Vigo Village School

Inspection of a good school: Vigo Village School Erskine Road, Vigo Village, Meopham, Gravesend, Kent DA13 0RL

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Outcome

Vigo Village School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a friendly, welcoming school. Leaders ensure that the school values are at the heart of all the school does. Pupils understand values such as respect, equality and empathy, promoted by leaders. They make sure that their actions reflect these qualities. As a result, the school is a happy and inclusive place to learn in. Pupils love coming to Vigo Village School. They make good friends here. Pupils and their families really appreciate how caring and kind staff are.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have very high expectations of what all pupils can achieve. Staff encourage pupils to always try their best, which they do. Pupils are confident, independent learners who appreciate how engaging teachers make their learning. For example, pupils thoroughly enjoy the interactive reading app the school uses. As a result, they practice reading as much as possible.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They feel safe and know that staff are there to listen if they have any concerns. Bullying is not an issue. It is extremely rare and, if it does happen, staff deal with it quickly.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teachers ensure that pupils enjoy engaging learning across a full range of subjects. On the whole, the curriculum is well planned and sequenced. This is particularly the case in English and mathematics. In other subjects, learning is well planned within each year group. However, the sequencing of pupils’ learning over time is not always as carefully planned as in English and mathematics. Where it is, teaching ensures that pupils’ learning builds well on their prior knowledge. For example, in geography, pupils learn how to use maps. In Year 6, they learn to use six-figure grid references successfully. This builds on their previous learning about four-figure grid references in Year 4. Leaders are currently ensuring that the sequencing of pupils’ learning is appropriate in all subjects.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders prioritise reading and pupils become confident readers. Leaders make sure that 5–6 November 2019

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all staff and volunteers have useful training. As a result, they are highly skilled in teaching pupils to read effectively. This includes successfully teaching phonics to younger pupils. Pupils in Reception class develop their early literacy skills well. They do this through a vast range of interesting activities.

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Teachers read daily to pupils throughout the school. They share their own knowledge and love of children’s literature. This successfully helps pupils to develop a love of reading. This is visible in the excited way pupils talk about their books. Staff ensure that pupils’ books are well matched to their reading level. Pupils’ accuracy and fluency in reading improve well through regular practice.

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Teachers have an in-depth understanding of what pupils learn each lesson. They quickly identify any pupils who might fall behind by reviewing previous learning at the start of lessons. If pupils have gaps in their knowledge, they receive extra input before moving on. This works well, and pupils really remember what they have been taught. They achieve well and leave Vigo Village School ready for secondary school.

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Pupils benefit from a wealth of interesting ways to learn about the world. They enjoy learning about different countries at the same time as embracing time spent outdoors. Facts learned about India and Holland, for example, are reinforced through practical activities such as creating Rangoli patterns and planting tulips.

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Pupils successfully develop their independence and confidence. Teachers provide them with useful resources which enable this. For example, older pupils use helpful revision books independently in the ‘enquiry area’ of their classroom.

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Leaders ensure that pupils develop into caring, thoughtful young people. For example, being a Year 6 helper allows pupils to understand and support others. Pupils from Year 6 and Reception eat and play together. Both groups benefit from, and thoroughly enjoy, this.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well at Vigo Village School. Teachers provide pupils with work that is accurately matched to their ability level. Teaching assistants support pupils skilfully if needed. Any extra support pupils receive is tailored to meet their individual needs. Staff also closely monitor support to ensure that it is effective.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that systems for recording concerns are clear and understood well by all adults. Staff fully understand how to keep pupils safe as a result of regular, useful training.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in assemblies as well as through personal, social and health education. They understand the importance of staying safe online and learn about this effectively during computing lessons. Pupils feel safe in school. They know that 5–6 November 2019

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if something is worrying them, they can speak to someone or write it down and put it in the ‘worry box’.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The strengths seen in the planning of core subjects, which lead to pupils cumulatively building knowledge over time, are not fully matched in all foundation subjects. While subject leaders have begun to address this, the content of some subjects is not yet fully sequenced. Leaders need to ensure that the content of all subjects is well planned and carefully sequenced, so that learning builds consistently well on pupils’ prior knowledge over time. It is clear from subject leaders’ work to develop planning, and upskill staff in foundation curriculum delivery, that this is well underway.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged Vigo Village School to be good on 27–28 January 2011.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 5–6 November 2019

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 5–6 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111305 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 February 2016

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Information about this school

 The previous full inspection took place in January 2011. We carried out an interim assessment in April 2014, which indicated that the school’s performance had been sustained. The first section 8 inspection was in February 2016.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the headteacher, the assistant headteacher and senior leaders responsible for English and mathematics. I also met with teachers, the special educational needs coordinator and teaching assistants. I met with governors and a representative from the local authority.  We did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. In each subject, this included discussions with teachers and leaders, lesson visits alongside subject leaders, talking to pupils about what they had learned and looking at their work.  To inspect safeguarding, I spoke to pupils, staff and governors. I looked at a range of records and documentation, including the school’s single central record which contains details of recruitment checks. 5–6 November 2019

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 I spoke to a range of staff about pupils’ behaviour and observed pupils in the lunch hall and playground.  I spoke to pupils about their views of their school. I considered the views expressed in 24 responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted’s Parent View, including free-text responses. I also considered the views of 14 staff who completed the Ofsted survey.

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Inspection team

Maxine McDonald-Taylor, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 5–6 November 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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