Bapchild and Tonge Church of England Primary School and Nursery

Bapchild and Tonge Church of England Primary School School Lane, Sittingbourne, ME9 9NL

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher form a strongly motivated team. They have been successful in improving the school since its last inspection.  Important and effective action has been taken to raise the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress, both of which are now good.  Mathematics and English leaders give significant support to staff to ensure all aspects of these subjects are being taught well.  All pupils make good progress from their starting points because swift and effective support is given when it is needed.  Pupils’ progress and achievement in mathematics and reading are high. All pupils leave this school able to read fluently, with expression and understanding.  The team of staff in the early years gives children a good start to their schooling because the staff know the children very well. Provision is good.  Teachers ensure pupils know what they are learning. Teachers and support staff enable pupils to achieve

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

well.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are well supported to achieve, and make good progress.  Disadvantaged pupils make similar progress to other pupils nationally and are catching up with other pupils in the school.  Pupils behave exceptionally well and feel safe. They work well in lessons and play well together at playtimes. They show respect for others at all times.  The family liaison officer provides additional support to pupils and families who are vulnerable, and this has helped to improve attendance.  The governing body has become very skilled at and committed to challenging the school, so that pupils make at least good progress. They are ambitious for the pupils and provide good support and challenge.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Achievement in writing is not as strong as in reading or mathematics.  Opportunities to develop the key skills pupils learn in English and mathematics are not always used in other subjects in the curriculum. Similarly, work in those subjects does not reflect the same high expectations as English and mathematics.  Planning in the early years is not strongly enough based on assessments and observations. It, therefore, does not always include challenging next steps for pupils to move forwards in their learning.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 13 lessons, all of which were joint observations with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.  Inspectors listened to pupils read from Years 2 and 6, and carried out a learning walk during Key Stage 1 phonics.  Inspectors held discussions with pupils. They also looked at a range of their work and examined the school’s information on pupils’ attainment and progress.  Meetings were held with representatives of the governing body, senior leaders, middle leaders, the family liaison officer and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors considered the 32 responses to the online Parent View and a letter from a parent. They also spoke to parents on the playground before the start of the school day.  The 27 questionnaires returned by staff were considered by inspectors.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including records of monitoring activities by leaders, plans for improvement, safeguarding arrangements and records relating

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Inspection team

Janet Sharp, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Bapchild and Tonge Church of England Primary School is smaller than most primary schools. The school has one class per year group.  The proportion of pupils supported through pupil premium funding is below average. This is additional government funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority. There are less than five pupils in most year groups.  The majority of pupils are of White British heritage and the proportion speaking English as an additional language is well below the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs on the school roll is about 6%. This is below that found nationally. There are less than five pupils with special educational needs in each year group.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this school

 In July 2013 the school received a monitoring visit by Ofsted because it was judged to be requiring improvement when it was inspected in May 2013.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement from good to outstanding by:  enabling pupils to make as much progress in writing as they do in reading and mathematics  making sure that pupils’ skills and high expectations demonstrated in English and mathematics are reflected in other subjects.  Ensure planning in early years includes next steps for children with challenging enough activities through  regular and precise assessments of children’s achievements  high quality and rigorous observations  checking frequently on the quality of provision and children’s outcomes at senior level.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is well led by the senior team. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have secured the confidence of the staff, ensuring morale is high. This contributes to pupils’ progress, which is improving as pupils move through the school. Governors and other leaders support them very effectively.  Leaders have collectively taken determined and successful action to address the concerns the school faced previously. They have eliminated weak teaching and pupils’ achievement has improved. There is no complacency and staff share the determination and motivation of senior leaders. This demonstrates the capacity for further improvement.  The role of subject leaders has developed significantly since the last inspection and leaders are improving their subjects effectively. Senior leaders are is now developing the skills of other teachers in readiness for taking on the role at a later date. Senior leaders now make regular rigorous checks on all aspects of their

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The leadership and management are good

subjects, including teaching, planning and work in pupils’ books. These checks make a significant contribution to the improvement of the school. There is a challenging timetable for these, with the mathematics and English leader carrying out substantial monitoring each term. The results of the monitoring leads to a programme of improvement to address any concerns identified.  Pupils’ progress is analysed by class teachers and then discussed at termly progress meetings with senior leaders, middle leaders and a governor. During these meetings, if any pupils have made poor progress, it is identified and the necessary support is put in place for individuals and groups of pupils. These meetings have ensured that accelerated progress is being made.  Rigorous checks are made to determine the school’s strengths and areas for development. Checks are made on the quality of teaching. Where any weaknesses are identified, support and coaching are given,

