Garlinge Primary School and Nursery

Garlinge Primary and Nursery School Westfield Road, Margate, Kent, CT9 5PA

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Progress in Reception is inconsistent as teaching does not always make learning effective and interesting. There is not enough focus on developing children’s speaking skills. Planning lacks detail.  Standards by the end of Year 2 remain low, and pupils’ progress in Years 1 and 2 is not yet good. Pupils’ skills in speaking and writing are not rigorously developed.  Attendance, although improved, is below average.  In 2012, the attainment of Year 6 pupils eligible for extra support by government funding (pupil premium) was below average.  Although some aspects of evaluating pupils' progress are good, the marking of their work does not always indicate what they need to do to improve.  Teaching and achievement are not yet generally good in the lower part of the school.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children make good progress in the Nursery because teaching is good.  Pupils’ progress is now mostly good in Years 3 to 6. As a result, standards have risen steadily, and, for the current Year 6, are close to the national average. Standards by the end of Year 2 are improving.  The proportion of good or better teaching in Years 3 to 6 is higher than elsewhere in the school. This is reflected in pupils’ good quality written work.  Pupils enjoy school and feel safe. Attitudes to learning, particularly among the older pupils, are good.  Leadership has strengthened, ensuring sustained progress since the last inspection. Senior leaders have a vision for further improvement and are increasingly effective in managing the performance of teachers.  Governance is good. Governors hold school leaders to account.  The school has established productive partnerships with other schools.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 27 lessons, of which three were seen together with senior leaders.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and another governor, the school’s subject and senior leaders, and two representatives of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 20 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). They also considered the school’s own recent survey, reflecting the views of around 280 parents and carers.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of school documentation, including: records of school checks on the quality of teaching, the school improvement plan, and records relating to behaviour, attendance, safeguarding and pupils’ progress. They also looked closely at pupils’ written work and listened to pupils reading.

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Inspection team

George Logan, Lead inspector Additional inspector Andrew Lyons Additional inspector Louise Pearce Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Garlinge Primary and Nursery School is much larger than the average size primary school. It is expanding towards three-form entry, admitting around 90 pupils per year. There are currently three classes per year in Reception and Year 1 and two classes per year thereafter.  The great majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds, but with a substantial minority from Eastern Europe. There is a small group of pupils of Gypsy/Roma heritage, most of whom entered recently with minimal prior knowledge of English. The movement of pupils in and out of the school is greater than is normally found.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported by school action is broadly average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average. Garlinge is a ‘lead school’ for pupils with physical impairment. Six of these pupils currently attend, all with statements of special educational need.

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Information about this school

 The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils eligible for free school meals, those in care and those from forces families) is well above the national average. Currently, there are no pupils from forces families on the school roll.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school-run breakfast club is available to all pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the consistency of teaching in Reception and in Years 1 and 2 so that a higher proportion is good or outstanding, by:  ensuring that planning is more detailed, particularly in Reception, identifying clearly what staff are to do and what children need to achieve based on assessments of what they already know, understand and can do  ensuring that all activities are purposeful and relevant to children’s needs  giving greater priority to the systematic development of children’s speaking skills  ensuring that all lessons are briskly paced and engage pupils’ interest  ensuring that the marking of pupils’ work provides them with clear guidance as to the next steps in their learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen achievement and raise standards across the school by ensuring that:  pupils make more consistently rapid progress, especially in speaking and writing, leading to higher standards, particularly by the end of Year 2  additional funding to support the learning of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is effectively targeted and closely checked to ensure that they learn rapidly and make good progress  more opportunities are developed for younger pupils to write and for older pupils to be heard read aloud  the school’s aspirations for at least average attendance for all pupils are achieved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Attainment by the end of Year 2 remains low, although on a rising trend. The proportion of good teaching in Years 1 and 2 is not high enough to raise achievement further. Pupils’ work confirms that progress, although broadly as expected, is not good, particularly in writing, where pupils sometimes do not write frequently enough.  Children enter Nursery with skill levels well below those found nationally. They make good progress through effective teaching and a well-judged curriculum. Progress in Reception is slower because teaching is not consistently good. Standards on leaving Reception are below those expected: not enough focus is placed on promoting pupils’ speaking skills here, or in Years 1 and 2.  In 2012, the attainment of Year 2 pupils known to be eligible for free school meals (pupil premium) was below that of other pupils. The attainment of eligible Year 6 pupils indicates that their achievement was also below that of other pupils in English and mathematics. Currently,

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

however, there is little difference between the attainment of pupils eligible for free school meals and that of others. Additional funding is well-targeted.  Effective teaching and high expectations ensure that that pupils’ progress accelerates rapidly from Year 3. Although attainment by the end of Year 6 has been below average, current Year 6 pupils are working close to the national average. Many older pupils are now making consistently good progress as a result.  Reading has improved. Early Years Foundation Stage children receive a systematic grounding in the linking of sounds and letters (phonics). Older pupils make steady progress in reading. Those with gaps in their phonics knowledge are supported through the school reading partnership. However, many pupils lack the opportunity to read at home and this hampers their progress.  The achievement of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is similar to

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

that of the majority. Pupils with additional physical needs are well supported.  The few Gypsy/Roma pupils are mostly recent arrivals, with little prior knowledge of English. The school is working hard to enable these pupils to communicate in English.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because there is insufficient good teaching in Reception and in Years 1 and 2. There, the pace of learning is often slow, with insufficient focus on developing pupils’ speaking and writing skills. However, overall, teaching, including the teaching of literacy and numeracy, has improved, because of school leaders’ effective actions.  Reception staff do not focus enough on extending language. Planning lacks detail, so that additional staff lack explicit guidance. Teachers are not sufficiently focused on driving children’s learning. Play activities sometimes lack purpose. There is not enough good modelling of spoken language. All these deficiencies slow children's progress.  Particularly in Years 1 and 2, the use of assessment information to plan future lessons is inconsistent, so that the work does not always closely match pupils’ abilities. When supporting groups, teachers are not always aware of the progress being made by other pupils. The large

