Borough Green Primary School

Inspection of Borough Green Primary School School Approach, Borough Green, Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 8JZ

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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 6 and 7 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a warm community where pupils are cared for. The school is inclusive and teaches pupils to appreciate differences. They learn about different faiths, cultures and abilities, ensuring everyone feels welcome in the school. One pupil said, ‘Everyone is welcome here, and everyone is quite different.’ As a result, pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), feel included and actively participate in the school community. Pupils are enthusiastic members of the wider community. They are keen to do ‘Bash the Trash’ litter-picking and work with local care homes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff enjoy warm and positive relationships. Pupils know they can speak to someone about any worries and are confident these will be addressed quickly. The school has undergone a leadership transition, and high ambitions for behaviour and learning have been clearly established. Pupils respond well to leaders’ expectations and behave well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has introduced substantial changes to the curriculum this year. The ambition for the new curriculum is reflected in pupils’ enthusiasm and improved learning. As a result, pupils remember the new curriculum content well and are proud of their achievements.

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better?

The school has created a carefully sequenced curriculum. This is well designed from Reception onwards and contains the precise knowledge and skills that staff intend pupils to learn. In each year group, pupils gradually build their understanding so that by the end of Year 6, they are ready to transition to the next stage of education. For example, in art and design, pupils gradually develop their knowledge of sketching, starting with early mark making in Reception, use hatching in key stage 1 and develop texture and shading in key stage 2. This skill development is brought alive by studying artists who exemplify the skills that pupils aim to refine.

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better?

Staff support individual pupils effectively, especially those with SEND. The school prioritises high-quality training for staff to broaden pupils’ language skills. As a result, staff use resources particularly well to aid pupils to learn new vocabulary. Consequently, pupils who are disadvantaged, including those with SEND, achieve well. Pupils are proud of their achievements. In many subjects, including mathematics and English, the school has provided training to develop staff subject knowledge. This helps teachers to emphasise the most important content, and so they are precise when revisiting previous learning. As a result, pupils achieve well and can recall and explain what they have learned over time. Their books demonstrate detailed knowledge and skills in these areas. However, this is not as consistent in a small number of other subjects.

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better?

From Reception onwards, pupils gradually develop into fluent and accurate readers. Phonics sessions are taught effectively, and this helps pupils to learn the sounds 6 and 7 March 2024

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securely. They read books closely matched to the sounds they know. Adults routinely check what pupils know and can do. This information is used well to support pupils who need additional support to catch up with their peers. As a result, pupils achieve well in reading.

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The school promotes consistently good behaviour. From Reception onwards, pupils are taught to use their language skills to resolve disagreements and express their emotions. The school uses adjustments to support pupils with SEND that are subtle and effective. Weekly assemblies led by pupils celebrate the many positives of the week. Pupils value this recognition. As a result, their attitudes towards school are highly positive. Pupils interact respectfully, leading to a welcoming learning environment. Though attendance has improved, some pupils who are disadvantaged miss out on too much learning. Leaders are working effectively with families to address this.

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The school is determined to provide a broad range of opportunities. Staff use carefully chosen experiences to support learning and broaden pupils’ horizons. This includes science experience days at local schools and interesting residential trips. Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, are supported to engage in extra- curricular clubs and experiences. Pupils learn to keep safe online and in the community, and demonstrate a detailed understanding of concepts such as consent and healthy relationships. As a result, pupils at the school are well rounded and mature in their reflections and work with others.

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Leaders care deeply about the school and its community. Leaders at all levels have a strong commitment to the school’s values, ethos and ambition. Governors are well trained and active in their roles. They provide an appropriate level of challenge and support to help move the school forward. Staff feel well supported, and the school benefits from a positive relationship with its community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not attend regularly enough. They miss too much of their learning, resulting in gaps in knowledge. The school must continue to work with families to support them to improve pupils’ attendance, especially those who are disadvantaged, including those with SEND.  The quality of teaching in a few subjects is not yet as strong as the rest. This means that pupils’ learning is inconsistent. The school should equip staff with secure subject knowledge to teach across the curriculum, ensure they emphasise the most important content and check that pupils have learned and remembered it. 6 and 7 March 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 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). 6 and 7 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Co-chairs of governing body Charles Copping and Claire Nash

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School details

Interim executive headteacher Ben Cooper

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 July 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school currently has an interim leadership structure.

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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

 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 leaders 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 co-chairs of governors and representatives of the local authority. 6 and 7 March 2024

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, history, mathematics, art and design and geography. 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 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 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

Cathy Reid Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 March 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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