More Park Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: More Park Catholic Primary School Lucks Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 6HN

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 February 2023

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Outcome

More Park Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and parents value the caring nature and family feel of this school. Pupils are happy here. They feel part of the ‘More Park team’ because they know that their opinions and contributions are valued. Pupils know that they can make a difference by becoming a trained anti-bullying ambassador or language ambassador. A focus on independence and taking responsibility starts right from Reception when children learn how to put on their own wellies for playtime.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Expectations of work and behaviour are high. Pupils strive to meet these high expectations and to model the school’s values, which thread through all aspects of school life. Pupils work hard and behave well so that these expectations are realised. School is an orderly environment. Pupils move sensibly and safely around the school. They are polite and friendly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at school. They value the additional support available to them should they need it, through, for example, the ‘listening ear’. They have good relationships with each other and staff. This means that incidents such as bullying are rare and quickly dealt with.

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

Leaders, including the local governing body, have a thorough knowledge of the school. They are united with the multi-academy trust in their ambition to continue to drive the school forward. Leaders, governors and the trust work well as a team towards this shared goal. They are experienced and effective. Staff feel that leaders listen to them and make adjustments where they can to support their workload.

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

Leaders have ensured that provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong. Pupils’ needs are identified quickly and understood well. Pupils’ progress is tracked carefully and adjusted where necessary through a process of regular review and assessment. Pupils get the individually tailored support they need to experience success in all aspects of school life. 22 and 23 February 2023

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Leaders have designed a well-sequenced curriculum that builds systematically over time. Teachers know what to teach and when. This helps them to present learning clearly, particularly in English and mathematics. Pupils are confident and competent mathematicians. They remember facts and can make accurate selections from a range of mathematical methods. This helps them to solve increasingly complex problems. Pupils with SEND get the support they need to build their mathematical knowledge appropriately.

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Leaders have refined the wider curriculum. They have taken steps to help pupils build secure subject-specific knowledge. However, sometimes pupils do not build the same depth of understanding in other subjects as they do in English and mathematics. Pupils can describe their current learning in the wider curriculum but find it hard to link this to previous learning. For example, in geography, pupils can talk about their knowledge of specific countries. However, they do not connect this to develop a broader understanding of people, places or cultures. Subject leaders are beginning to refine the curriculum so that pupils can make connections between concepts and deepen their understanding.

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Right from the start of Reception, learning to read is a priority. Phonics teaching is regular and highly effective. Children are encouraged by their progress and keen to apply their growing phonic knowledge. Reading books are matched carefully to the sounds pupils know. This helps them to experience success as readers. Regular staff training ensures high levels of expertise. Pupils’ reading knowledge is carefully assessed. Anyone who starts to fall behind is given the support they need to catch up quickly. Pupils across the school, including those with SEND, are keen and well-informed readers. They are knowledgeable about a wide range of texts and they bring this knowledge to their discussions. For example, a pupil making a prediction about a text suggested it was very like ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Pupils read well and often across the curriculum.

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Pupils’ positive behaviours show that they are keen to learn. They listen to each other and their teachers and try their best. Staff are positive about the new behaviour policy, which reflects the school’s values. Pupils know what is expected of them because the policy is modelled and consistently applied across the school.

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Pupils benefit from a well-considered approach to promoting their wider development. They learn about a range of beliefs. They are inclusive, and confidently state that ‘it’s OK to be who you are here’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have received regular safeguarding training to help them identify pupils who may be at risk. Everyone is aware and vigilant. This helps to keep pupils safe. Safeguarding records and checks are thorough and detailed. Leaders work with outside agencies effectively where necessary to ensure that pupils get any help that they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know and understand how to keep themselves safe. Leaders have produced pupil 22 and 23 February 2023

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versions of key policies such as safeguarding to help support pupils’ understanding. Online safety has a high priority. Pupils know to tell an adult if they are worried.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the curriculum design does not enable pupils to build knowledge systematically and make connections to prior learning. As a result, pupils do not develop deep knowledge and understanding as well in some subjects as they do in others. Leaders should continue to refine the curriculum in foundation subjects so that pupils can acquire a deep and detailed understanding across the curriculum.

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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 July

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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. 22 and 23 February 2023

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School details

Principal Deborah Seal (Academy Principal)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 September 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Kent Catholic Schools’ Partnership.  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 their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met regularly with school leaders. The inspector also met with representatives from the local governing body and the multi-academy trust.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early 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 pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector listened to pupils read to an adult from the school.  Safeguarding records were reviewed, including the single central record and 22 and 23 February 2023

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appointment procedures. The inspector spoke to staff about safeguarding and spoke to pupils about the support they have in understanding how to keep safe.  The inspector reviewed responses to Ofsted’s parent, pupil and staff surveys.  The inspector talked to staff to gather their views about the school, including their workload and well-being. The inspector met with several groups of pupils, as well as speaking to pupils during lessons, at playtime and during a tour of the school.

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Inspection team

Deborah Gordon, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 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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