Coxheath Primary School

Inspection of Coxheath Primary School Stockett Lane, Coxheath, Maidstone, Kent ME17 4PS

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 7 and 8 February 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are rightly proud to be a member of this inclusive, welcoming school. Warm, caring relationships exist between pupils and staff, based on mutual respect. Diversity and difference are promoted and celebrated. Pupils are curious about different cultures and religions. They are respectful of people’s differences, ensuring that there is ‘strength in diversity’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kind to one another. They get along well. Peer mediators support pupils with their play and friendships during breaktimes. Pupils appreciate this guidance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The support for pupils’ emotional well-being is of a high quality. If pupils are worried or if they have fallen out with their friends, they can give a purple card to a trusted adult as a sign that they need to talk. Pupils know that they will be listened to. They are given the help they need. Pupils know that how they feel truly matters to staff. Pupils particularly value the time they can spend on the school’s nurture bus.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are inspired by the school’s aspirational and interesting curriculum. They have a keen appetite for learning. They respond to the high expectations of staff by working conscientiously and taking pride in their work. Their behaviour in lessons and around the school is exemplary.

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better?

Senior leaders and leaders from the multi-academy trust work together closely. They have established a culture of deep, professional learning. Staff use educational research and developmental conversations. This supports their implementation of an aspirational and effective curriculum. Leaders are always mindful of staff workload when introducing new initiatives.

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better?

Leaders are willing to take risks in their curriculum design. Their inspiring curriculum ignites pupils’ curiosity. It instils in pupils a passion for learning and provides them with a wealth of knowledge. The school’s approach to teaching art is particularly innovative. It inspires pupils to become artists. The quality of pupils’ artwork is of a high standard.

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better?

A small number of subjects in the curriculum are still relatively new. Leaders are working on developing and embedding them. They have made a strong start. However, there is more work to do to ensure every subject is of the same high standard as the rest of the curriculum.

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better?

Teachers are knowledgeable about the subjects they teach. They explain important concepts clearly and explore pupils’ understanding skilfully. The design of the curriculum helps teachers to build on pupils’ prior learning well right from the start of early years. For example, in history, pupils develop a secure understanding of key 7 and 8 February 2023

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concepts such as democracy and conflict. This is because these concepts are revisited in different topics across the curriculum.

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Teachers provide quizzes that encourage pupils to reflect on their learning. This helps pupils to remember crucial content. Teachers also use this information to provide extra help for those who need it. Pupils listen attentively to their teachers. They respond quickly to instructions and behave impeccably.

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Leaders have trained all staff in the new phonics scheme. Teachers plan activities that help pupils to expand their knowledge of phonics well. Consequently, children get off to a strong start when learning to read. They have lots of opportunities to practise using their knowledge in and around the early years environment. The teaching of vocabulary is also a priority. Adults promote this skilfully in their conversations with children. As pupils move through the school, teaching builds on this knowledge well. Pupils begin to read books of increasing complexity with confidence and fluency. Pupils develop a genuine joy of reading.

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The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are carefully identified and considered. Teachers make adaptations to the curriculum. Staff provide pupils with SEND with additional resources and targeted support, which enables them to learn successfully alongside their peers. Leaders have not always involved parents fully in the development of plans for individual pupils with SEND. This means that some parents are unclear about how the school is supporting their child, and this can be frustrating. Leaders have recently strengthened their strategy for involving parents in this process. However, this has not yet been fully rolled out.

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The school’s provision for personal development is exceptional. Leaders have carefully considered the opportunities and experiences they provide. All pupils benefit from this offer. Pupils take part in competitive sports and musical performances. They learn to eat healthily in cooking lessons. They make a positive contribution to the life of the school and local community, for example through the work of the school’s eco-council. Pupils debate and discuss important moral and ethical issues, such as war and human rights.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have developed policies and procedures to keep pupils safe. They have trained all staff so that they know what to do if they are concerned about a pupil. Leaders have developed a culture of vigilance, where pupils’ welfare and well-being is everyone’s top priority. Staff work together to coordinate support for pupils and their families when they need it. Leaders will work with external agencies to get additional help when necessary. 7 and 8 February 2023

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Pupils develop a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They are knowledgeable about internet safety and know who to talk to if they are worried.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not yet fully embedded their ambitious curriculum. While pupils achieve highly in some subjects, they do not yet achieve highly across the full curriculum. Leaders need to finalise their work on the curriculum so that all subjects are of the same high standard.  Leaders have recently established a new strategy to involve parents when considering and planning support for pupils with SEND. However, this has not yet been fully rolled out. This means that, previously, parents have not always been clear about, and have not always been able to contribute to, the individual plans for their children. Leaders need to fully implement and embed their new strategy.

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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. 7 and 8 February 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10241436 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Coxheath Primary School converted to become an academy school in September 2018, joining the Coppice Primary Partnership. When its predecessor school, Coxheath Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.

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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. 7 and 8 February 2023

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders, staff and pupils. They also met with trust leaders from the Coppice Primary Partnership, representatives from the local governing body and representatives from the board of trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: art and design, early reading, history, mathematics and science. For each deep dive, inspectors 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. Inspectors listened to some pupils read. Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  To inspect the school’s safeguarding arrangements, inspectors met with leaders responsible for safeguarding and looked at relevant documentation, including staff recruitment checks and training records. Inspectors also talked to a range of staff

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and pupils.  Inspectors met pupils from different year groups to talk about their learning and experiences at school.  The views of staff, pupils and parents were gathered through discussions and through Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Leah Morgan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Martin Hacker Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 February 2023

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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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