Stowting Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Stowting Church of England Primary School Stowting, Stowting Hill, Ashford, Kent TN25 6BE

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding 12–13 November 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents, staff and pupils often describe Stowting Primary School as like a ‘big family’. Pupils enjoy coming to school. This is because staff look after them well. There is a friendly atmosphere where everyone works together to make sure the school is a pleasant place to be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils live up to the high expectations of staff. This is because pupils want to do well and work hard. Teachers set pupils very demanding work that requires pupils to think hard.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are a very wide range of activities for pupils to get involved in. Many pupils attend after-school clubs to practise, amongst other things, cooking and cross- county running or to play football. Pupils are eager to have a say in the way the school is run. For instance, pupils successfully campaigned to have sensors fitted on all lights in school to save electricity.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave extremely well in lessons and around school. They have excellent attitudes to learning. When pupils feel worried about things they know who to go to for help. Pupils feel safe in school. Parents, staff and pupils all agree that there is no bullying in school.

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better?

Since starting in September 2018, the headteacher has swiftly improved the school. Consequently, pupils’ achievement has improved across all year groups and teachers now teach a broad range of subjects. Staff have thought about how to arrange topics within subjects so that they fit together well. In subjects such as English, mathematics and science pupils produce high-quality work and achieve very well. In other subjects, such as French and history, leaders have not planned as precisely. As a result, in these subjects pupils do not build their learning over time as well as they could.

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better?

Pupils develop their reading well across all year groups. As soon as they start early years, children begin to learn phonics. This means that children are well prepared to start key stage 1 because they are beginning to write short sentences and read short words. Pupils who are behind in their reading receive extra help. This helps them to catch up. Reading books are closely matched to pupils’ reading ability. Pupils in all year groups develop a love of reading.

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better?

Teachers plan interesting activities and carefully assess where pupils are in their learning so that they know who needs extra help. Consequently, pupils are eager to learn. For example, in science Year 3 and 4 pupils learned about the properties of liquids by comparing different substances. They enjoyed explaining their findings using scientific vocabulary and an experimental method. Across subjects, teachers explain difficult ideas very well so that pupils understand them. In the past, staff 12–13 November 2019

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training has been neglected. However, the headteacher has ensured that staff training is improving so that staff have access to a wider range of training opportunities.

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Pupils are looked after very well. Staff ensure that pupils understand what healthy eating means. Pupils also understand British values, such as democracy. For example, Year 6 pupils told inspectors about the democratic process involved in voting for members of the school council. Pupils in key stage 2 learn how to manage money and plan a home budget. Social aspects of their education are less well developed. Leaders have plans in place to improve these aspects of personal, social, health and economic education.

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In early years, children get off to a good start. Phonics teaching has improved over the past year so that it is an integral part of every school day. Children take part in school life enthusiastically. They learn how to behave when working with others and when sitting together to listen to the teacher. The outside area is in need of some refurbishment so that children are stimulated by the available outside activities.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well because staff understand their needs. Teachers develop and change their teaching to make sure that all pupils understand what to do. Staff are highly skilled in supporting pupils with more complex SEND needs.

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Parents fully support the changes the headteacher has made over the past year. They appreciate the in-depth information they receive about their children’s progress. All parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, agreed that the school is well led and managed. One parent commented that she ‘couldn’t have asked for better support’ for her child.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have embedded a strong safeguarding culture. They ensure that they carry out appropriate checks on the suitability of staff to work in the school. Governors monitor these checks using their safeguarding knowledge and training. Staff have up-to-date training so that they understand how to keep pupils safe.

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Safeguarding

Teachers ensure that pupils are fully informed, from a young age, about how to keep themselves safe online. Consequently, pupils understand the guidance they have been given. For example, pupils told inspectors that they must not share personal details or passwords online. 12–13 November 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is planned and sequenced well in almost all subjects. However, in some subjects, such as French and history, the intent of the curriculum is not embedded as securely as it is in other subjects, such as mathematics. This means that pupils do not know and remember as much as they could. Leaders should ensure that knowledge is sequenced well across all subjects so that pupils remember more over time.  Staff training has improved over the past year and some teachers and subject leaders have benefited from this. Leaders should ensure that all teachers and subject leaders receive high-quality training in order to improve their pedagogical content knowledge so that they understand how to maximise pupils’ understanding and knowledge across all subjects.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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. 12–13 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111428 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chairs of governing body Helen Tait and Simon Hagger

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10–11 July 2007

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, there have been significant changes to leadership, staffing and governance. The current headteacher started in September 2018.  The school is a member of the Diocese of Canterbury and has a Christian character.  This is a voluntary controlled Church of England school. The previous section 48 inspection of the school’s distinctiveness and effectiveness as a Church of England school took place on 3 October 2017. The next section 48 inspection is expected in 2022.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior and subject leaders, and three governors (including the two co-chairs of the governing body). An inspector spoke to a representative from the local authority on the telephone.  On the first day of the inspection, inspectors focused their activities on reading, 12–13 November 2019

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science, mathematics and French. In each subject, inspectors met with subject leaders, talked to pupils, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and looked at pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered the views of staff from meetings with groups of staff.  Inspectors reviewed safeguarding records, including the central record of recruitment checks on staff.  Inspectors considered the views of 43 parents who responded to the confidential Ofsted parental questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Harry Ingham, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Graham Chisnell Ofsted Inspector 12–13 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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