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

site and widely dispersed classrooms do not promote sharing of good practice.  Although the teaching of pupils eligible for free school meals did not enable Year 6 pupils to make quite enough progress in literacy and numeracy in 2012, their achievement, particularly in Years 3 to 6, is more rapid currently, so that the gap with their peers continues to narrow.  The checking and supporting of pupils’ progress are mostly effective, with some good practice in pupils evaluating what they have achieved. Older pupils generally know what level they are working at and have individual targets to focus their efforts to improve. The marking of pupils’ work sometimes identifies what they need to do next, with some opportunities for pupils to respond to marking. However this is not yet consistent practice across the school.  Teaching is best in Years 3 to 6. In an outstanding science lesson on light and shadows in Year

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

6, pupils had a firm grasp on scientific methodology. They were expected to talk at length and reflect upon their experiences. The pace of learning was brisk and pupils were fully engaged. As a result, pupils’ learning was outstanding.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are learning at least at the pace they should. Most support staff contribute to the increasingly good progress these pupils make. Those from Gypsy/Roma backgrounds are also well supported.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is typically good. Pupils are polite and sociable. However, while exemplary in some lessons, pupils’ enthusiasm for learning tends to reflect the quality of teaching. Most parents and carers who expressed a view, particularly in the school’s own survey, agree with inspectors that behaviour is good.  Effective procedures exist to tackle poor behaviour. Staff generally manage behaviour well. There have been several temporary exclusions and a few racist incidents this year. The school has good procedures for the reintegration of excluded pupils.  Pupils, themselves, are positive about behaviour and safety. They believe that adults are responsive to their concerns and that they will sort out any difficulties.  Pupils understand that bullying may take different forms, such as internet bullying or in relation to ethnicity. They appreciate the risks presented by social networking sites. There are few recent

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

recorded instances of bullying. The school encourages pupils to undertake responsibilities to support the community. Established pupils with other languages become ‘Language Ambassadors’ to support pupils new to school.  Pupils have a good awareness of risk and know how to ensure their safety in different circumstances. They are alert to a range of risks, including road and internet safety.  This is a caring, nurturing community. A positive family atmosphere is promoted in the well-run breakfast club. This provides well for individual pupils prior to school, including some in receipt of additional funding because of their individual circumstances.  Attendance, although still below average, is rising. The school invests heavily in promoting good attendance and is working hard with pupils and families to achieve this. Pupils mostly arrive punctually.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is demonstrating the capacity to facilitate steady improvements in pupils’ learning despite an inheritance of complex issues around staffing and accommodation. School leaders recognise that there is still some way to go. The school’s analysis of its own performance is accurate. Changes within the senior leadership team have boosted capacity further.  Partnerships are good, including a close relationship with a nearby special school. There are effective links within the local community of schools, offering access to shared expertise.  Although the allocation of key subject responsibilities is uneven, there is strength in the commitment of middle leaders, who are keen to improve the quality of pupils’ learning.  Procedures for checking and improving the performance of teachers are becoming more effective. Decisions about pay rises are increasingly linked to pupils’ progress. Staff are now

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The leadership and management are good

accountable for pupils’ achievement and this is having an impact on improving teaching and learning.  School leaders have reviewed the use of pupil premium funding to ensure greater impact. This funding subsidises reduced classes sizes in Years 5 and 6 and is contributing to more rapid progress in literacy and numeracy. Some pupils learn a musical instrument, so enhancing their attitudes to school.  The analysis of information on pupils' progress is thorough. Consequently, potential underachievement can be acted upon quickly.  External support from the local authority to boost achievement was extensive in 2012. However, with improving outcomes, the local authority has, more recently, focused on enabling the school to build capacity to improve further from within.  The school provides a good range of subjects and activities. Appropriate priority is given to developing basic skills in literacy and numeracy. A range of themes and topics engages pupils’

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The leadership and management are good

interest well. The teaching of science has been sustained well. A range of out-of-school activities enhances pupils’ enjoyment.  Provision for pupils’ social and moral development is good. Spiritual development is supported through church links. Pupils have some opportunities to engage with other cultures, including links with schools in Guatemala and Kenya. Links with parents and carers are adequate. Some prove hard to reach despite the school’s best efforts.  The governance of the school:  Governance is good. Governors understand their role well. They have a good knowledge of the school’s effectiveness and understand the implications of the information relating to pupils’ performance. They evaluate, first hand, the effectiveness of decisions made. They query the impact of teaching on pupils’ progress, comparing outcomes to national performance data. They recognise the need to ensure equality of opportunity, to tackle discrimination and to

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The leadership and management are good

foster good relationships. They ensure that pay and promotion are now firmly linked to teachers’ effectiveness, recognising that historic decisions have left the school with very high staff costs. They manage the budget well and evaluate decisions about the use of pupil premium funding to close gaps in pupils’ achievement. They are aware that this was not fully effective last year, and check closely the impact of a modified approach. Governors ensure, along with senior leaders, that safeguarding arrangements meet national requirements.

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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 135212 Local authority Kent Inspection number 406592

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 496 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair William Herbert Headteacher Diane Springett Date of previous school inspection 19 January 2011 Telephone number 01843 221877 Fax number 01843 298648 Email address headteacher@garlinge.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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