Trottiscliffe Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Trottiscliffe Church of England Primary School Church Lane, Trottiscliffe, West Malling, Kent ME19 5EB

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Outcome

Trottiscliffe Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school and are happy and highly motivated. Leaders and staff have created a supportive environment. Many parents appreciate the ‘family feel’ that exists throughout the school. This helps pupils, including children in the Reception class and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to feel very safe and secure.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond positively to leaders’ high expectations for their achievement. Leaders and staff have considered carefully what pupils need to know and be able to do to learn successfully.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in the classrooms. They can concentrate hard on their work during lessons. Pupils recognise that staff are caring. Pupils are confident that staff would listen to them if they reported any concerns. Staff work quickly to resolve issues that pupils bring to their attention, including any bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish opportunities to try new things. Staff organise interesting school trips. These are linked closely to what pupils learn in class. Pupils are proud to take on leadership roles such as sitting on the school council. They make a positive contribution to important school matters and develop an understanding of global issues.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Children in the early years get off to a very impressive start. Leaders have developed the provision for children in the Reception class very effectively. They have ensured that the early years curriculum precisely identifies the important knowledge that children will learn. Pupils throughout the school benefit from an ambitious and usually well-sequenced curriculum. This helps pupils to build detailed knowledge in a wide range of subjects. Pupils have regular opportunities to practise and develop their subject-specific skills. In a small number of subjects, the sequence in which pupils should learn new knowledge is not ordered effectively enough. 15 September 2022

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Reading is a high priority. Leaders have ensured that there is a consistent approach to teaching phonics. Children start to learn sounds and corresponding letters in daily lessons soon after they begin school in Reception. Teachers make sure that the books that pupils are given to practise their reading are matched to the sounds that they know and are learning. This helps to improve pupils’ fluency and confidence. Staff teach reading skilfully. This means that they can provide extra help if pupils struggle to grasp new sounds or need to catch up quickly if they start to fall behind. Teachers check and assess pupils’ understanding in lessons. This ensures that misconceptions are addressed quickly. For example, staff listen to pupils reading aloud regularly. This helps staff to know how well pupils are progressing and where there are gaps in their knowledge.

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The mathematics curriculum has aspirational goals for pupils. It is coherently built and makes clear the important knowledge that pupils need to learn. Teachers improve pupils’ mathematical knowledge and skills steadily. Pupils talk confidently about their learning in mathematics. They demonstrate a wide range of mathematical knowledge and competence from an early age. This is because staff in the Reception class plan activities that incrementally build on what children have learned previously.

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Leaders make sure that pupils with SEND are identified early and are supported effectively. Teachers deploy a range of approaches to ensure that this group of pupils can access the full range of curriculum subjects. Teaching assistants provide appropriate support for pupils with SEND. The curriculum, where necessary, is carefully adapted to meet pupils’ individual needs.

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The school’s programme for pupils’ personal development has been designed thoughtfully. Pupils enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular activities that change each term. This encourages many pupils to attend. Pupils understand the effect that their words and actions may have on others. For example, pupils and the wider school community raised money for a Ugandan school and church. This enabled the Ugandan community to buy the land on which these buildings are located. Pupils understand how this ensured the long-term future of both the school and the church.

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Staff model high expectations which support pupils to grow into responsible young people. There is very little low-level disruption in classrooms. Pupils behave well in the playground and around school. From early years, pupils follow clear routines and expectations. They are polite and courteous.

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Leaders and governors keep a careful watch on the workload of staff. Staff are proud to work at the school and hold leaders in very high regard. Staff say that they feel able to talk to leaders if they need additional time to complete their work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know the pupils and families very well. They are constantly alert to spot any signs that may indicate a pupil may be at risk of harm. Staff receive up-to-date and relevant training and guidance. They know how to report concerns and keep careful records. 15 September 2022

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Leaders organise and plan timely and effective support for pupils and their wider families. Leaders ensure that specialist help is provided when required.

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School staff complete appropriate checks and carefully record information on those adults working or volunteering in school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a very small number of subjects, the curriculum is not sequenced sufficiently well. Consequently, pupils do not achieve as well as they could in these subjects. Leaders need to ensure that in some subjects the design of the curriculum is strengthened, for example in computing.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2013.

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How can I feed back my views?

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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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. 15 September 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England primary school. The school’s last inspection of its religious character took place in March 2018.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, a senior leader, subject leaders and the special educational needs coordinator. The lead inspector met with five governors, including the chair of the governing body. He also conducted a telephone call with the diocesan representative and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 15 September 2022

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 Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and pupils’ work in other subjects.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation relating to safeguarding and met with pupils and staff, including the designated safeguarding lead.  The inspectors took account of the 41 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. They also took account of the views of staff through the two responses to the staff survey and the 48 responses to the pupils survey.

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Inspection team

Richard Blackmore, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Michael Eggleton Ofsted Inspector 15 September 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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