Wickhambreaux Church of England Primary School

Wickhambreaux Church of England Primary School The Street, Wickhambreaux, Canterbury, Kent, CT3 1RN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Early years provision Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher, ably supported by senior leaders and governors, constantly strives to achieve the very best for the pupils. This leads to outstanding practice.  Leaders have excellent systems to check how well each pupil is doing. This helps them to intervene quickly if a pupil starts to fall behind. As a result, all pupils make good or better progress from their different starting points.  There is a culture of continuous improvement. The headteacher has developed strong links with other schools to enable staff to share their excellent practice and benefit from strengths elsewhere.  Teaching is outstanding. Staff know each pupil as an individual and carefully plan to meet their needs so that learning progresses well. Specialist teaching in music, French, science and mathematics enhances pupils’ experiences and contributes to excellent standards of achievement.  Pupils enjoy coming to school because the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

curriculum is stimulating. Teachers ensure that everyone can access the wide range of exciting opportunities which help pupils develop a love of learning.  Leaders are not afraid to try new ideas to improve teaching and learning. For example, they have identified that procedures for marking and feedback could be even more effective. They are rightly testing new approaches to identify what will work best for the pupils, but at the moment there is a lack of consistency.  Behaviour is outstanding. Pupils are respectful and look out for each other. In lessons they concentrate hard and try their best.  Pupils are looked after extremely well. Relationships across the school are warm and trusting so that pupils feel safe and secure. Systems to help keep pupils safe are robust.  The Early Years Foundation Stage is outstanding. Children get off to a very good start because adults ensure children are well cared for. As a result they

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

develop their confidence and learn to respect others. Children’s attitudes to learning are very positive and staff have high expectations of achievement. Consequently children make excellent progress and are well prepared for Year 1.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed learning in seven parts of lessons. Six were joint observations with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher/special educational needs coordinator, the subject leader for mathematics, the reading manager, the early years leader, four governors including the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector met with a group of pupils and spoke informally to pupils at lunchtime. The inspector also attended two whole-school worship sessions and a French club for gifted pupils. The inspector heard pupils read.  Informal discussions were held with parents and carers at the end of the school day. The inspector also took account of 46 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and an email from a parent. Responses to the staff questionnaire were also analysed.  A range of documentation was examined including the school’s action plans; records of pupils’ progress

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Information about this inspection

and attainment; records of attendance, behaviour, child protection and safeguarding; the school’s self- assessment; documents relating to performance management and records of governing body meetings.

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Inspection team

Amanda Gard, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. There are four classes altogether. The majority of pupils are taught in mixed-age classes. Reception children are taught in a single-age class, attending full time.  The majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils for whom the pupil premium grant provides support is well below the national average. This funding is used to support pupils in the care of the local authority and those who are known to be eligible for free school meals.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Teachers give their time to provide a range of extra activities for pupils before and after school.  The school is part of the Canterbury Collaboration of nine schools, in which the headteacher plays a lead

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Information about this school

role.  The headteacher is a local leader of education and has supported Bapchild and Tonge Primary and Lansdowne School in this role.  The school works collaboratively with the independent sector through its link with King’s School, Canterbury.  The school trains teachers through its partnership with an initial teaching training group.  There was a Church Inspection of the school, under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005, in June 2012. This judged the school’s provision to be outstanding.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Agree and implement a whole school approach to marking and feedback to ensure consistent use of best practice across the school.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher is uncompromising in her drive to ensure each pupil achieves their best. She relentlessly pursues additional funding to provide them with the very best opportunities. As a result she achieves her aim to provide pupils with ‘a memorable childhood’, and to ensure all have an equal opportunity.  Staff say they are proud to be part of the Wickhambreaux team. Inspired by the headteacher, they are very committed to the school. For example, all teachers offer activities after school to extend pupils’ experiences and develop their skills.  The school has developed successful partnerships with other schools to benefit both staff and pupils. Through the Canterbury Collaboration, headteachers work together to evaluate teaching and learning in partnership schools. This external review helps Wickhambreaux staff maintain excellent standards and develop strong practice. Through the link with King’s School pupils access specialist activities, such as

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The leadership and management are outstanding

forensic science. External providers provide access to able writers’ sessions. Such events help pupils deepen their understanding.  The headteacher leads the staff in constantly reviewing their practice so that teaching remains of high quality. For example, she encouraged the mathematics leader to introduce ‘Singapore maths’ when she noted a dip in progress: this is successfully underway. She rightly recognises that marking and feedback is the next area to develop and has already started to trial different methods.  Subject leaders play a full part as middle leaders in maintaining and improving standards. They use their excellent subject knowledge effectively to provide helpful support for their colleagues. As a result, there is a very high standard of teaching across the school.  The exciting curriculum underpins the school’s high achievements, because it inspires pupils to learn. For example, during the inspection there was a buzz of anticipation in each class as pupils eagerly anticipated

