Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.1

Mr Iain Witts Executive Headteacher Kingsnorth Church of England Primary School Kingsnorth Ashford Kent TN23 3EF

p.1

Ofsted visit to Kingsnorth Church of England Primary School

Following my visit with Alice Roberts, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 13 October 2020, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the visit’s findings. Thank you for the time you made available to discuss your actions since September 2020, when the government expected all schools to open fully to all pupils.

p.1

Ofsted visit to Kingsnorth Church of England Primary School

This visit was conducted under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 (as amended) and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for visiting schools while routine inspections are temporarily suspended.

p.1

Ofsted visit to Kingsnorth Church of England Primary School

Ofsted’s visits to schools during the autumn term are not inspections. We are not giving graded judgements. We did not undertake the usual range of inspection activities and were unable to check other sources of evidence, such as visits to lessons or looking at pupils’ work. The content of this letter gives an overview of our discussions about what has happened in your school this term.

p.1

Ofsted visit to Kingsnorth Church of England Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, your head of school and other members of your senior leadership team. We did not speak to pupils because of the protective measures in place.

p.1

Context

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s education system is managing the return to full education for pupils following an extended break in formal schooling due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

p.2

Context

In undertaking this focused work, HMI are visiting a broad range of schools. HMI will visit a sample of:  approximately 1,200 schools across all Ofsted grades (outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate)  maintained schools, academies and free schools, special schools and centres of alternative provision, including those in cities, and coastal, town or rural communities.

p.2

Context

The information from this visit will feed into Ofsted’s national reporting so that the insights can be shared with the government and the education sector. We did not find any significant concerns during the visit. In such a case, an inspection report would be published on our website and available to parents and carers.

p.2

Context

We did not consider your response to COVID-19 during the spring and summer terms 2020, when the school was not open to all pupils.

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 Your school opened to all pupils on 2 September 2020. Children in Reception had a phased start and were attending full time by 14 September 2020.  Pupils’ current attendance is above normal for this time of year. Fewer pupils have been absent due to family holidays than in the past.  Since returning to school, teachers have focused on teaching reading, writing and mathematics. Across the wider curriculum, you have initially prioritised pupils’ well-being and physical education. As a church school, religious education is a key element of the curriculum. You expect a return to your full, normal curriculum at the start of the spring term.  Staff have assessed younger pupils’ new starting points in phonics. Older pupils have completed reading assessments. Teachers are focusing on the aspects of reading that pupils have not remembered well or have missed. Some pupils are receiving additional small-group or individual support to help

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

them catch up.  In mathematics, staff have assessed all pupils to check what they know and have remembered. Teachers are spending more time teaching those areas of mathematics where pupils have the greatest gaps in their knowledge and understanding. For example, in Year 6, pupils are spending additional time on division and calculating percentages.  Across the wider curriculum, subjects are taught in ‘blocks’, meaning that a subject will be taught on three or four days in a week. During these lessons, teachers are identifying gaps in learning. Curriculum plans for the spring term will be amended to address identified gaps.  Should remote learning be needed again, you will continue to use an online platform and a range of other approaches. This includes providing paper- based learning to those families who cannot access online and digital resources.

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

Thank you again for contributing to this important national work. The views and experiences you have shared will help to inform future policy.

p.3

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

I am copying this letter to the chair of the joint local governing body, the chair of the board of trustees and the chief executive officer of Aquila, the Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust, the director of education for the diocese of Canterbury, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Kent. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

p.3