Eythorne Elvington Community Primary School

Inspection of Eythorne Elvington Community Primary School Adelaide Road, Eythorne, Dover, Kent CT15 4AN

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 December 2022

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 13 and 14 December 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive and flourish at this exciting, nurturing and inclusive school. The headteacher and staff are united in their ambition for every pupil to achieve their very best, academically and personally. They are determined that all pupils leave the school as confident individuals who develop a love of learning for life. There is an extremely purposeful atmosphere, with happy pupils enjoying learning in every classroom.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ expectations are high, and this is reflected in pupils’ exemplary behaviour and attitudes. Bullying is not a problem. Pupils have complete confidence that staff will quickly help them to sort out any issues should they occur. Pupils feel safe in school and well looked after by kind, encouraging and caring adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in Reception settle well and learn the routines of the school very quickly. Pupils very ably demonstrate the school’s five key values of confidence, ambition, perseverance, empathy and success. Pupils take great pride in their school and their achievements. Leaders plan a wealth of opportunities to enrich the curriculum. Pupils benefit enormously from these first-hand experiences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school and its leadership. They describe it as ‘more than a school, but a community’, ‘absolutely fantastic’ and a ‘wonderful, caring, amazing school’.

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better?

Leadership is outstanding. Leaders, including governors, know their school community exceptionally well. They have an unwavering determination to provide the very best learning experience for all pupils, including the most disadvantaged and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, pupils’ aspirations are sky high.

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better?

Leaders have created a rich and extremely well-designed curriculum. It fires pupils’ interest and imagination. In all subjects, the essential skills and knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which they learn it is clearly and precisely set out. In Reception, activities are very well organised and help children develop curiosity, independence and resilience. They are deeply engaged in learning. This continues throughout the school and, as a result, pupils are extremely well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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better?

Staff are highly ambitious for every pupil irrespective of their different needs. Leaders are quick to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. The curriculum is carefully constructed to ensure that these pupils enjoy the same opportunities to learn alongside their classmates. Staff expertly adapt learning and provide appropriate support and resources to ensure that all pupils learn the curriculum successfully and achieve highly. 13 and 14 December 2022

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Subject leaders are extremely skilled and knowledgeable. They work exceptionally hard to ensure that the curriculum is the right one for pupils. Teachers have expert subject knowledge. They benefit from high-quality training that leaders provide. Teachers use assessment very effectively. They check pupils’ understanding and use the information to skilfully adapt teaching. This helps pupils to learn and remember essential knowledge. Pupils are particularly enthusiastic about the headteacher’s quizzes, which ‘remind us and help us to remember what we know.’

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Reading has high priority across the school. Leaders ensure that staff teach phonics extremely effectively and consistently. Pupils quickly learn the sounds they need to help them read. They regularly read books that are very well matched to the sounds they know. This helps pupils to develop confidence, fluency and expression. Staff quickly identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind and give them extra help to keep up. A love of reading is promoted all around the school, not least the attractive and inspiring ‘reading wall’ in the hall. Older pupils develop as confident, fluent readers, with skills to access the wider curriculum. Teachers choose texts carefully to challenge and ensure pupils experience a range of reading genre.

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The promotion of pupils’ personal development is exceptional. All pupils take part in a rich range of extra-curricular activities. Leaders are relentless in their drive to ensure that pupils experience a well-considered range of opportunities before they leave school. Pupils understand the cultural heritage of where they live and their own cultural backgrounds as well as that of others. Pupils understand, respect and appreciate difference. One parent, who echoed the views of many, said, ‘I feel complete confidence every time I drop them off that they’re going to learn, have fun and feel safe and confident to shine as individuals.’

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There is a strong culture of mutual support and teamwork among staff. They appreciate that leaders listen to them and are always considerate of their workload and well-being. Staff feel valued and exceptionally proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong safeguarding culture. Pupils’ well-being, welfare and safety are a top priority. All staff are well trained in safeguarding matters. They know pupils and their families very well, which helps them quickly identify when pupils may be at risk of harm.

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Safeguarding

Staff know the procedures to follow if they have a concern, including recording information. Leaders are tenacious in ensuring that the necessary action is taken swiftly, including the involvement of external agencies if appropriate. Governors assure themselves that safeguarding is effective. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when online or in the local area. 13 and 14 December 2022

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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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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. 13 and 14 December 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10227476 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.eythorne-elvington.kent.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 2 May 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in March 2020. He was previously acting headteacher for a year and prior to that, he was the head of school.  The school is federated with Sibertswold Church of England Primary School and has a shared governing body.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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. 13 and 14 December 2022

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, other leaders and staff. The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair and vice chair.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum information in other subjects and observed some pupils reading to teaching assistants.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors spoke with leaders, staff and pupils. Throughout the inspection, inspectors considered and checked the culture of safeguarding within the school. The single central record of recruitment checks and safeguarding records were checked.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including school development

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plans and the school’s own evaluation of its effectiveness.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school. They talked to pupils formally and informally about their learning, what behaviour is like and whether they feel safe at school.  Inspectors considered the responses from Ofsted’s online survey for staff and parents and spoke to some parents at the beginning of the day. They also looked at the school’s own recent surveys of staff and parents.

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Inspection team

Margaret Coussins, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jo Brinkley His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 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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