Woodchurch Church of England Primary School

Woodchurch Church of England Primary School Woodchurch, Ashford, Kent, TN26 3QJ

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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.  Pupils make good progress in English and mathematics. Their progress in reading is faster than in writing and mathematics.  The majority of teachers plan and teach lessons that effectively meet the needs all pupils, especially the less able and those pupils of average ability.  In lessons, teaching assistants provide good guidance and support to pupils who are disabled and have special educational needs. As a result, they make similar progress to their peers.  Teachers mark pupils’ books regularly and provide detailed feedback. Pupils are given time to respond to teachers’ comments.  Pupils behave well and are safe at school. They attend school regularly and are friendly, polite and respectful towards their peers and adults.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through daily thematic assemblies that provide a reflective environment.  Leadership at all levels, including governance,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

continually monitors the quality of teaching and effectively uses pupils’ assessment information to track their progress.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In a few lessons, pupils are not given enough opportunities to discuss the skills they are learning and there are sometimes not enough activities to extend pupils’ knowledge, especially that of the more able.  On occasions, a few teachers do not always check pupils’ understanding quickly and adjust plans early enough to suit pupils’ needs.  Some mathematics lessons do not afford pupils opportunities to explore the relevance of topics in everyday situations.  In a few lessons, pupils sometimes do not get enough guidance in using the full range of punctuation to make their writing more meaningful.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 13 lessons, of which 12 were joint observations with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. The inspector also spent time in the Early Years Foundation Stage observing the quality of teaching and support that is given to children in Reception.  Meetings were held with the headteacher and local authority’s School Support and Challenge Advisor to discuss the progress that pupils make throughout the school.  Meetings were held with other senior leaders and staff and with members of the governing body.  The inspector considered parents’ and carers’ views of the school through informal discussions at the start of the inspection and by considering the 23 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). There were also discussions with pupils and staff. The inspector had lunch with the pupils and listened to them read.  The inspector examined a number of documents, including the school’s own information on

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Information about this inspection

pupils’ current progress, and planning and monitoring documentation. They looked at attendance figures, and pupils’ work.

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Inspection team

Janice Williams, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Just under two thirds of the pupils are boys.  Less than 10% of the pupils are known to be eligible for additional support through the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for looked-after children, those eligible for free school meals and the children of service families. This figure is well below the national average. There are no pupils looked after by the local authority, or from service families.  Most of the pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs supported at school action is in line with the national average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve further the rates of pupils’ progress through increasing the proportion of outstanding teaching by:  providing more opportunities for pupils to discuss the skills they are learning and why  ensuring that the knowledge and skills of more-able pupils are further extended  checking pupils’ understanding more regularly and adjusting plans to ensure pupils make rapid progress.  Accelerate pupils’ progress in mathematics by:  ensuring that they understand the relevance of mathematical concepts in everyday situations  Accelerate pupils’ progress in writing by providing more effective guidance in using a range of punctuation to make their writing more interesting.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement is good because in this small school with variations in class sizes, the vast majority of pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Children enter Reception with skills that are broadly in line with expectations for their age in all areas of learning. They make good progress in Reception because the teacher and other adults use interesting resources and high-quality probing questions to help children understand what they are learning and provide opportunities for children to think before answering.  Pupils’ attainment in Key Stage 1 is slightly above the national average, especially in reading and mathematics. Pupils make excellent progress in Year 1 but their progress at the end of Key Stage 1 is a bit slower. Year 1 pupils’ attainment in the linking of letters and sounds check was below the national average.  By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment is above average and they achieve well. At Key Stage 2,

