Thames View Primary School

Inspection of Thames View Primary School Bloors Lane, Rainham, Gillingham, Kent ME8 7DX

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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 Previous inspection grade Good 16 and 17 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this friendly school. They receive a warm greeting in the morning from Rocky, Ruby and Rolo, the school dogs. This helps some pupils who are anxious to settle to the school day. Pupils relish the responsibilities given to them. For example, ‘Eco Warriors’ take pride in raising awareness of environmental issues across the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. Children in the early years have a positive start to their life in school and develop their knowledge and skills well. Pupils experience a broad and interesting curriculum. They gain the knowledge needed to apply what they learn in class and beyond. For example, pupils experience a range of activity days and trips linked to their curriculum. This helps to make learning relevant and purposeful. One pupil said, ‘This school is really fun because we have lots of activities.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and are safe. They make positive friendships with one another. They behave well and show consistently high levels of respect for others. Incidents of bullying are rare. Adults are swift to act when pupils’ relationships break down.

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better?

Leaders provide an ambitious curriculum in most subjects. In a short time, the newly appointed headteacher has strengthened curriculum leadership and the support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND accurately. They provide guidance to teachers in the adaptations needed to best support pupils with SEND. Teachers intervene successfully to help pupils to build their confidence to succeed in class. Subject leaders are knowledgeable and provide training that strengthens how teachers deliver each subject. Leaders help teachers to manage their workload. For example, they ensure teachers receive time for their personal development and training.

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better?

Although previous published results show that pupils did not achieve well in reading in 2022, currently most pupils catch up swiftly because of the recently strengthened approach to teaching phonics. Staff receive training that gives them strong subject knowledge in the teaching of phonics. This has led to pupils and children in the early years developing their phonic knowledge well. Pupils read books that help them to rehearse the sounds that they learn in class. However, some older pupils have limited opportunities to develop their reading beyond lessons and the books that they choose to read are not always linked to their reading ability. Leaders continue to work on improving reading in key stage 2.

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better?

Teachers develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding in subjects beyond reading effectively. Teachers in the early years encourage children to learn about subject- specific vocabulary. This prepares children for learning beyond the early years well. Teachers encourage pupils to draw on what they have learned before. This helps 16 and 17 May 2023

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pupils to connect what they know with new learning. Teachers use questioning to check what pupils know. They adapt lessons to make sure that pupils with SEND learn alongside their peers. Outcomes in the national tests have been low for mathematics. However, teachers now check what pupils know regularly and use this information to ensure that pupils who have fallen behind develop the mathematical knowledge needed to succeed. Teachers encourage pupils to rehearse what they have learned in mathematics across other subjects. This strengthens their mathematical knowledge.

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Staff meet the behavioural and emotional needs of pupils well. Pupils are clear about the expectations for behaviour and see these as fair. They are attentive in class and work positively with their peers. Pupils’ attendance has been low in the past year. Leaders have introduced helpful systems to support pupils with anxiety to attend with increased regularity.

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Pupils receive a wide range of opportunities to learn beyond the curriculum. Pupils keenly attend a range of clubs. They develop their awareness of a range of faiths and cultures through curriculum and assembly time. They experience specialist days that link to what they learn in class and develop their compassion for others. For example, ‘enterprise day’ encouraged pupils to think about the needs of those experiencing an international disaster. Pupils learn about democracy through the curriculum. As a result, pupils recognise the importance of equality.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders maintain careful records for all adults in the school. They provide staff with informative training. This helps staff to identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. When concerns are raised, leaders swiftly follow through on these. They support pupils and families who struggle with their mental well-being with a range of school based and external support.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are responsive to local safeguarding issues. They help pupils to learn about these in an age-appropriate manner. Teachers ensure that pupils learn about the risks of being online. As a result, there is a culture of safeguarding in this school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not always ensure that the books that older pupils select to read help to develop their interest in literature and reading. Additionally, some pupils in key stage 2 do not read with enough frequency and accuracy. Leaders need to ensure that all pupils in key stage 2 develop their reading fluency and love of reading. 16 and 17 May 2023

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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. 16 and 17 May 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 and 15 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The Howard Academy Trust. The school became an academy and joined the trust in April 2017. The trust was established in 2014 and consists of six schools. Of these, there are two secondary schools and four primary schools. The schools are located in Medway local authority. A summary evaluation of the Trust took place in July 2022.  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. 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 head of school, other leaders, and a range of staff at the school. The inspectors met with the trust chief executive officer and members 16 and 17 May 2023

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of the trust executive team. The inspectors met with a trust director, the chair of governors and two members of the governing body.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science, 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 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 confidential online surveys.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspectors met with the designated safeguarding

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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

Mrs Fisher-Pink Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 May 2023

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