Springhead Park Primary School

Inspection of Springhead Park Primary School Springhead Parkway, Springhead Park, Northfleet, Kent DA11 8BY

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good 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 24 and 25 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Since opening in September 2020, leaders have created a caring school where pupils thrive. As one parent said, ‘I find the school to be friendly, welcoming, supportive and inclusive.’ Pupils are happy, they show a genuine compassion for one another and form positive relationships. They feel part of the school community. For example, they take on roles in the school, such as ‘School Councillors’ and ‘Climate Change Champions’. These responsibilities give pupils a genuine voice in the running of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at this school. They have trusted adults, who are there to listen if they have worries. Pupils behave well during breaktimes and are keen to involve others in their play. When bullying happens, leaders act quickly to stop this from escalating.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high ambition for pupils and they bring the curriculum to life. For example, they encourage parents and members of the local community to support learning in school. Pupils learn about the importance of charitable giving and sportsmanship. They develop their interests and talents well. Pupils attend a wide range of clubs on offer at the school. As a result, most pupils learn across all subjects well.

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better?

Leaders provide a curriculum that is relevant and interesting for pupils and guide teachers to know what and how to teach. The trust provides helpful support for subject leaders, so that they are responsive to the training needs of school staff. Leaders provide staff with helpful training that strengthens their practice. They ensure that the workload for staff is manageable. For example, they guide staff to use resources that support their teaching. The special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) lead is knowledgeable and helps teachers to identify the needs of pupils with SEND well. The SEND lead provides useful resources and guides staff to use effective adaptations to help pupils with SEND to succeed. However, teachers do not consistently apply these adaptations in class. This means that some pupils with SEND struggle to learn alongside their peers in some subjects.

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better?

Teachers support pupils to build the knowledge and skills needed to succeed across a wide range of subjects. Staff in the early years provide an exciting and vibrant space for children to interact and learn. Children show positive attitudes for learning when at play. They take turns and listen carefully to adult instruction. Staff model the vocabulary children need to enhance their play and develop their oracy well. Teachers check what pupils know in class. For example, teachers quiz pupils at the start of lessons. This helps pupils to draw on what they have previously learned and apply this to new learning. Teachers check what pupils know at the end of a sequence of learning. They use this information to identify what pupils know and 24 and 25 May 2023

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understand. This helps teachers to adapt future learning to help pupils to overcome any gaps or misunderstandings in their knowledge.

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Teachers develop pupils’ reading and mathematical knowledge and skills well. Children in the early years learn phonics daily. They learn how to read simple words and how to write words that they sound out. Teachers closely monitor pupils who have fallen behind in their reading. They provide effective support to help pupils to catch up quickly. Staff help older pupils to develop their reading fluency, so they read confidently. Teachers select texts to read in lessons that help to develop pupils’ reading comprehension well. While there have been low outcomes in national tests in mathematics at key stage 1, pupils are now catching up. Mathematics teaching is now precise. Teachers use questioning well to help pupils to think about what they learn. As a result, pupils develop the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in mathematics and apply learning across subjects.

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Staff provide a wide range of opportunities to nurture and stretch pupils’ interests and talents. Pupils experience trips that help to bring what they learn in class to life. For example, pupils visit local religious buildings, such as a Gurdwara, a church and a mosque. They learn about cultural differences and are respectful of one another. This includes pupils engaging in debates during assembly time that help to broaden their understanding of fundamental British values. Staff make sure that the environment is representative of the diversity of the children within the school.

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Pupils behave well in class. When pupils misbehave, they respond to being re- directed by teachers quickly. Leaders provide useful support for families of pupils whose attendance is poor. For example, they provide places at breakfast club to help pupils to have a positive and punctual start to the school day.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff use effective systems to help keep children safe. They make sure that staff and governors receive timely and helpful training. This helps staff to identify if a pupil may be at risk of harm. When a concern is raised about a child, leaders act swiftly. They provide pupils and families with guidance and involve outside agencies when needed.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about current issues relating to staying safe. For example, pupils learn about the dangers of being online in computing lessons. Visiting speakers from the Police help pupils to learn about staying safe in their community. 24 and 25 May 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 While leaders have provided helpful training and resources to support teachers in the adaptations needed for pupils with SEND, these are not consistently implemented in some subjects. This means that some pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they could. Leaders need to carefully check that teachers routinely implement the adaptations needed, so that pupils with SEND achieve well in all subjects.

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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. 24 and 25 May 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection This is the school’s first graded inspection since opening in September 2020.

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Information about this school

 This is a newly opened academy free school. The school opened on 1 September 2020. This was between two Covid-19 lockdowns. The school opened initially for pupils from Nursery to Year 4. Since opening, the school has grown in size and now has pupils in all year groups from Nursery to Year 6. Pupil numbers continue to grow. The school is moving towards two forms of entry for each year group.  The school is part of The Primary First Trust. The trust was established in 2013 and consists of ten schools. Of these, there are six primary schools, two infant schools and two junior schools.  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. 24 and 25 May 2023

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in the evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders, and a range of staff at the school. The inspectors met with the trust CEO and members of the trust executive team. The inspectors met with two trustees, the chair of governors and one member of the governing body.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, computing, art and design and history. For each deep dive, the 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. The inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspectors reviewed a wide range of documents, including those related to

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the governance of the school.  The inspectors considered the views of parents and carers through responses to Ofsted’s Parent View survey. The inspectors spoke to staff, parents and pupils during the inspection and took account of the staff and pupil confidential online surveys.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspectors 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

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Inspection team

Sara Wakefield Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 May 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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