King's Farm Primary School

Inspection of a good school: King’s Farm Primary School Cedar Avenue, Gravesend, Kent DA12 5JT

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Inspection dates: 27 and 28 February 2024

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Outcome

King’s Farm Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to belong to this vibrant, friendly and happy school community. Leaders truly believe in giving pupils every opportunity to succeed. All staff contribute to fostering a supportive atmosphere, giving pupils the confidence to try their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for how pupils conduct themselves. Pupils rise to these expectations and uphold the school values daily. They understand differences among their peers and treat one another with respect and kindness. Pupils are impeccably polite and well-mannered. They hold doors open and greet visitors to their school with enthusiasm.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lunchtimes are joyous, with plenty of activities to keep pupils entertained. There are a variety of sports games led by the school coach and other members of staff. Musical and drama activities such as karaoke and dressing up are available to nurture pupils’ talents and interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. They are aware of the potential risks when using social media. Some pupils act as online ambassadors. They proudly lead assemblies on giving ideas on how to stay safe when online. Older pupils have opportunities to become peer and Nursery mentors to help younger ones settle into school routines. Pupils appreciate these roles of responsibility and say that they help them to set positive examples for their classmates.

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

Leaders’ relentless ambition for pupils to succeed translates into a well-considered aspirational curriculum. The curriculum sequence enables pupils to learn knowledge in the right order. Subjects have a clear plan that sets out the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils will learn at each stage. Leaders have thought carefully about what pupils will learn in different subjects. They develop pupils’ curiosity about the world and make links to the local area. Staff receive ongoing high-quality professional development 27 and 28 February 2024

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to strengthen their expertise. Through all of this, pupils are well supported to achieve both academically and socially.

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All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), progress well through the curriculum. Effective support is in place for those who need it. Those pupils that attend the eagle class (specially resourced provision) receive specialist and bespoke support, enabling them to succeed alongside their peers. These pupils can eagerly recall and discuss their prior learning. For example, pupils can explain what they know about key historical leaders linked to their local area and link this to the chronology of important events explored through the history curriculum. Staff in the eagle class work closely with teachers across the school. This helps to ensure the education their pupils receive replicates the high-quality education elsewhere in the school. An example of this is in mathematics, where pupils gain the mathematical knowledge and skills they need to confidently solve problems. They commented to inspectors that mathematics is their

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In the early years, staff are highly ambitious for all children. The curriculum is well- designed and ensures that children make progress. In the Nursery, children begin to identify sounds. This sets them up well for the Reception Year, where they start learning phonics straight away. Pupils learn the knowledge they need to be able to blend sounds to read simple words. Staff have the expertise to ensure that there is a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics and reading. The school regularly checks pupils’ phonics knowledge and identifies those who need extra support. These pupils receive the help they need. Teachers read and discuss high-quality texts with their classes. As a result, pupils build their reading knowledge and develop a passion for books. This enthusiasm continues as they move through the school.

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Improving pupils’ attendance is a high priority for school leaders, who are taking suitable action to tackle these pupils’ absence. The school identifies and addresses barriers to pupils’ attendance, seeking support from external agencies where necessary. These actions have resulted in some improvements in pupils’ attendance. However, there are still too many pupils who do not attend regularly, meaning they miss out on vital learning.

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The whole school community is rightly proud of how well the pupils behave. Pupils listen very well in class and socialise with their classmates with genuine happiness. They interact with politeness and consideration. This includes how they behave towards visitors. The school provides purposeful outdoor play opportunities for all ages.

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The school’s wider personal development curriculum provides experiences to support pupils in developing into responsible citizens. They learn key messages and skills that help them as they grow up. For example, they show a strong understanding of fundamental British values. Pupils appreciate the vast range of clubs and additional opportunities that the school provides. This includes a wide range of school trips that enhance the pupils’ learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 27 and 28 February 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils are not yet attending school as regularly as they should. As a result, they are missing out on crucial learning. The school needs to continue to work with parents to strengthen its actions to support improvement in the attendance of these pupils.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2018.

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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’ 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). 27 and 28 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 22 and 23 May 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 King’s Farm Primary is part of the Ifield School and King’s Farm Primary School Federation.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils who have autism. Currently, 13 pupils who have education, health and care plans attend this provision.  The school’s nursery has provision for two-, three- and four-year-old children.  There is breakfast and after-school club for pupils that the school runs.  The school currently does not use any alternative providers.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 27 and 28 February 2024

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 During this inspection the inspector held meetings with the headteacher, senior leadership team, teachers, support staff and pupils.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, and history. In each subject, the inspector met with subject leaders, talked to pupils, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to some pupils read to adults. Other aspects of the school’s curriculum were also considered.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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 lead inspector took account of a range of other information, including the school’s

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development plans, school policies and minutes of governors’ meetings.  The lead inspector considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire and the free-text comments that were submitted. They also took account of the responses to the confidential staff survey and gathered the views of both staff and pupils throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Numera Anwar, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 27 and 28 February 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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