Greatstone Primary School

Inspection of Greatstone Primary School Baldwin Road, Greatstone, New Romney, Kent TN28 8SY

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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 Good 24 and 25 May 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this coastal school. They build positive relationships with the adults who care deeply for them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and teachers have high expectations for all pupils. They have reviewed the curriculum to help pupils to develop detailed knowledge across a broad range of subjects. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are sensitively supported. As pupils move through the school, they use what they have learned to help them to become interested and motivated in lessons. Teachers use the outdoors well. Children in Nursery explore in the wet play area and pupils across the school learn how to build fire pits and toast marshmallows in ‘forest school’. The well-structured curriculum helps pupils to develop into resilient and independent learners by the time they leave the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have built strong structures for behaviour. While the behaviour of some pupils in the school has been poor in the past, this is rapidly improving. Pupils enjoy the ‘golden book’ rewards they receive for good work and attitudes. This motivates them to behave well and produce work of which they are proud. When bullying takes place, staff act swiftly to address this. As a result, pupils are happy and feel safe.

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better?

The school has come through a time of change. The new leadership team have thought carefully about what pupils need to learn. They provide helpful training for teachers to continue to develop their skills and support them to plan purposeful learning.

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better?

In turn, teachers guide pupils to learn important knowledge and skills in lessons. In science, for example, pupils deepen their understanding through investigations that build on what they already know. Teachers carefully check what pupils know across most subjects and make sure that they fill gaps in their learning. This is not, however, consistent across the curriculum.

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better?

The early years leader has built a strong curriculum. Children develop the knowledge and skills needed to help them to understand the world around them. In Nursery, children develop positive relationships with one another. As they move into Reception, staff help them to use what they have learned to become confident and inquisitive learners. Children learn to act out stories they have heard, helping them to develop communication and language skills.

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better?

Leaders ensure that pupils learn to read fluently. They have introduced a new phonics programme. This helps children in early years to build the skills they need to read simple words accurately. As pupils move though the school, they use what they have learned to become confident readers. Teachers choose books that fuel the 24 and 25 May 2022

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interest of pupils in lessons. This builds a love of reading. Teachers support pupils who have fallen behind in their reading, helping them to catch up quickly. However, some pupils are reluctant to read at home because the books pupils choose to read do not always match their reading ability.

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Leaders prepare pupils well for the move to secondary school. They have employed an extra teacher in Years 5 and 6. This allows pupils to experience a range of teachers delivering lessons. The extra teacher also supports disadvantaged pupils to catch up with learning lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Leaders have introduced helpful ways to improve communication with parents. The parent forum is a means to encourage parents to meet and talk with school leaders. Governors seek the views of parents through a range of surveys. Governors carefully check that school leaders are following through their plans. They meet with reading, writing and mathematics subject leaders to review the quality of education. This holds these subject leaders to account and helps to strengthen the improvements highlighted in these subjects. This process is not as well developed in other subjects.

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Teachers support pupils with SEND well across the curriculum. They help pupils with SEND who struggle to behave well in lessons to improve their behaviours. While there is some low-level disruption in class, this is not tolerated. This helps all pupils to focus and work hard in lessons.

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Pupils talk openly about diversity and equality. They show respect for others who may have differing views to themselves. Pupils learn about life in modern Britain and relate this to their own school rules to be ready, respectful and safe. ‘Young governors’ support the work of leaders and have produced helpful versions of school policies for children. Pupils engage in trips to local sites such as the beach and support the work of local and national charities. This builds a genuine interest in what they learn.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work hard to hear the voice of pupils, staff and parents relating to safeguarding. Staff and governors receive training that helps them to recognise when pupils may be at risk of harm. When staff raise concerns about the safety of pupils, leaders act swiftly to make sure pupils receive the help they need to keep safe. Pupils have led a school assembly to raise awareness of staying safe online. Volunteers receive helpful training in keeping children safe. As a result, leaders have built a positive culture in the school where pupils are safe. 24 and 25 May 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects within the wider curriculum, teachers do not use assessment information well enough to check what pupils understand. This means that some pupils do not reach the ambitious end points in the curriculum because they have gaps in their knowledge. Subject leaders need to systematically check that teachers use assessments to ensure that pupils build cumulatively secure knowledge across all subjects.  Not all pupils behave well in lessons. As a result, some do not achieve as they should. Leaders should maintain their drive to improve behaviour so that these pupils build the capacity to manage their own behaviours in class.

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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 .

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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. 24 and 25 May 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212350 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The executive headteacher was appointed in September 2021.

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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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, head of school, assistant headteacher, subject leaders and a representative from the local authority. The lead inspector also met with five members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, art and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke 24 and 25 May 2022

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to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documents including those related to the governance of the school.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead and considered safeguarding documents and records. This included the school’s records and plans for supporting pupils who have been referred to outside agencies.

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Inspection team

Graham Chisnell, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Parker Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 May 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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