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The leadership and management are good

with improvement expected.  The management of teachers’ performance is very closely linked to pupils’ progress and actions related to any additional responsibilities. Teachers only get pay rises when merited by sustained good performance. The school provides good professional development linked to its improvement priorities, as well as specific development to meet the needs of individual teachers.  The pupil premium funding is used effectively to support disadvantaged pupils. It is successfully closing the gap and, in some subjects and classes, it has eradicated the gaps that existed between disadvantaged pupils and others.  The needs of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are well supported by the school’s leaders and, consequently, they make good progress.  The leaders have effectively used the additional sport funding to ensure that staff are able to teach and coach physical education well. In addition, some extra-curricular activities have developed the skills of

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The leadership and management are good

pupils further. The funding has also been used to add some playground markings to increase health and fitness opportunities at playtimes.  Equality of opportunity is embedded within the policies and practice of the school. The needs of pupils of different backgrounds, including disadvantaged pupils, are known well to all staff. The family liaison officer provides a very important interface, particularly for parents who are anxious about approaching the school.  The school has a broad and balanced curriculum which covers the current National Curriculum; opportunities are provided for social, moral, spiritual and cultural development through this curriculum. The curriculum promotes a secure knowledge of various faiths and traditions within Britain. Many opportunities are used through acts of worship, visits and visitors to promote British values. Acts of worship take a termly theme, enabling the school to provide deep and memorable experiences for the

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The leadership and management are good

pupils who recall the themes and some of the associated acts of worship.  Safeguarding arrangements meet current requirements and are effectively implemented by all staff to keep pupils safe.  The local authority has provided good challenge and support to the school in its quest for improvement. This has helped in a number of ways, supporting the development of the use of pupils’ information, and coaching and developing subject leaders to carry out checking activities.  Parents are generally supportive of all aspects of the school. A relatively small sample completed the online questionnaire showing a weaker picture than the school’s own survey which painted a very positive picture.  The governance of the school:  Governance has improved significantly since the last inspection under the leadership of a new Chair. The governors have become very skilled in and committed to fulfilling their support and challenge for

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The leadership and management are good

the school. They have a clear picture of what the school does well and how it needs to improve. They are ambitious for the pupils at the school and committed to them having the best opportunity possible.  Governors are involved in pupils’ progress meetings and, therefore, have an accurate view of how the school is performing in relation to other schools nationally, and an understanding of the progress of different groups in the school.  They have a detailed understanding of the performance management procedures and have been involved in dealing with underperformance as well as rewarding good teaching.  The governors provide robust challenge for senior leaders and hold them to account for the school’s performance.  Governors ensure that finances are well managed and they have a clear understanding of how the pupil premium funding is spent to help to improve achievement.  The governing body ensures that the school’s arrangements for safeguarding meet all government

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The leadership and management are good

requirements and has taken swift action to address an issue raised during the inspection.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils are committed to learning and demonstrate a strong ability to remain focused.  Children work and play well together. They show respect for one another, the staff and visitors at all times. They are courteous, well-mannered and considerate to everyone.  The school has a positive behaviour policy and incidences of poor behaviour are very low. These are dealt with by the headteacher and there are no patterns of unacceptable behaviour.  Behaviour on the playground is excellent with pupils being well occupied. Play leaders support pupils who are lonely or want to join in organised games.  There have been no exclusions since the last inspection.  All the parents spoken to commented that they are happy with the behaviour in the school.  Attendance is now average, having improved over the last three years. The school’s leaders do not allow holidays in term time as this affects the continuity of pupils’ learning. The relatively new family liaison

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Behaviour

officer provides good support for families who face difficulty with attendance. This is making a positive difference for a few vulnerable pupils.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they feel safe and parents spoken to generally commented the same.  Pupils say they are not aware of any bullying. They are confident, however, that if any concern should arise, teachers and leaders would listen to them and deal with it immediately.  Pupils are aware that bullying can take different forms, including name calling and cyber bullying.  They know how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations in and out of school. The school promotes safety on the internet well through assemblies, focus days and displays around school.  The school has clear risk assessments for around school and for off-site visits. The school is erecting a fence to ensure pupils’ safety when pupils are on the playground.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is good and is leading to improved attainment and more rapid progress than previously.  Pupils gain much from the knowledgeable, dedicated and caring staff team that combines experienced and relatively new practitioners. Staff are committed to meeting all pupils’ needs to ensure that standards rise.  Teachers have high expectations of the pupils in reading, writing and mathematics. They plan lessons to challenge them, making tasks interesting and well–pitched, so that all pupils make at least good progress.  In foundation subjects, teachers’ expectations of pupils’ work are not always high enough and pupils’ work is not always their best. There are too few opportunities for pupils to use their reading, writing and mathematics across all subjects.  In writing, teachers plan series of lessons to develop structured pieces of writing. This was seen in several classes where one part of a larger piece of work was being improved and modelled by the teachers.

