Tenterden Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Tenterden Infant School Recreation Ground Road, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6RA

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The headteacher of this school is Tina McIntosh. This school is part of Tenterden Schools Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Stuart Reeves, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Clive Thomas.

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Outcome

Tenterden Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils delight in attending this school. They enjoy spending time with one another and form positive friendships. One parent commented, ‘every day my child eagerly skips into school to see her teachers and friends, filled with excitement.’ Pupils relish playtime, where they play on the climbing equipment and engage in imaginative games with their friends. Pupils behave well. They are polite and courteous towards adults and caring towards their peers. Adults care deeply for pupils, helping pupils to learn, grow and flourish. They make sure that pupils are safe and happy. As one pupil said, ‘I love that we take care of our friends here.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for pupils, and values pupils’ talents and interests. Pupils achieve well across a broad range of subjects. This prepares them for a seamless transfer to key stage 2 in the federated junior school. They show interest in what they learn. Pupils develop the ability to make choices and form their own opinions. They produce work that adorns the corridors and fills class books. Pupils proudly perform to others in shows across the school year. This builds a pride in pupils for the work that they produce.

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

The school provides an ambitious and relevant curriculum. They have refined their curriculum in the past two years. Subject leaders provide meaningful links between the early years curriculum and learning in key stage 1. For example, the school identifies what children need to learn in order to succeed in science and history. This prepares children for the transition into Year 1 well. However, the progression of knowledge and skills is less refined in some subjects across key stage 1, such as art and design, and design and technology. As a result, teachers are not always clear about the key knowledge that pupils 10 and 11 July 2024

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need to learn and retain. This means that some pupils can struggle to recall what they have learned.

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Teachers are knowledgeable about what they teach. The trust supports subject leaders to develop their knowledge and skills in leading the curriculum. Subject leaders provide purposeful training that helps teachers to refine their practice. Leaders are mindful of the workload of teachers. This ensures that teachers have the time needed to embed new initiatives and focus their attention productively in class.

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Teachers identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. They provide helpful adaptations in class that lead to pupils learning alongside their peers with confidence. Teachers use highly effective questioning. This enables them to check what pupils know. Teachers use this information to adapt future learning to ensure that pupils embed what they learn in most subjects.

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Pupils achieve well in reading and mathematics. Teachers encourage children in early years to be attentive in class and inquisitive when at play. This helps them to embed what they learn and apply this to future learning. Older pupils develop their ability to read confidently. Staff support pupils with SEND exceptionally well. Adults work alongside pupils who need additional support, guiding them in class to build their knowledge and independence. Adults support pupils who have fallen behind in their reading to catch up swiftly. Pupils with emotional needs are supported in the school’s nurture provision. As a result, pupils develop their confidence and focus when they return to class.

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Pupils behave well in class. Children in the early years listen attentively to adults and engage well in activities outdoors. Pupils learn about the school rules and consider these as fair. On the rare occasion when pupils misbehave, adults talk this through with pupils to help them to amend their behaviour. While the attendance of disadvantaged pupils has been low in the past, this is now improving. The school work closely with families of pupils whose attendance is low to understand the causes and to make improvements.

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Pupils experience a range of wider opportunities. They visit local sites, such as castles and museums. Visits link meaningfully to what pupils learn in class, helping them to broaden their knowledge. Visitors to the school also enhance learning. For example, children in the early years delighted in exploring pond life with a visitor from a local environmental trust. Pupils elected to represent their class as school councillors take pride in this responsibility. This helps them to learn about the importance of democracy. They attend a wide range of clubs that encourage them to develop their interests and talents.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 10 and 11 July 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The clarity of the progression of skills and knowledge to be learned in some subjects beyond reading and mathematics is not yet clearly defined. This means that pupils do not develop the knowledge needed and sometimes struggle to retain what they have learned. Leaders need to refine the curriculum progression so that pupils systematically build on what they have learned in order to achieve well in all subjects.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school good in February 2012.

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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). 10 and 11 July 2024

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School details

Website www.tenterdenprimaryfederation.kent.sch. uk Date of previous inspection 5 February 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Tenterden Schools Trust, a trust with six schools.  The school provides a breakfast and after-school club on site.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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 any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, trust leaders, other school leaders, governors, trustees and a range of staff at the school. 10 and 11 July 2024

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector 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. The inspector also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspector reviewed a wide range of documents, including those related to the governance of the school.  The inspector considered the views of parents and carers through their responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. The inspector spoke to staff and pupils during the inspection and took account of staff and pupil’s responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.  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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Graham Chisnell, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 July 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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