Teynham Parochial Church of England Primary School

Teynham Parochial Church of England Primary School Station Road, Teynham, Sittingbourne, ME9 9BQ

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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.  Teynham is a caring school with high aspirations for pupils’ academic and personal development.  Good leadership by the headteacher, senior leaders and the governing body has rapidly improved both the quality of pupils’ learning and their attainment since its previous inspection.  Children get off to a very good start in Reception and develop an enthusiasm for learning and enjoyment of school.  Pupils’ behaviour is good in lessons and in the playground so that pupils feel safe. This helps their readiness for learning.  Pupils achieve well through the school, making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Their attainment by the end of Year 6 is average.  Teaching is consistently good. Teachers plan interesting activities so that pupils find learning exciting and are eager to learn.  Pupils’ experiences in school are underpinned by the strong promotion of pupils’ spiritual,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils have positive relationships with one another, and with adults, and give those new to the school a warm welcome.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Sometimes tasks are not challenging enough for more-able pupils to make faster progress.  Pupils’ writing skills are not as strong as those in reading and mathematics. Pupils do not always write quickly at length, particularly in Key Stage 2.  Teachers do not check on pupils’ understanding often enough in lessons.  There is still a gap in attainment between those pupils eligible for the pupil premium and the others in the school, especially in Key Stage 1.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 13 lessons and a class assembly involving all teachers who were teaching during the inspection. Some were observed jointly with the headteacher. The inspector observed how pupils read and talked to some about how the school helps them to develop their reading skills.  Meetings were held with school leaders, representatives of the governing body and local authority, staff and a group of pupils.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents including those that show how the school evaluates itself and plans for future development, and pupils’ progress data. Pupils’ work, information about how the school cares for and protects pupils, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and minutes of recent governing body meetings were scrutinised.  The inspection took account of 22 responses to the on-line Parent View survey, and questionnaires completed by 21 staff.

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Inspection team

Helen Hutchings, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Teynham is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school.  The school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, looked after children and children of service families) for almost a half of its pupils, which is high when compared with schools nationally. There are currently no children of service families in the school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is above average, as is the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  Most pupils are White British. A number of minority ethnic groups are represented in small numbers. Few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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Information about this school

 The school roll is rising rapidly, with more pupils joining mid term.  The school works in collaboration with seven other small schools locally to provide training for staff and some joint activities for pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that pupils’ achievement becomes outstanding and as strong in writing as in reading and mathematics, by:  finding ways to develop the pupils’ confidence to record their thinking and write quickly at length, particularly in Key Stage 2  speeding up learning by checking on pupils’ understanding more often through the lesson  making sure that more-able pupils are given work which challenges them throughout the whole lesson.  Make better use of pupil premium funding by introducing more targeted activities in Key Stage 1 to reduce the gap between the attainment of eligible pupils and that of their peers.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Many children join the Reception class with a range of learning, social and emotional needs. From starting points which are below those typical of their age, high levels of adult support help children to make very good progress in adapting to the routines of school and in their learning.  Teachers build well on this secure start, and pupils achieve well throughout the school, with all year groups making good progress in all areas of their learning. Pupils’ good rather than outstanding achievement is because pupils are not always challenged enough to make even faster progress, particularly for the more-able pupils.  Pupils apply their basic literacy, numeracy and computer skills well, for example in their topic study, so that they are prepared well for secondary school.  Last year, pupils made faster progress than pupils nationally through Key Stage 2. Pupils’ attainment in the Year 6 tests was average, when it had been significantly below average when

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The achievement of pupils is good

they were in Year 2. Attainment by the end of Year 2 is now broadly average which gives pupils a stronger starting point for Key Stage 2 learning than was the case when the school was inspected previously.  The school has been successful in promoting pupils’ reading skills and a love of books. This has been key to raising attainment in all subjects over the last three years. Standards in the Year 1 phonics screening check were above average last year.  The earlier weaknesses in pupils’ literacy skills have not been fully tackled so that their writing skills are less well developed than those in reading and numeracy. Some older pupils lack confidence to express their ideas and opinions quickly and at length in written form, although they are articulate talking about their ideas.  The relatively even progress made by different groups of pupils shows the school’s success in promoting equal opportunities. For example, focused intervention for disabled pupils and those

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The achievement of pupils is good

who have special educational needs means that they make good progress from their starting points. Similarly, the needs of pupils who join the school at times other than the normal time of entry in Reception or in Year 1, often mid term, are identified promptly so that there is minimal disruption to their learning and progress.  Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium make similar progress and reach similar levels to their peers. There are some differences from year to year but these are mainly related to pupils’ different capabilities. For example, last year the attainment of this group of pupils was about three terms behind the rest of the class in English and mathematics, which is greater than the gap nationally. For those pupils now in Key Stage 2 there is no significant difference, and in some classes eligible pupils are reaching higher levels than the others. However, the attainment

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The achievement of pupils is good

gap evident when children join Reception has not yet been eliminated by the end of Year 2.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Consistently good teaching comes from teachers planning together to share expertise and ideas. As a result, lessons are exciting and stimulate pupils’ curiosity.  Teachers know their pupils well and use this information to match work closely to their needs and interests. They develop pupils’ independence by requiring them to research new knowledge and work things out for themselves. Increasingly, teachers consult pupils on what they want to learn about within a topic. Teachers use these ideas in their planning, which engages and motivates pupils well, and builds a strong sense of shared learning.  Learning is planned to build on pupils’ knowledge of everyday situations, such as regular cooking sessions which consolidate mathematics skills. In a Year 3 lesson, pupils responded enthusiastically to the challenge of writing a letter to the Prime Minister giving their views about Saturday schooling. Within a short time, pupils had developed their understanding of formal

