepts and methods, which they apply confidently and accurately to solving problems, including in science and other subject areas.  Pupils listen attentively to their teachers and to one another, and work cooperatively in group and paired activities.  They can explain what they are learning accurately and confidently to visitors. For example, during a science lesson, Year 4 pupils were keen to demonstrate how they were using force meters to measure the resistance caused by different types of materials as they dragged

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The achievement of pupils is good

them across the floor.  Pupils who are eligible for support under the pupil premium initiative make as good progress as their classmates, because the school makes good use of this funding, for example, by employing additional staff to teach small groups.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve well because teachers plan suitable activities for them in lessons, and they receive very good support from well-trained teaching assistants and other adults.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching makes a good impact on pupils’ learning and achievement because teachers are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their subjects. They relate well to pupils and have high expectations of them in terms of both work and behaviour, establishing clear and consistent routines which the pupils understand and to which they conform.  Teachers include a variety of tasks in their lessons, and give pupils plenty of opportunities to learn for themselves and with others. Activities are carefully planned to ensure that they meet the needs of pupils with different levels of attainment and interests. This enables pupils to work at an appropriate pace and to respond to a good level of challenge.  Teachers explain activities clearly, so that pupils understand what they are going to learn. For instance, in an outstanding mathematics lesson, pupils showed that they had developed an excellent understanding of how to solve problems by using the techniques which the

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The quality of teaching is good

teacher had taught them.  Teachers use questioning well to check, develop and reinforce pupils’ learning. They monitor pupils’ progress carefully during lessons, and adapt the pace and nature of activities in the light of pupils’ responses.  Teachers work closely and effectively with teaching assistants in planning lessons. This ensures that teaching assistants clearly understand and fulfil their roles in the classroom.  Teaching assistants and specialist teachers provide pupils with very good support, and make sure, for example, that disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding are fully included in activities and make at least good progress.  Teachers are particularly adept in teaching reading but they do not always ensure that pupils use their knowledge of phonics to spell words correctly in writing tasks, especially in the lower part of the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ written comments are not always specific enough to ensure that pupils understand clearly what they need to do to improve their work. Teachers do not all consistently expect pupils to respond to their comments by, for example, correcting their own work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Staff, parents, and members of the governing body confirm that school leaders have succeeded in improving pupils’ behaviour considerably in recent years.  Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They are considerate of one another and respectful towards teachers and other adults.  Pupils told inspectors that they feel very safe in school. The school’s own surveys of pupils and of parents confirm this.  Attendance is above the national average and punctuality is good. V ery few pupils have to be excluded, and the school has succeeded in substantially improving the behaviour of the small number of pupils whose behaviour has hindered their own and others’ learning.  Pupils show very positive attitudes towards learning and to school activities in general. For example, they sang enthusiastically as they practised for the Harvest Assembly, and responded very well to the teacher’s prompting.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Children in the Reception class quickly learn to play and learn cooperatively together.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders at all levels, ably led by the headteacher and her senior team, are passionately committed to improving the school. Their success since the previous inspection, and the school’s accurate self-evaluation, indicate a strong capacity for further improvement.  The local authority provides valuable support, for example, in helping the school to monitor its own performance against national norms.  Staff morale is high. Leaders ensure that staff share their vision for the school. They check how well staff are doing their jobs, for instance, through lesson observations, and provide them with good quality feedback which helps them to improve their practice.  Staff training is effective. Teachers speak enthusiastically about how training courses on the teaching of reading, for example, have given them new ideas and helped them to improve their practice.  The school regularly and accurately assesses the attainment and progress of all its pupils

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The leadership and management are good

and uses the information it gains to provide additional support if pupils appear to be in danger of falling behind. This has helped to improve pupils’ progress since the previous inspection.  Not all leaders, some of whom are relatively new to their posts, consistently monitor the quality of pupils’ written work thoroughly enough. This hampers the school’s efforts to further improve what is already a good quality of teaching and learning.  Pupil premium funding is used wisely to boost learning in the classroom for those pupils who qualify for it. The school has also used these additional resources to promote equality of opportunity by, for example, ensuring that all pupils can participate in the full range of trips, visits and enrichment activities which the school provides.  The school is a cohesive community, and there is no evidence of any discrimination. It promotes tolerance and diversity well, for example, by means of trips to different places of

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The leadership and management are good

worship, and displays featuring the different languages spoken around the world.  The curriculum provides a very good match to the interests and abilities of different groups of pupils, including those who are disabled and those who have special educational needs. These pupils receive high-quality teaching and support, both on an individual basis and in small groups..  Pupils have good opportunities to develop their reading, writing and mathematical skills by working on themes and topics, such as the school experience of children in the Victorian age.  Pupils speak enthusiastically about the special events in which they have taken part, such as when they re-enacted the battle of Bosworth Field in the school hall.  The school has been successful in engaging parents and carers in its work, for example, by creating a beautiful mural in the library, featuring characters from children’s literature working cooperatively together. This display, and others around the school, strongly

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The leadership and management are good

promote the value of reading, as well as pupils’ social and cultural development.  The governance of the school:  demonstrates an extremely thorough knowledge and understanding of how well pupils, and the school as a whole, are performing  rigorously holds leaders to account in ensuring that they meet the challenging targets which have been agreed  ensures that pupils are kept safe and look after the school’s finances carefully, and ensure that they are well used for the benefit of pupils, for example, in enhancing the school environment.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school

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Grade Judgement Description

is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 118354 Local authority Kent Inspection number 401745

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 210 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Steve Bevan Headteacher Zoe King Date of previous school inspection 10–11 March 2010 Telephone number 01795 423818 Fax number 01795 423818 Email address headteacher@canterbury-road.kent.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille,

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School details

please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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