Bredhurst Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection of Bredhurst Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School The Street, Bredhurst, Gillingham, Kent ME7 3JY

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 January 2024

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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 Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 13 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. School 23 and 24 January 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ attitudes to school are exceptionally positive. Their views about their education have a sense of optimism and purpose. They relish the opportunities the school provides and enthusiastically discuss their learning. Pupils of all ages are inclusive of others and behave with the utmost respect towards each other. The school has high ambitions for all its pupils. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), embrace these high expectations and rise to meet them. As a result, they achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s ‘SPIRIT’ values of self-control, perseverance, inspiration, respect, inclusion and trust are superbly exemplified by pupils. They model these values as they contribute positively to the school and wider community. Pupils eagerly told inspectors about their responsibilities in the ‘Courageous Advocacy’ programme. These include litter picking in the village, singing at the local community centre and working with the Medway food bank.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in the care and belief the school shows them. They feel safe and happy at school. When pupils have concerns, they are confident in their ability to resolve these using the school’s emotional toolkits. Pupils feel comfortable talking to adults in school when support is needed. They told inspectors, ‘I never feel lonely at this school.’

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better?

The school has established a carefully sequenced and engaging curriculum. There is high ambition for what all pupils will achieve across different subjects. From Reception onwards, the school has identified thoroughly what pupils will learn, and in what order, for reading and mathematics. This helps pupils to build their understanding over time and make valuable links between key learning. In a few subjects, the content that the school expects pupils to learn is less precisely defined, which leads to some variation in pupils’ understanding.

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better?

Staff receive timely and high-quality training. They make effective use of this guidance to carefully build pupils’ learning over time. Staff understand how and when to check what pupils understand in reading and mathematics. The school recognises that this is less precise in some other subjects. The early identification and support of pupils with SEND are particularly effective. Consequently, these pupils are supported to achieve strongly.

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better?

Reading is a strength of the school. The programme for teaching reading is ambitious and comprehensive. Pupils read highly ambitious texts, such as ‘Oliver Twist’ and ‘Frankenstein’. This results in pupils being exposed to a broad vocabulary and a range of books they might not read independently. From Reception onwards, the books pupils read are well matched to the sounds they know. Pupils build their reading fluency and confidence effectively. This includes pupils who are from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those with SEND, who achieve equally well. School 23 and 24 January 2024

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Any pupils who fall behind are swiftly identified and supported to help them keep up with their peers. This well-considered provision is reflected in the school’s strong reading outcomes.

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Pupils’ attitudes to learning are exemplary, and they love coming to school. Pupils’ impressive attendance and punctuality reflect the school’s highly consistent systems and expectations. Behaviour around the school is calm and orderly, and pupils are extremely supportive of each other. They solve minor disagreements swiftly and have genuine empathy for each other. Lessons are highly focused and purposeful, and relationships between staff and pupils are very respectful and warm.

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The school is at the heart of its community. Pupils develop an excellent understanding of modern citizenship and how it relates to their life in the village. The school supports pupils to take the responsibilities of being part of the community seriously. A plethora of superb experiences and trips form part of a coherent strategy for broadening pupils’ attitudes. This includes visits to places of worship. Consequently, pupils show deep tolerance and understanding of diversity in many ways. The school provides an impressive range of extra-curricular activities. Pupils benefit from exciting opportunities to deepen their talents and interests. The school is exceptionally successful in encouraging all pupils, especially those who are disadvantaged, to participate in these experiences.

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The school works proactively and successfully with parents and carers. Governors are active and engaged in the school. They provide appropriate support and challenge for school leaders at all levels. The school’s considerations for staff’s workload and well-being are thorough and impact positively on practice in classrooms. As a result, the school is a positive and purposeful environment for staff and pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum in a few foundation subjects needs refinement. Consequently, in these subjects, pupils remember their learning less well over time. The school should precisely identify what it intends pupils to learn from Reception onwards. Staff should check pupils’ understanding by revisiting key content and use this information to inform future teaching. School 23 and 24 January 2024

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). School 23 and 24 January 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Co-chairs of governing body Julia Clarke and Alison Jackson

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 December 2011, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school is a Church of England school and is part of the Diocese of Rochester.  The last section 48 inspection was in January 2017.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspection team met with the headteacher, senior leaders, teachers and pupils. The lead inspector met with the members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and representatives of the local authority. School 23 and 24 January 2024

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record, took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspection team observed behaviour in lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They spoke formally with groups of pupils, as well as talking to pupils in lessons and around the school.  Inspectors spoke with parents at the start of the school day. They considered the views expressed in Ofsted Parent View.

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 Inspectors spoke with groups of staff and considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Toby Martlew, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Leah Morgan Ofsted Inspector School 23 and 24 January 2024

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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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