Bysing Wood Primary School

Inspection of Bysing Wood Primary School Lower Road, Faversham, Kent ME13 7NU

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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 Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Andrew Harrison. The school is part of EKC Schools Trust Limited, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Tammy Mitchell, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Graham Razey. 12 and 13 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming and inclusive school, where all pupils are valued and supported, whatever their needs may be. There is a positive culture built on a shared commitment for pupils to ‘Believe, Wonder, Progress, Succeed’. Pupils portray a great sense of belonging to the school community. They are happy to come to school and enjoy learning. They are very enthusiastic about the ‘forest school’, where, they said, they have fun but also learn to work together, persevere and take risks.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ well-being is crucial to the school and, as a result, pupils feel very well cared for and safe. Staff know the pupils very well and there are positive, trusting relationships between pupils and staff. Pupils know there are always adults who can help them with their mental health and well-being if they have a problem or concern.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils meet the school’s high expectations for learning and what they can achieve, whatever their starting points. Everyone is encouraged to do their very best. Pupils are proud of their achievements. Pupils behave well in lessons, around the school and in the playground. They work and play well together and show respect for each other and adults.

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better?

The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff identify the needs of pupils quickly and accurately. The curriculum is sequenced well so that it builds skills and knowledge from the early years onwards. The school has ensured that the curriculum is rich in content and has pupils’ needs, as well as their interests, at its heart. The school has rightly revised certain subjects, including mathematics, early reading and art, which have been successfully and effectively strengthened. The school is aware that some subjects need to be developed further to equal the quality of others. The school has strong capacity to do this.

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better?

Teachers explain ideas clearly. They make appropriate adaptations and provide skilled support for pupils with SEND so that there are equal opportunities for them to learn and access the full curriculum. Teachers check what pupils remember and know effectively. Children get a very positive start to school in Nursery or Reception. There is a strong focus on children’s speech, language and communication and their social and emotional development. Children who move into Reception from Nursery have a strong foundation on which to build. Staff are very knowledgeable about the typical development and welfare needs of young children, including the two and three-year-olds in the early years. By the end of Reception, children are generally ready for learning in Year 1.

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better?

Reading has high priority in the school. From the beginning, children experience stories, rhymes and songs, enjoy books and take books home to share. A structured and well-delivered phonics programme is taught from the start so children rapidly 12 and 13 June 2024

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learn the sounds that letters make. Teachers quickly identify and support pupils who struggle with reading, helping them to keep up. Carefully chosen high-quality texts, reading assemblies, the ‘reading snug’, and, not least, teachers’ enthusiasm for promoting reading positively encourage and inspire pupils to read for pleasure. As a result, pupils develop a love of reading and most are fluent, confident readers by the time they leave.

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Expectations for behaviour are consistent across the school and modelled well by staff. The school works relentlessly to improve attendance and punctuality, especially for disadvantaged pupils. Although remaining below the national average, attendance has improved slightly overall and significantly for some individuals.

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The provision for pupils’ personal development is a strength. The school works relentlessly to broaden pupils’ experiences, expand their horizons and address barriers that may exist for those who face challenges in their lives. Pupils enjoy many trips and visitors to school that help bring learning alive. A breakfast club and after-school clubs are provided to widen pupils’ interests and develop their skills. Through the trust, pupils explore a wider range of opportunities. Sporting activities have a very high profile in the school. Pupils learn about discrimination, respect and democracy and show an inclusive attitude towards differences. There are many opportunities for pupils to develop leadership skills.

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Staff, including those new to their careers, feel very well supported. They know that their workload and well-being are considered. There is a strong culture of mutual support and teamwork. The school and the trust share the same high ambitions and expectations for pupils’ learning and achievement and are very well placed to bring about further improvements.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is not as well developed in a few subjects as it is in others. This means that sometimes pupils are not yet achieving the ambitious aims set by the school across the whole curriculum. The school needs to ensure that the curriculum in every subject is designed and sequenced so that learning builds cumulatively and pupils consistently achieve as well as they can in all subjects.

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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. 12 and 13 June 2024

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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). 12 and 13 June 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of a multi-academy trust called EKC Schools Trust. Bysing Wood School joined the trust in March 2020.  There has been a significant increase in numbers since December 2020 as the school expands to two-form entry.  There is a Nursery, known as Chiffchaffs, which includes provision for two-year- olds.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  Bysing Wood Primary School converted to become an academy in March 2020. When its predecessor school, with the same name, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 12 and 13 June 2024

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Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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 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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the assistant headteachers, subject leaders and many staff.  Inspectors met with the chief executive officer of the trust, the chair of the board of trustees and members of the local governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and geography. For each deep dive, the 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.  Inspectors looked at curriculum information for a range of other subjects. They reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s own evaluation of its

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effectiveness and priorities for improvement. They also looked at information relating to behaviour, attendance and SEND.  Pupils’ behaviour was observed in lessons and during playtimes and lunchtimes.  The views of staff and pupils were gathered through both formal and informal discussions as well as the staff and pupil surveys.  The views of parents were gathered through the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including free text comments, the school’s own survey for parents, as well as the views of parents spoken with at the school gate.  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.

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Inspection team

Margaret Coussins, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Adnan Ahmet Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 June 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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