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The quality of teaching is good

Children were encouraged to make suggestions and then challenged to expand their responses.  Pupils are given many opportunities to read and, as they progress through the school, they are given more challenging texts. Most writing lessons begin with rich texts. Older pupils benefit from, and enjoy, answering questions on the book they have just read and this develops their comprehension skills well.  Mathematics teaching is carefully prepared to enable all pupils to be challenged. Work is generally separated for different groups, with pupils being supported by the teacher and the teaching assistant to develop deep understanding.  The classroom environment helps pupils to learn well together. Displays celebrate pupils’ work, offer guidance and information, and show current learning taking place. Pupils use resources provided, independently and with confidence.  Pupils receive excellent marking and feedback from their work in mathematics and writing, and teachers

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The quality of teaching is good

often use this to enter a dialogue with the older pupils. Throughout the school, pupils respond to marking well and this helps to secure their learning and progress. They understand the quality of their work and how to improve it. Homework supports this well and is valued by the pupils and their parents.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ progress is accelerating because of the very strong focus by senior leaders, middle leaders and governors on improved teaching to increase pupils’ learning. Consequently, achievement is rising.  Children enter the Reception class with skills that are below those typical for their age. They make good progress which continues through the school.  Published data from 2014 shows that pupils in Key Stage 1 made good progress in reading and mathematics, while writing was weaker for the most able pupils. However, current progress information shows that the most able pupils are now being supported well in their writing and are making better progress.  Progress of pupils in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Key Stage 2 is better than most pupils nationally, particularly in reading and mathematics.  Standards at Year 6 continue to improve. All pupils in 2014 achieved the expected standard in reading and

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The achievement of pupils is good

mathematics. While standards in writing were lower than in reading and mathematics, most pupils achieved the expected standard. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 5 in reading, writing and mathematics was in line with this group nationally. A higher percentage of pupils achieved the highest available level in mathematics than did so nationally.  The group of disadvantaged pupils in the school, and in each year group, is very small. As individuals, they are making expected progress as they move through the school.  The group of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is also very small in each year group. Together, their rate of progress is a little slower than other pupils in the school, but has improved more recently. All pupils are making progress and support is well targeted to accelerate this.  A consistently structured approach to the teaching of letters and the sounds they link with is leading to

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The achievement of pupils is good

more pupils making early and sustained progress in decoding words. In 2014, results in the national screening check for Year 1 pupils were broadly in line with the national results, and current Year 1 pupils are achieving better than this.  Challenging targets are set for pupils. Pupils’ progress is monitored very regularly and actions are identified to support individual pupils and groups of pupils to make better progress. This is then evaluated and further support put in place if needed.  Planning is clearly built on pupils’ prior learning, and good progress was seen in writing and mathematics books. This progress is not always transferred to other subjects, because pupils are not routinely expected to embed the skills they have learnt.  Pupils’ work in their writing and mathematics books shows the pride pupils take in these. They are neat and well presented. This is not always evident in work in other subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils read well, with fluency and expression. Their understanding is developed and they are able to discuss the features of the text they are reading.

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The early years provision is good

 Children start in Reception with skills and knowledge below that which are typical for their age. Activities are provided to enable them to progress.  In 2014 the proportion who reached a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year was below average. The current progress of the children now in the Reception class is stronger and almost all pupils are achieving as they should be for their age.  The adults understand the children’s needs well and encourage children to be inquisitive. The children enjoy very nurturing and caring relationships with the adults and are confident to seek help, ask questions and take calculated risks in their learning and play. They learn to follow class routines and to make good choices. They demonstrate understanding of the impact and consequences of their actions.  The children work and play well together and enjoy supporting one another. They were keen to help one

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The early years provision is good

another in a game in which they had to find words on a grid.  Adults support children enthusiastically in their learning and use a wide range of resources. Teachers and teaching assistants work well together as a team and provide engaging activities which support the children to make progress.  Checks on children’s learning are not always as detailed as they could be and so planning does not always identify next steps for pupils. This means that challenging activities are not always planned for pupils. Observations of learning across the curriculum are not currently in place and so there is no record of the progress pupils are making in many areas.  The early years is well led and managed by an experienced early years teacher. She knows the children and the curriculum well. She quickly identified low achievement in mathematics and has addressed this, showing good progress through checks she has made. However, the absence of detailed records and

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The early years provision is good

assessments in other areas means it is difficult for the rest of the early years team and school leaders to be sure the children are making the best progress across the curriculum.  Children are prepared well for their move into Year 1. Teaching becomes more formal for longer sessions towards the end of the year and this helps the move to be seamless.

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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 118730 Local authority Kent Inspection number 462421

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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 aided Age range of pupils 4−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 197 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Suzanne Davies Headteacher Teresa Homan Date of previous school inspection 2−3 May 2013 Telephone number 01795424143 Fax number 01795424143 Email address office@bapchild.kent.sch.uk Inspection report: Bapchild and Tonge Church of England Primary School, 30 April–1 May 2015 10 of 10

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School details

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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