Goudhurst and Kilndown Church of England Primary School

Goudhurst and Kilndown Church of England Primary School Beaman Close, Cranbrook Road, Goudhurst, TN17 1DZ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Since arriving at the school the headteacher has ensured that teaching has improved further so that it is now outstanding.  Pupils make rapid progress in reading, writing and mathematics, as well as many other subjects. They reach standards which are well above average.  Teachers plan work which pupils find exciting and focuses extremely well on developing their skills.  Pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium also make rapid progress.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs progress quickly because they are supported effectively by well-trained adults.  The most-able pupils are given challenging work to do, and they enjoy grappling with this. They also benefit from wider opportunities for learning at higher levels, through links with some local secondary schools.  The Early Years Foundation Stage is a great strength of the school. Adults provide inspiring

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

opportunities and use children’s own play and interests to develop stimulating tasks.  Behaviour is exceptional. Pupils are immensely proud of their school and of the learning they are doing. They feel that teachers give them work to do which is very interesting, and almost always just hard enough. They are also very proud of their sporting, musical and other achievements.  Pupils feel very safe at school, and feel that the school gives them excellent information to be able to stay safe.  The new headteacher has quickly gained an accurate view of the performance of the school and developed an effective new leadership team. Together they identify the best practice in teaching, and help all the teachers know exactly what they need to do to improve further.  Governors and senior leaders make sure that all the necessary requirements to keep pupils safe are in place, particularly those to make sure that adults are appropriate to work with

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Information about this inspection

 Two inspectors visited the school and observed 16 lessons taught by nine teachers, as well as sessions with small groups of pupils, led by teaching assistants. About half of these observations were done together with the headteacher.  Inspectors evaluated the work pupils were doing, and looked at the work they have done over time, in their books and folders. They reviewed teachers’ records about the performance of pupils, leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching and the work of pupils, and the school’s consultations with pupils and parents.  The inspectors held meetings with pupils to discuss their views about their work and the school, and met with teachers, leaders and with governors, and had a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority. They reviewed a wide range of school documents, including those about keeping pupils safe, and minutes of meetings, including of governing body

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Information about this inspection

meetings.  Inspectors considered the 50 responses to Parent View, the online survey for parents, as well as correspondence received during the inspection. They also looked at the responses to a survey for staff done by the school, and had other discussions with staff.

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Inspection team

Andrew Saunders, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Matthew Barnes Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a school of average size, with one class in each year group.  Almost all pupils are White British.  The proportions of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action or at school action plus are below average.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium is below average, and very low in some classes, including in the Year 6 class who left in 2013. This is additional funding provided by the government to promote the attainment and progress of particular pupils. These pupils include those who have been eligible for free school meals, children looked after by the local authority and children of parents serving in the armed forces. The school does not currently have any pupils in the latter two categories.  More pupils than average leave or join the school other than at the usual times.  A new headteacher took up the post in September 2013. A new senior leadership team has been

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Information about this school

developed.  The school meets the floor standards set by the government, which set the minimum expectations for the attainment and progress for pupils at the end of Key Stage 2.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and rates of progress further by:  encouraging pupils to be less reliant on teachers in moving on to the next stage of their learning when it is suitable for them to do so  developing pupils’ understanding of when computer technology would be most beneficial to their learning.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils consistently reach standards which are above average. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment is typically well above average. Standards in writing, in particular, have risen to match those in reading and mathematics. Far more pupils than average reach the highest National Curriculum levels.  Children usually join the school in Reception with skills and knowledge which are typical for their age, although some children are already very confident, particularly with their communication and social skills. The excellent resources, opportunities to learn and play, and the exceptional teaching mean they make rapid progress. By the time they move to Year 1, most children have the necessary skills and knowledge to be able to progress extremely well.  Rapid progress continues, accelerating as they move through Key Stage 1. At the end of Year 2, a very high proportion of pupils reach standards above those expected. Pupils continue to