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The leadership and management are outstanding

the arrival of real moon rock to supplement their learning about space. There are many trips to support learning, such as a visit to the coast when learning about rivers, which help to bring learning to life. Pupils develop financial awareness through enterprise projects, which see them borrowing money from the school to create a product, and selling it. They keep the profit once interest is deducted on their loan! Such initiatives prepare pupils well for later life.  There is a culture of respect for others in the school. Pupils learn about different faiths and have the opportunity to find out at first hand what others believe, for example through their visit to a synagogue. Pupils report that everyone, whatever their beliefs, is treated the same in school. They learn about democracy through electing their school councillors. They understand that these pupils have a responsibility to represent their views, saying, ‘They keep their promise and try their best.’ Pupils are

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The leadership and management are outstanding

extremely well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is a strength of the school. Daily worship sessions provide valuable time for pupils to reflect on important issues such as working for peace, sensitively supported by the adults around them. Pupils learn the importance of belonging to a community as they strive to earn awards which contribute to a whole school treat. In addition, there are opportunities to appreciate the talents of others. For example, as the whole school crossed the road to the village hall for worship, they were accompanied by the sounds of the school brass band, already in the hall, very competently playing ‘Those magnificent men in their flying machines’!  Sports funding is used to benefit all pupils, providing equipment, training and swimming sessions. A very high proportion of pupils access the extensive range of sports on offer. Pupils report that, ‘everyone gets

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The leadership and management are outstanding

to go to a tournament’, reflecting the school’s commitment to equal opportunities.  Leaders ensure that funding for disadvantaged pupils (the pupil premium) is used effectively. As a result these pupils have equal access to all school activities and additional opportunities such as writers’ workshops and music lessons. Their progress is monitored carefully to make sure they do as well as they should.  Parents are very positive about the school and the vast majority would recommend it to others. Parents appreciate how teachers recognise and support each child’s needs, saying, ‘They go the extra mile.’  Safeguarding requirements are met extremely well. All staff have up to date training in child protection and understand the right procedures to follow in case of concern. The school site is safe and secure and there is careful supervision such as when pupils when they cross the road to the hall.  The local authority provides effective support, for example by leading staff meetings to promote debate

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The leadership and management are outstanding

about marking and feedback.  The governance of the school:  Governors contribute very well to the school’s success. They analyse pupil progress data thoroughly, including for pupils eligible for additional funding, to help them understand standards of achievement. They also robustly monitor the school’s progress towards targets in the school’s improvement plan. Although very supportive, they are not afraid to ask challenging questions to ensure the school is doing as well as it should. They have a clear understanding of the quality of teaching and how it impacts on children’s learning. They recognize the links between teachers’ performance and pay. Governors review their own practice carefully. For example, they appointed a new governor with business experience to complement the skills of other governors, in order to be as effective as possible.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding  In lessons and around the school pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They demonstrate a very high level of respect for adults and their peers.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are outstanding. They listen carefully and concentrate hard in lessons. They settle quickly to their work because they are very motivated by the high standard of teaching.  There are very few incidents recorded in the school’s concerns book. Where incidents do occur, records show they are dealt with swiftly and appropriately.  Attendance is in line with the national average and improving.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  Pupils look out for others and feel well supported by their peers. The buddy system at playtimes means pupils care for anyone who is unhappy. Pupils are confident that, ‘If you’re sad or lonely, someone will play with you.’  Pupils feel very safe in school and parents agree. They report that bullying is very rare. Pupils have a good awareness of the dangers of different types of bullying. Recent e-safety lessons taught pupils effectively how to avoid and combat cyber-bullying. One pupil explains that each class has a worry box in case pupils need to tell an adult about concerns, but that these ‘are hardly used, because there’s not many worries.’

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers have very good subject knowledge and this helps them to set work at the right level of challenge across the curriculum, including reading, writing and mathematics. For example, in a lesson teaching pupils to write in paragraphs, all pupils could access the task set because it was skilfully altered to meet different needs. As a result all pupils made good progress.  In each and every classroom there is a very positive climate for learning. Teachers encourage pupils to ‘have a go’ and other pupils support them. This helps pupils to learn well.  During lessons teachers expertly check pupils’ understanding and adjust their lesson if needed. In a lesson on fractions the teacher stopped the class to explain further when pupils were unsure, so that they could then confidently tackle their work.  Careful questioning makes pupils think hard. This was seen in a science lesson where pupils had to

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

consider how to plant some unknown seeds to ensure they would grow. By the end of the lesson they were able confidently to explain their decision, showing development of good reasoning skills.  Pupils’ books show they make excellent progress over time. There is evidence that pupils improve their work according to teachers’ feedback and pupils themselves say, ‘You always know what standard you are.’ However, currently there are different approaches to marking as teachers trial new methods. The headteacher recognises that this needs to be more consistent across the school in order to build on what is working best.  The specialist teachers for mathematics, science, French and music are a real asset to the school. Pupils are highly motivated by their infectious passion and depth of knowledge and accordingly reach high standards. These staff provide an extensive range of opportunities to broaden pupils’ experiences such as

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

trips to a French school to understand another culture and practise the language, and a visit to the O2 arena to sing as part of the Young Voices choir. As a result of the skilled teaching and commitment of all teachers pupils develop a real thirst for learning.

