Churchill Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection of Churchill Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Rysted Lane, Westerham, Kent TN16 1EZ

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Inspection dates: 4–5 December 2019 and 9 January 2020

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement School 4–5 December 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and leaders of the school care about each and every child and value them as individuals. All staff have high expectations and aspirations for pupils. Their work to improve the school places pupils’ needs at the heart of everything they do.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are self-assured and confident. They are proud of their school and wear their new uniform and sports kit with pride. Pupils enjoy taking on the many responsibilities that the school offers them. The school’s values are promoted strongly. Pupils enjoy access to a vast range of extra-curricular clubs and are proud of their recent sporting successes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They say that bullying is not an issue, telling us: ‘We are not scared of being bullied. Everybody here is very kind and loving.’ They say that staff deal with any concerns well. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), work hard in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The headteacher and her team have transformed the atmosphere in the school. They have raised expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils play well together. Playground buddies help children to sort friendship issues out at playtime and lunchtime.

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better?

Leaders have revised much of the curriculum over the past two years. Most subjects are logically planned and taught well. Sequences of lessons are designed to help pupils to learn, remember and apply new knowledge. This helps pupils to build an impressive body of knowledge and understanding over time. For example, pupils in Years 2 and 3 automatically recalled that using commas to break up their ideas would improve their writing. This was used very effectively to enhance their explanation of ‘how to wash a woolly mammoth’. Some subjects have been reviewed more recently. These curriculum plans are continually being developed and leaders are still in the process of improving staff’s subject knowledge. Pupils have not yet learned all of the content of the revised curriculum and will need time to learn and understand this.

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better?

Pupils are taught phonics well and revisit their learning to make sure that they remember their sounds. Those who have fallen behind receive the help they need to catch up quickly. Reading books are well matched to pupils’ reading abilities. Pupils are excited by the reading leaflets which help to build up their own stock of texts to read at home. They gain the skills they need to become fluent readers. Pupils across the school like the regular opportunities to borrow books and to buy books through a savings scheme.

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better?

Recently, the proportions of pupils attaining the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics have increased. However, some older pupils do not have the necessary skills to confidently solve mathematical problems. Staff have carefully School 4–5 December 2019

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assessed what gaps pupils have in their understanding and then retaught this content, ensuring that pupils have all the knowledge they need to succeed in the future. This work has been highly successful. However, this small group of pupils need ongoing support to ensure that they reach their mathematical potential.

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Pupils with SEND are quickly and accurately identified by the school. Staff waste no time in getting these pupils the help they need, working with parents and carers and external agencies to create and deliver tailored support plans. These plans consider pupils’ academic needs, as well as how they can thrive socially and emotionally. This helps pupils with SEND to achieve highly in class and develop long-lasting and meaningful friendships.

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Pupils behave very well in class and focus intently on their teachers. Instructions are understood and followed. Classrooms are highly productive environments where pupils can learn without unnecessary distractions from others. This helps pupils to make the most of their lessons. Pupils celebrate various religious festivals and take part in weekly debates on topical subjects. These activities help provide for pupils’ cultural development.

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Staff in the mixed-age Reception and Year 1 classes ensure that children get off to a good start. Teachers give priority to developing children’s language and oracy skills. Children enjoy a range of exciting experiences, such as regular forest school visits. Children in the early years receive a lot of praise for their achievements and this is also readily shared with parents. This helps children to feel valued and to understand that it is important to try their best . Communication with home is well maintained and appreciated by parents.

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Staff are overwhelmingly pleased with the changes that have been made to the school and feel valued. Pupils are happy, and parents praise the work that leaders are doing.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

A team of well-trained designated safeguarding leads carry out their child protection duties diligently. They work closely with other professionals and seek support from outside agencies if needed. All staff are up to date with their training. They understand their duties to keep children safe, are watchful for signs of harm or neglect, and know how to report concerns. The school’s records of safeguarding concerns are thorough and held securely. All checks on adults working in the school have been carried out in line with statutory guidance. Leaders work hard to help pupils understand how to keep themselves safe. School 4–5 December 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is not yet fully planned and sequenced in some subjects. Leaders are systematically and carefully developing the foundation curriculum to meet their ambitions for pupils. Leaders need to make sure that staff are given the support and training necessary to develop their subject knowledge and implement these new plans effectively.  The mathematics curriculum is ambitious and skilfully taught by staff. However, a small group of older pupils have gaps in their ability to solve mathematical problems. Leaders have gone back to basics, teaching these pupils the foundations of number and calculation. These pupils are now well prepared to undertake more challenging mathematical work. Leaders need to continue to monitor and evaluate the work being done to support this group of older pupils to ensure that they stay on track.

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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 are the provider and you are 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. School 4–5 December 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111411 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Daniel Frith and Laura Pearson (co- chairs) Headteacher Kathy Jax

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School details

Date of previous inspection 31 October–1 November 2017

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Information about this school

 This is a voluntary controlled Church of England school.  The school had a section 48 inspection of denominational education in January 2017.  The headteacher took up her position in September 2018.  There are two co-chairs of the governing body who took up their joint positions in September 2019. A review of governance was carried out in November 2017.  The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Pupils are taught in a combination of mixed-age and single-age classes.

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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

 We first visited the school on 4 and 5 December 2019. Through no fault of the school, Ofsted deemed that further evidence was required to secure the inspection judgements. Two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors visited the school on 9 January 2020 to gather more evidence about the quality of education, particularly School 4–5 December 2019

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in mathematics and writing and for pupils with SEND.  We held a wide range of meetings during this inspection, including with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, senior and middle leaders, administrative staff and governors.  We talked to a representative of the local authority and to a representative of the diocese.  We took account of 74 responses to Ofsted’s Parent View survey, 58 free-text comments and one face-to-face meeting. We also took account of 20 responses to the staff survey and 68 responses to the pupil survey.  We checked the school’s record of recruitment checks for adults in the school. We met with the designated safeguarding leader to discuss safeguarding. We looked at some records of incidents reported by staff and the subsequent actions carried out.  We did deep dives in these subjects: reading, writing, mathematics, history and physical education. We met with leaders of these subjects, visited lessons, looked

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at teachers’ planning, heard pupils read, talked to teachers and pupils, and looked at work in pupils’ books.

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Inspection team

Claire Martin-O’Donoghue Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ofsted Inspector School 4–5 December 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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