Martello Primary

Inspection of Martello Primary School Warren Way, Folkestone, Kent CT19 6DT

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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 8 and 9 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and confident learners in this warm and welcoming school. They speak very positively about their school and are proud to be a part of it. Staff develop warm and caring relationships with pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They say this is because teachers are kind and look after them. They know whom to talk to if they have any worries, including about bullying. They know that they will be listened to.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a mature understanding that everyone is different. They understand that respect and tolerance are crucial to good relationships. All pupils have opportunities to take on responsibilities. Older pupils train as playground leaders to support younger pupils during playtimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for their pupils. Leaders have carefully considered each subject and are continuing to strengthen their well-structured curriculum. Pupils work hard because lessons are often interesting and engaging. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well, including those based in ‘The Lighthouse’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have made the school a focal point of the community. Leaders and the staff team provide valuable support for pupils and their families. One parent commented: ‘The staff at Martello care not only about the children, but also their entire families, and will go out of their way to help if they are able.’

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better?

The mathematics curriculum is carefully considered and structured. Teachers use a published scheme of work as a starting point but adapt the sequence of lessons to ensure that pupils’ learning is secure before they move on. In Reception, children practise counting and use real objects to secure their number knowledge. As pupils move through the school, teachers ensure that pupils think hard and solve problems.

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better?

Teaching pupils to read well is a key priority. In the early years provision, children love to hear and repeat songs, stories and rhymes. This helps them to develop speaking and listening skills and improve their vocabulary. Pupils engage well with their daily phonics lessons. Adults check the progress pupils make through the well- planned phonics programme. They ensure that teaching provides pupils with the skills they need to read fluently. Reading books are well matched to pupils’ reading abilities. Where pupils are at risk of falling behind, support is in place to help them catch up quickly.

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better?

The books that pupils read and the topics they study provide them with valuable opportunities to consider and debate moral and ethical issues. The school’s inclusive 8 and 9 March 2022

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ethos ensures that pupils learn to be tolerant, respect others and understand the importance of treating everyone equally.

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Leaders are in the process of refining the wider curriculum. Subject leaders have identified the key knowledge that they want pupils to learn in subjects such as English, mathematics and geography. In most subjects, learning is well sequenced, and teachers deliver the curriculum effectively. As a result, pupils remember important knowledge and make good progress. However, this is not yet the case in a few subjects, including science and art and design. More work is needed to strengthen the curriculum in these subjects to ensure that pupils are taught in sufficient depth to enable them to secure important subject knowledge.

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Pupils with SEND are well supported. Specialist teachers’ knowledge and expertise are shared with other staff. Parents are also offered help, guidance and support with their children. Appropriate adaptations and effective adult support ensure that pupils with SEND are able to access the curriculum.

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Teachers carry out regular checks and assessments to see how well pupils are learning. These are particularly detailed in mathematics and English. Teachers use this information to support pupils in their learning. In some other subjects, teachers do not align their checks precisely to the curriculum content. This means that in these subjects, teachers do not know precisely which important curriculum knowledge pupils have remembered.

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Behaviour in lessons is good and teachers help to make learning enjoyable. Pupils are encouraged to be ambitious in their learning. They try hard, even when learning is difficult. One pupil said, ‘Reading and learning more are important here.’

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Leaders, including trustees and local governors, have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. While some school development has slowed, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, actions for improvement are now moving forward rapidly.

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Leaders within the multi-academy trust work closely with school leaders. They ensure that teachers receive highly effective professional development so that the teaching of the curriculum becomes increasingly expert. The good impact of this work is particularly evident in reading and mathematics, which has been a key focus since the last inspection.

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Teachers speak highly of the professional development offered, including opportunities to develop their leadership skills. Staff also benefit from trust-wide opportunities to share expertise with other schools. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about school leaders, and about the consideration given to their workload and well-being. 8 and 9 March 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that safeguarding is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Staff and governors receive regular training and updates. Staff understand the risks that pupils may face, and are vigilant. They know how to spot the signs of abuse and know whom to tell if they have concerns. Leaders work swiftly to secure expert help that is needed from outside agencies.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that pupils have opportunities to learn how to keep themselves safe. There is a well-planned programme of activities in place. This means that pupils are knowledgeable and prepared for issues they may face in and out of school, including protecting themselves from undue peer pressure. Pupils know how to use the internet safely.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders have not identified precisely enough the knowledge that they would like pupils to learn. However, it is clear from leaders’ actions that they are in the process of bringing this about. Leaders need to complete the process of reviewing the curriculum in all subjects within their identified timescale. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.  In some subjects, assessment systems are not well developed. This means that teachers do not know how well pupils are learning in all subjects. Leaders should continue their work to develop and strengthen assessment approaches. Teachers need to be able to identify any pupils who need help and plan learning that builds on what they already know and can do.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 . 8 and 9 March 2022

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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. 8 and 9 March 2022

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 May 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The principal has been in post since November 2021.  The school has specialist resourced provision for pupils who have an autistic spectrum disorder. This provision is known as ‘The Lighthouse’.  The school runs a breakfast club.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the principal, vice-principal, special educational needs coordinator and members of staff. They also met with the chief executive officer and other executive leaders from the multi-academy trust. In addition, inspectors 8 and 9 March 2022

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spoke with those responsible for governance, including the chair of the trust board and members of the local governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects, including art and design, and personal, social and health education.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors met with leaders responsible for safeguarding, reviewed safeguarding records, checked the single central record of recruitment checks and spoke to leaders, staff and pupils.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation, school improvement plans and minutes from local governing body

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meetings.  Inspectors met with pupils and talked to pupils in lessons and at other times of the day about their learning, about what behaviour is like at school and about whether they feel safe at school.  Inspectors reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s parent, pupil and staff surveys and spoke to parents and carers at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Jo Lakey, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrea Carter Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 March 2022

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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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