The Canterbury Primary School

Inspection of a good school: The Canterbury Primary School City View, Franklyn Road, Canterbury, Kent CT2 8PT

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Outcome

The Canterbury Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this school. They form positive relationships with one another and enjoy spending time with their peers, both in class and when at play. This is reflected in the comment of one child who said, ‘Everyone is really friendly here.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in class and around the school. This creates a climate where pupils feel happy and safe. On the rare occasions that pupils misbehave or bully, adults require them to think through their actions. This helps pupils to correct their behaviour and restore friendships with one another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. They have created a curriculum that interests and enthuses pupils to learn. Most pupils develop the knowledge and skills needed to succeed across the curriculum. Staff support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Pupils are confident in class because of the well- structured support they receive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have rich opportunities to learn beyond the curriculum. For example, pupils engage in stage performances and fundraising events and visit the forest school. Activities such as these help pupils to feel part of the school community and build a sense of pride.

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

Leaders provide an ambitious curriculum that clearly sets out what pupils need to learn. Teachers receive useful training. Teachers share leaders’ ambitions and have high expectations for pupils. Pupils experience off-site trips and on-site visitors that make learning interesting and relevant. For example, some pupils visited the Globe Theatre in London and others took part in a Diwali dance day in school. Pupils relish these experiences. This is particularly beneficial for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Leaders integrate pupils with SEND in the school’s specialist provision into the main school curriculum. This enables these pupils to learn alongside their peers and feel part of the whole school community. 7 and 8 December 2022

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Teachers check pupils’ learning well in reading and mathematics. This helps teachers to swiftly recognise what pupils know and understand. They use this information to adapt what they teach. Leaders have streamlined these approaches in mathematics and reading, which helps teachers to manage their workload well. In the early years, teachers carefully check what sounds children know. Children in the early years swiftly gain the skills needed to learn how to read simple words. As pupils move through the school, teachers carefully check what pupils have learned in reading. They use this knowledge to provide texts that help to build pupils’ fluency and comprehension as readers. However, the approach to checking pupils’ learning in subjects beyond reading and mathematics is less well established. Teachers are not always clear about the gaps in pupils’ knowledge in other subjects. This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they could overall.

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Not all pupils gain the mathematical knowledge and understanding that they need to achieve all that they could. Teachers are knowledgeable about the mathematics curriculum. They support pupils with SEND well. Adults guide pupils to understand the mathematical vocabulary used in lessons, which helps pupils to make sense of what they learn. However, leaders have not fully established the approach to delivering the mathematics curriculum effectively. At times, the activities that teachers provide can limit learning for some pupils.

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Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities across the curriculum. For example, they learn how to play a range of instruments in music lessons and develop their problem- solving skills in a range of contexts. Staff help children in the early years to become increasingly independent. Children develop knowledge and understanding that prepares them well for the move into key stage 1. As pupils move through the school, teachers help them to connect what they learn across subjects. For example, pupils in Year 5 use their geographical knowledge about settlements to make sense of the history of the Mayan civilization. Pupils interact well in groups and remain focused when working independently.

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Pupils have rich opportunities to learn beyond the curriculum. Pupils learn about diversity in personal, social, health and economic education lessons and through assemblies. This builds a culture within the school where pupils show acceptance of others and an awareness of diversity. Staff encourage pupils to be actively involved in the life of the school. For example, pupils on the school council helped to form the ‘school promises’ document that sets out the school’s expectations for behaviour. Pupils attend a wide range of clubs and engage in sporting activities and competitions. Pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils attend these clubs, building their character and confidence.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff and governors receive informative training that allows them to recognise the signs and symptoms of pupils who may be at risk of harm. When staff raise concerns about a pupil, leaders swiftly act on this. They work with families and outside agencies to provide help. This includes a range of therapeutic support for pupils within the school. 7 and 8 December 2022

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Pupils learn about staying safe online in lessons. Pupils know about the risks of using the internet and what to do if they experience online bullying. Pupils who have a worry are confident that they can seek support from staff.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers’ use of assessment in subjects beyond reading and mathematics is not fully established. This means that pupils have gaps in their knowledge in some subjects. Leaders need to clarify how learning is assessed and monitor its impact in subjects beyond reading and mathematics.  Not enough pupils learn the mathematical knowledge they need to achieve highly. The activities teachers provide in class can, at times, limit some pupils’ opportunities to learn. Leaders need to clarify their pedagogical approach to the implementation of mathematics fully to ensure that more pupils build mathematical knowledge effectively.

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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 May 2012.

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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. 7 and 8 December 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. 7 and 8 December 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10240789 Type of school Primary

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School details

Headteacher Beverley Farrell (Executive Vice-Principal)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The Canterbury Academy Trust. The school joined the trust on 7 October 2010.  The school has a specialist resource provision for up to 17 pupils with autism spectrum disorder. There are currently 15 pupils registered.  The site is used by St Nicholas School, a specialist provision for pupils with profound, severe and complex learning difficulties.  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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the executive vice-principal, head of school, other leaders, and a range of staff at the school. The inspector also met with three members of the governing body. The inspector met with the trust executive principal. 7 and 8 December 2022

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspector reviewed a wide range of documents, including those related to the governance of the school.  The inspector considered the views of parents and carers through responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey. The inspector spoke to staff, parents and pupils during the inspection and took account of the staff and pupil confidential online surveys.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector 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 7 and 8 December 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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