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The quality of teaching is good

language.  In the best lessons, the teacher creates a sense of urgency about learning. In a Year 5 lesson the teacher made sure that all pupils were fully engaged as she ‘threw’ questions around the room for pupils to ‘catch’. She gave them regular opportunities to reflect on their learning, such as when they talked to their partner about ‘10 things you know about an Anderson shelter’ as they prepared a piece of writing linked to their study of the Second World War.  In a very few lessons, the pace of learning slows because the teacher does not check often enough on how effectively pupils are working. Consequently, some waste time doing things they have already mastered and more-able pupils have to finish work that is too easy for them before attempting something more challenging.  Staff have excellent relationships with pupils, who benefit from good levels of individual and small-group help. Teaching assistants give good support by questioning pupils deeply and

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The quality of teaching is good

developing their confidence to do things for themselves.  The improvement in pupils’ achievement is largely the result of the strong promotion of reading and the consistent use of phonics throughout the school. Pupils have approaches to tackle unfamiliar words confidently and use dictionaries without the need for an adult to prompt them.  Pupils’ learning is enhanced well through regular homework, such as spellings, which consolidates learning in lessons. It also gives opportunities for additional research and for pupils to follow up areas of particular interest to them. For example, this is used to good effect in Reception where ‘My Unique Story’ records contain school work and contributions from parents and children outside school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils understand the clear boundaries for their behaviour very well because the school council led other pupils in drawing together the school’s Golden Rules. This has resulted in an ethos where pupils and adults are respectful of one another. Assemblies give pupils regular opportunities for prayer and to reflect on, and understand, the school’s values. Routines, such as weekly questions, puzzles and themes, mean that pupils regularly think in depth on their feelings and beliefs.  Pupils are proud of their school and contribute to displays and notices in their classrooms. They see their efforts and achievements rewarded regularly in lessons and in the weekly celebration assembly. This adds to the evident learning ‘buzz’ in lessons.  Adults manage the behaviour of pupils who have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties very well so that, when occasionally individuals find it challenging to meet the school’s

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

expectations, the learning of others is not disrupted. Adults adopt consistent approaches and devise effective strategies for individuals with the support of the local authority specialist service.  Pupils say that they feel safe and know that they are well cared for by adults. They learn well from the anti-bullying work undertaken by the school and understand the various forms that bullying may take, including name calling, cyber bullying or prejudice. They understand that any form of discrimination is not tolerated, and know exactly what to do should an incident occur, although they are adamant that this is extremely rare. Parents responding to Parent View agree that their children feel safe.  Pupils enjoy the many responsibilities they undertake, with the mentoring of Reception children helping to establish a strong, cohesive family ethos. Because they feel valued, pupils enjoy school.  Attendance has improved well since the previous inspection and is now above average. Parents

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

have responded well to the school’s promotion of the importance of good attendance, and to the support given in times of difficulty.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher leads the school with vision and determination. Together with the leadership team and governing body, she has ensured a consistency of approach in all aspects of school improvement. Consequently, the school is going from strength to strength. Senior leaders and governors work closely with staff to identify priorities to improve the school further, with a strong focus on raising pupils’ attainment.  Staff emphasise the strengths of leadership and team work and of the value of the partnership with local schools, with staff sharing expertise and learning from one another. The local authority has provided considerable support since the previous inspection. As the school has improved, this support is taking on a lighter touch, but senior leaders and governors value the input of the local authority in confirming the school’s view of itself.  Senior leaders have an accurate view about the quality of teaching. They check it regularly and

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The leadership and management are good

give teachers support to remedy any weaknesses identified. Teachers view the way the school manages their performance as challenging, but supportive and fair.  Similarly, pupils’ progress is reviewed regularly and the information used to adjust planning and intervene to boost progress if a pupil is not making the expected progress towards the challenging targets set by senior leaders. Interventions are reviewed regularly and the impact on pupils’ achievement is measured every two months.  The curriculum is very well planned to enable pupils to use and develop their basic literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects. The wide range of additional activities, including ‘challenge days’ for in-depth study across the school, together with visits and visitors linked to topic work, make a strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is actively involved in drawing up future plans with senior leaders, and in

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The leadership and management are good

holding them to account for the quality of education. Governors have a good understanding of pupils’ achievement in relation to others, for example through the national ‘dashboard’ showing that the school is doing better than similar schools. They set clear targets for the school’s performance and check the quality of teachers’ performance as part of their role of rewarding good teachers. They know what is being done to tackle any underperformance. Governors have used the pupil premium funding to offer one-to-one support, and to make sure that all pupils have access to enrichment activities. Governors understand that more remains to be done to reduce the attainment gap between eligible pupils and the others earlier in their education. They make sure that safeguarding procedures meet statutory requirements, and monitor the arrangements alongside the headteacher to make sure that pupils are kept safe.

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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 118651 Local authority Kent Inspection number 405801

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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 Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 175 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Steve Lillicrap Headteacher Elizabeth Pearson Date of previous school inspection 9–10 June 2011 Telephone number 01795 521217 Fax number 01795 522086 Email address headteacher@teynham.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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