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is outstanding

 The work in pupils’ books and tracking information showing progress over time in reading, writing and mathematics shows that all pupils make at least good progress, and many exceed expected progress, from their different starting points in all these subjects. The school has very small cohorts so each pupil represents a high percentage. Published data shows fluctuations year on year compared to national averages because of this, and because many pupils enter the school mid way through a key stage.  Senior leaders have robust tracking systems to check how well each pupil is achieving, backed up by their excellent knowledge of each pupil. The achievements of all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs, are scrutinised to make sure they are doing as well as they should. If a pupil starts to fall behind, swift action is taken to intervene, using a range of approaches according to individual need. Once a programme is complete, leaders maintain close checks

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is outstanding

to ensure achievement is maintained. As a result pupils, including those in receipt of free school meals and with special educational needs, catch up well, making very good progress compared to other pupils nationally and their peers in school. Because there are very few pupils in receipt of free school meals, the gaps in their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics fluctuate year on year. Sometimes they are behind their peers in school and sometimes they are ahead. However, they always make good progress from their different starting points.  Letters and sounds (phonics) is taught very effectively, and typically, pupils do well with a high proportion meeting meet the expected standard in the phonics screening check. A dip in the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in the phonics screening check in 2014 was due to the specific cohort, although many were close to the required score. Leaders took prompt and effective action so

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is outstanding

that these pupils are quickly catching up.  The school nurtures the aptitudes of all pupils including the more able. Additional activities, such as the French club for gifted and talented pupils and mathematics masterclasses, help these pupils develop their talents. As a result they make very good progress across the curriculum including in reading, writing and mathematics.  Reading is a strength of the school. The talented reading manager ensures all staff have high quality training to teach reading, including through the Better Reading Programme which helps pupils develop fluency. Pupils approach their books with self-belief because the school encourages a ‘can-do’ attitude. They tackle unknown words confidently using their phonics skills to achieve success. Pupils enjoy reading. There are many opportunities to practise at school on a daily basis, supported by good links with home. The school takes advantage of special events such as World Book Day, when pupils skyped a

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is outstanding

school in Abu Dhabi to get an international perspective on books, to promote reading for pleasure.

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is outstanding

 Children settle quickly into school at the beginning of the year because leaders ensure effective transition from their different pre-schools. As a result they are ready for learning right from the start.  Leaders make sure that staff are well trained and the learning environment is highly stimulating. This means children access a wide range of opportunities which meet their needs exceptionally well.  The calm and supportive classroom atmosphere ensures that behaviour is excellent. Children listen patiently to others’ contributions, demonstrating superb attitudes to learning. Adults set high expectations for good manners. Class rules focus on being kind to others and adults use praise effectively to help children keep the rules so they are always ‘twinkling stars’.  Teaching is of a very high standard. This is because adults know children very well and tailor activities carefully to their interests. This motivates them to learn. Adults build carefully on children’s prior

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is outstanding

knowledge and understanding to help them make excellent progress. For example, discussions about meteors crashing into the moon increased children’s vocabulary and caught their interest. They chose to use this in their own play because adults provided sparkly dough and marbles to represent the moon and meteors. These experiences enabled them to produce independent writing of a very high standard about a trip to the moon, applying their knowledge of sounds successfully to spell basic words.  There are effective home-school links through regular communication in children’s learning journals. This lets parents know what their child has learned so they can build on this at home. For example, one child who learned to write the days of the week at school was inspired to take this further at home, writing the months of the year to show the teacher.  Children’s learning journey books show their excellent progress since the start of the year. By the end of

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is outstanding

Reception a higher proportion of children meet or exceed the early learning goals than the national average. Children are very well prepared for Year 1.  Children are well looked after, safe and secure because adults know them well. Older pupils say, ‘We are all friends’ and look out for the Reception children. Parents appreciate the nurturing environment which means their children love coming to school.  Two after school clubs are provided for Reception children to attend. These help develop children’s independence and social skills in preparation for moving to their next class.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 118660 Local authority Kent Inspection number 453238

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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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 112 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Claire Dwyer Headteacher Ann Campling Date of previous school inspection 8 July 2008 Telephone number 01227 721300 Fax number 01227 721300 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 and 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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