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

progress quickly in Key Stage 2, accelerating in Years 5 and 6 because of the exceptional teaching they benefit from. As a result, standards rise further. Pupils currently in Year 6 are already working at standards which are above those achieved last year. Pupils’ work in their books, teachers’ record of pupils’ achievement and the views of pupils and parents show that this outstanding progress is typical over time.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs benefit from teaching which is at just the right level, as well as additional support to make sure they overcome any difficulties. They are also helped to develop their confidence and to cope with some of the issues they face; this helps them to learn more effectively. They make similar, rapid progress to other pupils.  Pupils who are eligible for support through the additional funding typically work at very similar standards to other pupils in their class. However, a very few of these pupils who join the school

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

later than usual do have some catching up to do to match the standards of other pupils. The support for these pupils has been intensified and their progress is now accelerating quickly. Consequently, the attainment gap with other pupils is closing.  A few other pupils who join the school later on, particularly during the latter stages of Key Stage 2, often have some ground to make up. As they quickly fit in and get used to the very high expectations of the school, their progress accelerates rapidly.  The most-able pupils benefit from excellent opportunities to do very challenging work, and other pupils aspire to this also. This enables more pupils than usual to reach the highest standards, particularly in mathematics and writing.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching is outstanding and is especially strong in Years 2, 5 and 6. Pupils find their learning interesting and challenging because teachers plan tasks which are extremely well suited to what pupils need to learn.  The Early Years Foundation Stage is a great strength of the school. Learning is equally as effective whether pupils are inside or outdoors, because adults provide inspiring opportunities and use children’s own play and interests to develop stimulating tasks. Well-trained adults use questioning well to promote rapid gains in knowledge, understanding and skills. As soon as children have mastered a particular skill or knowledge, they are set the next challenge.  The pupils develop excellent skills, particularly in writing, reading and mathematics, because teachers know a lot about the subjects they are teaching and about how pupils learn. Their explanations are very clear, particularly when explaining complex ideas. There is a consistent

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

approach to teaching phonics (linking letters and the sounds they make). As a result, pupils read confidently and can confidently spell ambitious words for their age.  Pupils work hard because teachers have very high expectations of the pupils, about the quality of work they do and the level of challenge pupils will tackle. Teachers make sure that pupils have specific targets to aim for, in their reading, writing, mathematics, and that there is always something more for pupils to work towards. However, there are a few occasions when some pupils rely too much on the teachers to tell them what they need to do next. When they wait for this to happen, their progress is not as rapid as it usually is.  Teachers work together to identify the very best practice and to develop their teaching skills. Teamwork is strong and teachers and teaching assistants work very effectively to make sure that each pupil gets useful feedback, during the lesson or in their books. The marking of books

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

contributes well to pupils’ learning because teachers follow the same effective approach and pupils are expected to improve their work in response to the high quality comments.  Teachers gather lots of information about how well pupils understand what they are doing and analyse this closely to identify those few pupils who may not be making as much progress as they should. No pupil is allowed to languish for long, before support is provided to accelerate their progress. Teachers also work with senior leaders to check how effective this extra support is proving, and change it quickly if necessary.  Pupils develop skills using computers well because teachers make good use of the technology available. However, pupils do not always get enough opportunities to use these skills to produce or present their work in different subjects or to choose when they think it will help their learning.  There is a great deal of mutual respect between teachers and pupils, which means that pupils

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

feel confident to ask questions, and are not afraid of getting things wrong, because they know they will learn from their mistakes.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. They say that this is a ‘fabulous’ school and they are excited about what they are learning, so they like being at school. Attendance has risen and is above average.  Pupils listen closely to what teachers tell them and then eagerly work to do what is expected. This starts in the Early Years Foundation Stage, where children show exceptional attitudes towards their learning, relishing the many opportunities they have and seeking out very challenging work to do.  Pupils are highly supportive of each other, giving each other helpful feedback about their work and helping one another if they are struggling with a concept. Older pupils are enthusiastic about helping younger pupils to learn, through the school’s ‘buddy scheme’. The younger pupils look up to their buddies and consequently aspire to learn as well as they do.  Pupils get along very amicably, and make sure that everyone has someone to play with or work