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupils’ rate of progress in reading is consistently good because guided reading sessions develop pupils’ understanding and they often explain what they have read and provide evidence from the text to support their answers. Boys’ progress in reading has improved because leaders have invested in texts that appeal to boys. They also read often to the many volunteers who listen to them and ask questions to check their understanding.  Pupils’ progress in mathematics is not as strong as in reading because in a few classes, activities using mathematical ideas are not related to everyday situations or tasks do not always extend more-able pupils’ knowledge and understanding of mathematical concepts.  Pupils write interesting poems and extended pieces but their writing skills are sometimes limited because they are not provided with enough guidance in using a range of punctuation to make their writing more interesting.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because teaching assistants offer good support in lessons. They continuously evaluate pupils’ responses and make detailed notes about their progress; this information is then discussed with teachers.  The average points scores in English and mathematics for those pupils eligible for free school meals are above the national average, and they make similar progress to their peers.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is good, with the vast majority of pupils making good progress as they continue through the school. Teaching is not yet outstanding overall because some teachers do not always provide pupils with enough opportunities to discuss the skills they are learning and there is very little exploration or investigation into why they are learning the concepts and their relevance in real-life situations.  Teaching in Reception is consistently good. Children enjoy their lessons; they are challenged to discuss and share ideas with their peers. In the Reception lessons seen, the teacher and other adults continuously ask questions that allow the children to reflect and use their previous knowledge to accurately identify shapes or explain how they were measuring the distance of whose cars went the furthest on a ramp that they built.  Teachers use role play and other interesting resources well to stimulate engaging learning

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The quality of teaching is good

activities. For example, in Year 1 the teacher, acting as someone calling from Comic Relief headquarters, sustained pupils’ interest in using money to count. Each time the phone rang, pupils knew the teacher was reporting on their progress in accurately using the given coins to find the cost of each sock. Consequently, the lesson moved at a brisk pace. Pupils made good progress in this lesson because they could confidently explain their selection of coins and why they chose them.  Pupils receive detailed feedback from teachers in both English and mathematics that provide them with information about how successful they are, and most comments normally provide pupils with questions that they respond to. Teachers also mark these responses and, as a result, pupils make better progress because there is continuous discussion about their work.  In the Year 4 poetry lesson, pupils had to write a Silly Sock poem. Pupils’ interest and creativity

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The quality of teaching is good

were sparked by the various socks with different smells. As a result, this stimulated their excitement and enthusiasm for writing their poem, and they made good progress.  In a few lessons, more-able pupils do not make accelerated progress because they do similar work to their peers and sometimes they are not given work that extends their skills.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress in lessons because additional adults offer effective support in the use of questioning and guidance given to pupils. Their continuous feedback ensures that these pupils understand what they are learning and examine how to improve the quality of their work.  In a Year 6 lesson, pupils made good progress in ordering fractions and converting an improper fraction to mixed fraction because there were activities in the lesson that appealed to all learners. However, in a few lessons, teachers do not often check pupils’ understanding quickly

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The quality of teaching is good

and plans are not always adjusted so that pupils’ progress is accelerated.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. There is a caring environment in this small school, where all pupils know each other and are respectful to each other and adults.  Pupils enjoy school and attend regularly. In Reception, children play and work well together as a team. They await their turn to propel their cars on the ramp that they created and they quickly take turns in fixing it when it becomes disconnected.  At lunchtime all pupils eat together in the hall. Pupils from different classes sit beside each other and they get along well together.  They know how to keep themselves safe while using the internet and enjoy using the tablets to research, take pictures and make presentations. Pupils are aware of how to keep themselves safe while using the internet; they say unsafe websites are blocked and know that they should not give details to a stranger on the internet.  There is an inclusive atmosphere where pupils say they feel safe and that lessons are ‘fun’. They

