Cobham Primary School

Inspection of Cobham Primary School The Street, Cobham, Gravesend, Kent DA12 3BN

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Inspection dates: 30 April and 1 May 2024

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since November 2012. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Cobham Primary School is a special place to learn. Pupils flourish at this dynamic and highly engaging school that is at the heart of its community. The school’s ‘TRUST’ values lie at the heart of everything that the school does. Pupils learn and demonstrate daily the importance of trust, respect, unity, strength and truth. They feel very well cared for and happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has exceptionally high expectations of what pupils can and should achieve. Children learn this from the moment they start school in Reception. Through all years, pupils relish every opportunity to learn. They are very attentive in lessons. They are motivated, listen well and ask meaningful questions. As a result, pupils develop a deep understanding and detailed knowledge of the subjects they study. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, succeed in all areas of the very well- designed curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are a credit to the school. Staff encourage positive behaviour through praise, rewards and strong routines. This ethos enables pupils to conduct themselves in an exemplary manner. They have trusting relationships with each other and with staff. Older pupils act as positive role models for younger children. They are polite, articulate individuals who speak confidently to visitors.

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better?

The school and the governing body work strategically to ensure that their vision is realised in every aspect of the school’s work. As a result, pupils not only achieve very well academically, but their time at school is filled with rich and memorable experiences.

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better?

The school has developed a particularly well-ordered and highly ambitious curriculum for all pupils, starting from the early years. High-quality teaching ensures that pupils are confident to explain their learning clearly. Teachers deploy a variety of approaches that enable pupils to succeed. Teachers recap prior learning often. They explain new concepts clearly and make strong connections between subjects. They use skilful questioning in lessons to check pupils’ understanding and identify and address any gaps in learning. This ensures that pupils can build on what they already know and understand. A variety of wider strategies are also used to check how well pupils remember their learning after it has been taught. This information is used expertly to continually refine future learning activities.

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better?

The school has placed reading at the heart of the curriculum and encourages a love of reading across all year groups. All classroom staff are trained well so that they can teach phonics and model sounds with precision. Staff identify and address any gaps in pupils’ phonics knowledge swiftly. Books are carefully matched to the sounds that pupils are learning. This helps to ensure that pupils decode and read fluently. Teachers use highly ambitious texts to give pupils exposure to a broad and challenging range of captivating literature. Pupils successfully rise to the challenge. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a significant strength of the school. Staff work closely with external specialists, such as health professionals, to put the best provision into place. Communication between staff is highly effective so that everyone knows their role in supporting pupils with SEND. Staff adapt learning and resources for pupils with SEND superbly, so that they achieve their best. Pupils who require more significant emotional support benefit from an individually tailored programme of counselling.

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The way that the school develops pupils’ character is praiseworthy. All classes show a respect for the importance of learning. A calmness pervades at all times. Pupils have a deep respect for people’s differences. The oldest pupils display maturity and individuality as they prepare for secondary school. To help this, the school provides a wide, rich set of experiences that give pupils opportunities beyond the classroom. This includes a range of visits and residential trips to enhance classroom learning and pupils’ experiences. For example, nearly half the school participate in the London Mini-Marathon.

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Members of the governing body use their skills adeptly to support and challenge the school in equal measure. They carry out their statutory duties effectively and hold the school to account for the quality of education that pupils receive. Staff are immensely proud to be part of the school and its community. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about what the school provides for their children. For example, one parent commented, ‘Cobham is a fantastic school. The staff are a wonderful team that seem to enjoy their jobs and work brilliantly together. My daughter wishes there was a Cobham secondary school so that she could stay there forever.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 30 April and 1 May 2024

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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). 30 April and 1 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 November 2012, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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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 has 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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and history. For each deep dive, 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. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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 Inspectors also looked at additional curriculum plans for geography, music and art and design.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders within the school. The lead inspector also met with members of the governing board, including the chair, and an external educational representative from the local authority.  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 inspectors reviewed a range of the school’s documentation including self- evaluation reports, minutes of governing body meetings and behaviour incident logs.  The inspectors considered the views of parents shared through Ofsted Parent View and inspectors also spoke with parents on both days of the inspection.

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 The views of staff were gathered through interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection, as well as the staff survey.  Inspectors gathered pupils’ views throughout the inspection, including through the classroom visits, group discussions, the pupil survey and at playtime and lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Chris Parker, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jenny Ashley-Jones Ofsted Inspector 30 April and 1 May 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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