Twydall Primary School and Nursery

Inspection of Twydall Primary School and Nursery Twydall Lane, Gillingham, Kent ME8 6JS

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Inadequate 25 to 26 May 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are benefiting from leaders’ ambitions to improve all aspects of the school. The specific needs of every ‘Twydall pupil’ are considered when decisions are made. Parents are pleased about how the changes are having a positive impact on their children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being at school. They say it is ‘like home’ and they feel well cared for. Leaders should capitalise on this further in their work to make sure that all pupils are in school regularly. Adults listen to pupils carefully. For example, pupils’ views have influenced changes to the school uniform.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The four ‘c’s of care, courtesy, commitment and consideration weave through all aspects of school life, promoting a positive atmosphere and culture. The school is a calm place where everyone understands the rules. These expectations help pupils concentrate on their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feels safe in school. If they are worried about anything, such as rare instances of bullying, they know who to speak to and trust adults to help them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils do not always remember their learning in subjects other than English and mathematics. This is because planning in some subjects does not yet meet leaders’ passion for pupils receiving a broad and interesting curriculum.

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better?

Leaders have made commendable improvements to many aspects of the school. They are determined to give pupils ‘a pathway to the future’. Leaders have strengthened the management and planning of subjects across the curriculum. However, further work is required to ensure that all subjects are planned for as well as English and mathematics so that teachers are clear what content pupils should learn and the order in which it should be taught.

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better?

Leaders make reading a top priority. Staff are well trained and teach phonics well. Regular assessments mean that teachers identify if pupils need to move on more quickly. These assessments also identify if pupils are falling behind. Should this be the case, support is swiftly put in place. The books that pupils read are well matched to sounds they learn. Pupils enjoy reading and appreciate the range of books in the school’s two libraries. In some classes, teachers choose texts which introduce pupils to interesting themes, such as apartheid or local history.

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better?

Improvements to the teaching of mathematics have been successful. Leaders have carefully considered the content pupils may have missed due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) and have adjusted the plans accordingly. Leaders, including the trust, have undertaken successful work to develop staff’s subject expertise in 25 to 26 May 2021

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mathematics. This means that teachers deliver the intended mathematics curriculum confidently.

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Leaders are determined that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have the same opportunities as their peers. One parent, reflecting the views of others, confirmed that the school’s inclusive approach is ‘life affirming’ for their children. Pupils’ needs are identified quickly, and well-trained staff offer effective pastoral and academic support. The intended improvements to the planning of some subjects will further support these pupils.

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Children get off to a strong start in the early years. Staff plan activities which capture children’s interests and develop their curiosity. For example, children observe roots growing from seeds and study tadpoles as they turn into frogs. Classrooms, indoors and out, provide children with a safe and stimulating environment in which to learn and play.

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Overall, pupils behave well. The school’s behaviour policy is applied consistently. Leaders have put in place bespoke behaviour plans for pupils who need help to regulate their behaviour. Leaders have been successful in reducing the number of pupils who are persistently absent. Nonetheless, leaders’ work to improve pupils’ attendance overall needs to continue so it is at least in line with national averages.

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Leaders plan rich experiences that will help pupils develop habits and attitudes that will stand them in good stead as future citizens. For example, pupils visit different places of worship, attend art exhibitions and take part in sporting tournaments and team building events.

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Leaders, the trust and the interim advisory board undertake their duties with great dedication and reflection. They have carefully considered the upcoming changes to governance. Staff recognise the improvements leaders are making, feel valued and know that leaders consider their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Governors and leaders ensure that safeguarding is a priority for all staff. Newly appointed staff are checked carefully. Staff are well-trained and know how to escalate concerns quickly. Systems and processes in the school to keep pupils safe are robust.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe. Pupils know who to go to if they are worried about anything. Parents, particularly those of children with SEND, are confident that the school cares for their children and keeps them safe. 25 to 26 May 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders are in the process of ensuring that plans in all subjects are equally ambitious. Work has started on this in a range of subjects, such as history, geography, art and science. Leaders should review planning in these subjects as well as implement plans in other subjects so that essential knowledge is explicitly identified and sequentially mapped out from Reception to Year 6.  Leaders have been successful in reducing the number of pupils who are persistently absent. However, they need to continue their work to improve pupils’ attendance overall, so this is at least in line with national averages. This is to ensure that pupils are attending school, so they are able to learn.

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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 school 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. 25 to 26 May 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10184661 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority Interim advisory board

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Rainham Mark Education Trust (RMET). The school is sponsored by Rainham Mark Grammar School. There is one other primary school in the trust.  In June 2021, the current interim advisory board will cease and is due to be replaced by a local governing body.  The school has an additionally resourced provision for pupils who have physical disabilities and medical needs. Eleven pupils currently attend this provision.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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

In accordance with section 13(5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement. 25 to 26 May 2021

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders.  The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer of RMET and three members of the interim advisory board, including the chair.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors checked the single central record of recruitment checks and talked to leaders responsible for safeguarding. Inspectors also talked to a range of staff, pupils and parents informally.  Inspectors considered the 55 responses to the confidential staff survey and spoke to a range of staff about their views of the school.  Inspectors took account of the 92 responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire and 15 additional free-text responses. Inspectors spoke to some parents on the second day of the inspection.  Inspectors met with a range of pupils to discuss their views about the school and talked to pupils informally during social times and in lessons.  As part of the inspection of early years, inspectors met with the early years leader

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and visited Reception and Nursery classes.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including pupil premium and catch-up funding plans.  Reading, mathematics, geography and art were considered in detail as part of this inspection. Inspectors met with leaders of the reading, mathematics, geography and art subject teams. Inspectors undertook a range of lesson visits and met with pupils and class teachers. Inspectors also looked at pupils’ work in a range of subjects and heard pupils read.

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Inspection team

Frances Nation, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Louise Walker Her Majesty’s Inspector 25 to 26 May 2021

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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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