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

with. They are very good at sorting out any disagreements if they fall out with one another, although they say this does not happen very often.  Pupils like the new system to manage behaviour and say that it is very fair. They know exactly what is expected, and what the consequences are if their behaviour does not meet these expectations. Very few pupils need any reminders of this, but any who do respond quickly.  When asked about bullying, pupils said they think it might have happened once, a long time ago, but that no-one would put up with it now. If it did happen, they are very confident about what they would do, and that it would get sorted out quickly. The strong values of the school, to ‘Enjoy, Achieve, Together’, and the way pupils include everyone, mean that racism or discrimination are not accepted. Pupils have an equal opportunity to succeed and to get involved in the many varied activities available.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is excellent. Pupils feel very safe, for example when they walk to the church, because they know the adults are very careful and because the pupils themselves know how to stay safe. The road safety themed day is something they look forward to and has made a strong impression on them. They are also very well informed about how to keep safe when using the internet.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Since arriving at the school in September, the headteacher has made sure that the most important issues are identified and tackled effectively, building upon the school’s strong track record from the previous inspection. She has increased the frequency with which pupils’ progress is checked, improved the consistency of managing behaviour across the school and made sure that teaching continues to improve. She is very accurate in her assessment of the performance of the school and what needs to be improved further.  The headteacher makes sure that teachers know exactly what they need to do to improve their teaching to make it consistently effective. She has very high expectations of all the staff and pupils and this example is followed by other leaders across the school.  Teachers pick up very quickly if a particular pupil or group of pupils may need extra help. This has improved the rate of progress of pupils. Senior leaders also check that particular approaches

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The leadership and management are outstanding

that have been introduced, such as the way books should be marked, are followed consistently across the school and this helps pupils to be clear about what is expected of them.  Senior leaders work closely with governors to make sure that all the statutory policies and procedures to keep pupils safe are in place and reviewed frequently. The wonderful environments of the school grounds and in the local area are used very well to enrich pupils’ learning. For example, the Year 2 class take great delight in caring for the school chickens. Many visitors and trips, including two residential trips, for Year 5 and Year 6 respectively, also give pupils excellent experiences around which to focus their work.  The additional funding to support the improvement of physical education has been used well, to provide highly expert coaches, who have supported the teachers in developing their skills in delivering highly effective lessons. This has further improved pupils’ attitudes towards their own

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The leadership and management are outstanding

fitness and health, and led to the development of junior sports’ leaders, older pupils who help lead games and sports for younger pupils.  The funding has also improved the competitive sports the school participates in. For example, the Quicksticks hockey team has recently won a local tournament to get through to the next stage of the School Games. Pupils have also been selected for the Kent junior athletics team, having won a team event. Netball and cross-country are also popular and successful.  The very strong links with the church and local community benefit pupils greatly, and contribute well to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils also love the visits to the theatre, opportunities for drama and music, and regularly produce highly regarded musicals.  The local authority provides the school with a light touch of support, helping to check the self- evaluation of senior leaders and the quality of teaching and learning. The school is used as an

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The leadership and management are outstanding

example of exceptional practice in the Early Years Foundation Stage and the way writing is developed, particularly within the local group of schools.  The governance of the school:  Governors have worked closely with the headteacher to increase their understanding of the performance of the school. They receive very detailed, accurate information regarding pupils’ learning and the quality of teaching, and increasingly check that this matches up with what they see in the school. Each governor is linked to a group of pupils and follows this group through the school, so they get to know those pupils. They make sure they get good opportunities to find out about the pupils’ and parents’ views of the school.  Governors check that the school uses the information about the quality of teaching to inform any decisions about the levels of pay teachers are awarded, so that the best practice is encouraged. They also make sure that the finances of the school are used wisely to provide

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The leadership and management are outstanding

the best possible education for the pupils, and that the environment contributes well towards this.

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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 118601 Local authority Kent Inspection number 431418

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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 210 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Lois Dignan Headteacher Lindsay Roberts Date of previous school inspection 19 March 2009 Telephone number 01580 211365 Fax number 01580 211768 Email address office@goudhurst-kilndown.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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