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

enjoy many after-school clubs. Some of the popular choices mentioned are gymnastics, information and communication technology (ICT) skills, and the gaming club. Many pupils also look forward to the talent show and confidently discuss their performances from the previous year.  Pupils say there are a few incidences of verbal bullying such as name calling. They know that they should report such incidences to their teacher and they say that if and when it happens, the teacher does something about it.  All of the parents who responded to Parent View and those who were interviewed say that their child is safe at the school and well looked after; the majority say that the school deals effectively with bullying and an overwhelming majority would recommend the school to another parent.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leadership and management are good because leaders have used pupils’ assessment information to effectively monitor pupils’ progress. Since the last inspection, leaders have ensured that pupils make better progress, have secured better quality teaching and leadership in the Early Years Foundation Stage, and teaching has improved. They are narrowing the gap between boys’ and girls’ attainment in reading by investing in texts that boys like. They have organised and manage the ‘Volunteer Reading Programme’ where approximately 30 visitors come into the school and listen to pupils read.  Leaders have provided good training for staff and the quality of teaching has been monitored rigorously. They have worked effectively with the local authority to validate their judgements on teaching and the quality of feedback that is given in pupils’ books. In the few lessons where pupils’ progress has not been fast enough, leaders have actioned an effective support plan for all

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The leadership and management are good

staff.  There is good leadership on the governing body and on the senior and middle leadership teams. Senior leaders have only agreed salary awards based on pupils’ progress. They hold regular pupil progress meetings with teachers and strategies are regularly monitored to secure improvements.  There is good leadership in the Early Years Foundation Stage. There is an effective transition process that enables children to settle in quickly when they start in Reception.  All staff have received specialist training in order that they can effectively support disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. Dyslexic pupils are given books with different- colour pages to write on, and coloured overlays are given for reading; as a result, they make similar progress to their peers.  Subject leaders are effective in their roles. They have accurately identified the strengths in their subject areas and areas for development. The literacy leader has ensured that the linking of

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The leadership and management are good

letters and sounds is embedded firmly and pupils now have a better knowledge of how to blend sounds to get an accurate pronunciation of words.  Lessons are organised effectively to meet the needs of all pupils. Pupils are taught literacy, numeracy and science in year groups while other subjects are taught in mixed-year groups. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well in the school through daily collective worship where pupils explore different themes. At the time of the inspection, the assembly’s focus was on pupils being confident in ‘doing the things they are good at’. They were given the opportunity to be reflective and identify their strengths. As a result, they are thoughtful and confident pupils.  The pupil premium funding is used to provide small-group support from teaching assistants, to help with residential trips and also to help with training for teachers in improving the quality of

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The leadership and management are good

feedback that pupils receive.  Leaders have ensured that all groups of pupils have equal opportunity to make good progress as they continue throughout the school because there is accurate use of pupil progress information to improve the learning experiences of all pupils, especially in reading.  The governance of the school:  Governors challenge leaders and hold them to account for improvements in the quality of teaching and for accelerating pupils’ progress. They are very supportive of the school and each governor has a responsibility for a different subject area, with regular visits made to these areas. A report is written by the visiting governor and this is shared at governing body meetings, where information presented is reviewed and discussed. Governors know that pupils’ progress compares favourably with the national average. They constantly challenge leaders to identify pupils who are falling behind and ask searching questions about strategies

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The leadership and management are good

to accelerate pupils’ progress. The governing body is very organised; there is a training governor who coordinates all training information and updates records with information about courses that governors have done, such as safeguarding, internet safety and training that relates to their area of responsibility in the school. They are aware of how the pupil premium funding is used to improve the quality of feedback pupils receive from teachers, to provide extra support from additional adults and to help to subsidise residential trips and clubs for pupils, helping to develop their confidence and self-esteem. Governors know that teachers’ pay progression is linked to pupils’ progress. They make sure that safeguarding requirements are fully met and are effective.

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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 is

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Grade Judgement Description

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 118672 Local authority Kent Inspection number 405807

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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 Maintained Age range of pupils 4−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 139 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Simon Godfrey Headteacher Patricia Hall Date of previous school inspection 5−6 July 2011 Telephone number 01233 860232 Fax number 01233 860232 Email address office@woodchurch.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, please

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School details

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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