Tiger Primary School

Inspection of Tiger Primary School Boughton Lane, Maidstone, Kent ME15 9QL

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good 5–6 November 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy, safe and improving school. Pupils say that their teachers know them well and are very caring. Each morning, pupils have a friendly greeting from staff and the school dog. Pupils say that the nurture group provides a caring atmosphere for them to discuss any worries. Those who attend the breakfast and after-school club enjoy being with their friends in a safe and secure environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils are self-assured and confident. They enjoy taking on the responsibilities that the school offers them. For example, peer mediators in Year 6 run a busy session each lunchtime to resolve minor pupil disputes. Pupils say that bullying is rarely an issue and that staff deal with any concerns well. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), work hard in lessons. However, sometimes, pupils find that the behaviour of others is distracting.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are many new staff in the school, including senior and subject leaders. A coherent and well-sequenced curriculum has just been put in place. But the impact of the curriculum is not fully evident. Expectations of pupils’ academic achievement are not always high enough.

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better?

Leaders are aware that the quality of education requires improvement. They know what needs to be done and are starting to make the necessary changes. Many staff, including senior leaders, are new. Although pupils now receive a well-sequenced curriculum, improvements are very recent. The impact of the curriculum on improving pupils’ skills and understanding is still in its infancy.

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better?

Teachers are hazy about how the knowledge and skills pupils gain in one year are built upon for the next. Staff do not always expect the best work from pupils. Pupils are often not achieving as well as they could. Results in national tests last year in key stage 2 were significantly below average in mathematics and grammar, punctuation and spelling.

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better?

The provision for pupils with SEND is variable. In mathematics, most make gains in their understanding because learning is well planned. But in writing, pupils often struggle to develop their skills. The curriculum for pupils who attend for specific interventions in the ‘Golden Bugs’ provision is not ambitious or well organised. These pupils are not achieving as well as they could.

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better?

Phonics skills are well developed. Children in the early years are making a good start in their understanding of letters and sounds. Pupils continue to make good strides in developing their skills in key stage 1. Those who have fallen behind receive the help they need to catch up quickly. Reading books provided are well matched to pupils’ reading abilities. This helps pupils to gain the skills they need to become fluent readers. 5–6 November 2019

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Attendance is improving, but it is still a little below average. This is particularly the case for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils. The majority of pupils behave well. In lessons, they are polite and listen to the teacher. Pupils say that bullying is rarely an issue. But there are a few pupils in the school whose behaviour is not always acceptable. This disrupts both their learning and the learning of others. This is because staff do not always consistently apply the behaviour policy. Some parents and carers have expressed their concerns about pupils’ behaviour when responding to the free-text Parent View questionnaire.

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Those responsible for governance are aware that there are areas to improve. They have commissioned various external reviews, such as on the early years and provision for pupils with SEND. But they do not challenge the headteacher enough about the quality of education provided by the school.

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The school’s values of teamwork and respect help to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral and social understanding. Regular music and drama experiences provide for pupils’ cultural development. Leaders have developed a curriculum that prepares pupils well for a life in modern Britain.

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New leadership of the early years is helping to ensure that children get off to a good start. Children settle well and build trusting relationships with adults. Children enjoy a range of exciting experiences, such as in the mud kitchen. Staff are knowledgeable about the different areas of learning. For example, in the teaching of early mathematics, staff give children enough time to develop their understanding of numbers. Plans about what children need to learn next are now well sequenced. But these improvements are recent. The impact of the curriculum on children’s knowledge and understanding is still developing.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The school’s team, including those staff members associated with welfare and nurture, works well to support pupils. Staff are knowledgeable about the community they serve. Referrals are made quickly to the designated safeguarding leads for any pupils causing concern. Staff work well with the local authority and other agencies to ensure that pupils get the support they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to stay safe. They have a clear understanding about the dangers that they may face online. For example, they know about the importance of not giving out personal information.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Across the school, including in the early years, leaders have worked hard to put in place a well-sequenced curriculum. But this is in its early stages. Many staff, 5–6 November 2019

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including subject leaders, are new and are still developing their roles. For example, some subject leaders have not set out how they intend to improve pupils’ learning. Leaders need to continue to develop the curriculum so that it has a greater impact on pupils’ knowledge and skills.  Teachers are unsure how the knowledge and skills that pupils gain build up over time. Teachers need to gain a broader understanding of how the curriculum develops from year to year in order to plan learning that builds and extends on what pupils already know and can do.  Most pupils with SEND make clear strides in developing their mathematical skills. This is not so evident in writing, where it is often hard to see how pupils are making gains in their skills. Pupils who attend for specific interventions in the ‘Golden Bugs’ provision do not have work that is well sequenced. Leaders must make sure that all pupils with SEND achieve their full potential.

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 Those responsible for governance are fully supportive of the caring ethos of the school, but they do not hold leaders well enough to account for how well pupils are achieving. They need to challenge leaders more often about the quality of education.  The attendance of pupils is a little below average. For some pupils, including those with SEND and pupils eligible for the pupil premium, it is too low. Leaders need to improve the attendance of these groups of pupils.  Although many parents would recommend the school, some would not. Leaders should engage better with parents who express negative views to resolve concerns or provide clear explanations.  Most pupils behave well. The behaviour of a minority of pupils sometimes disrupts the learning of others. It can also affect the day-to-day running of the school. Staff need to apply the behaviour policy consistently. Leaders need to ensure that school life provides enough opportunities for pupils to develop positive attitudes.

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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 5–6 November 2019

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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 10111216 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13–14 January 2016

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection in January 2016, the number of pupils on roll has increased in size from 270 pupils to 423. This is because it was a new school.  Since the previous inspection, the school has had a new headteacher. Many senior leaders and subject leaders started the school in September 2019.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders, curriculum leaders, teachers and other staff. Meetings were held with the local governing body and trustees, including the chair of trustees.  Documents relating to safeguarding were scrutinised, including the checks about staff’s suitability to work with children prior to employment. In addition, we met with members of staff who were responsible for ensuring pupils’ well-being and safety.  We did deep dives in reading, history, science, mathematics and PE. For each of these subjects, inspectors discussed the quality of education with senior leaders and subject leaders, visited lessons, talked with pupils about their learning and 5–6 November 2019

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looked at their work.  There were 56 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, including 36 written comments. Inspectors also met informally with parents at the beginning of the school day.  The views of the 23 staff who responded to the Ofsted staff survey were also considered. There were no responses to the pupil survey.  Inspectors spoke to pupils on the playground and while they were in the lunch hall. They met with several groups of pupils more formally to gather their views about their learning.

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Inspection team

Liz Bowes, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Alan Jenner Ofsted 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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