Crockenhill Primary School

Inspection of Crockenhill Primary School The Green, Crockenhill, Kent BR8 8JG

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 November 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 19 and 20 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn and achieve well here. Children in the early years get off to a strong start to their schooling. Across the school, pupils develop the positive approach to learning that the school expects from them. For example, pupils receive praise and are celebrated for their creativity or perseverance. These values reflect the school’s aspirations for every pupil to do their best. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), who benefit from well-planned support. However, the school does not coordinate some aspects of its work as effectively as it should do. This includes the role that governors play in supporting and challenging the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils describe one another as being kind, helpful and polite. They are happy in their time in school. They interact well with staff and each other. Pupils enjoy taking part in the trips and workshops provided by the school, including overnight ‘adventure’ stays. The school helps pupils to be active citizens, both within the school and beyond. Older pupils take pride in their role as ‘buddies’ for children in Reception Year. Pupils are encouraged to undertake charitable activities to support their chosen good causes. This helps to foster a strong sense of community.

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

The school’s curriculum is well matched to what pupils need at each stage. Staff have a clear understanding of pupils’ starting points. In the early years, staff are skilled at introducing new vocabulary and ideas to extend children’s thinking. Well-designed lessons and activities help all children to be ready for key stage 1. The school has designed the curriculum to extend pupils’ cultural learning as well. For instance, pupils encounter classic fiction texts and the work of famous artists, such as Monet and Seurat. This helps pupils to develop their own sense of what it means to be an artist or a writer.

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

Teachers model and explain new ideas effectively. This enables pupils to understand what they need to do, whether forming a new letter or creating a template for lino printing. Most of the tasks and materials that teachers provide are in line with what the curriculum sets out for pupils. In reading, for example, the school selects books that are matched well to what pupils can read independently. In Reception Year, children revisit letters and sounds repeatedly. As a result, they develop a secure grasp of the foundations of reading. However, at times, in some other subjects, the work that teachers set is less effective in supporting pupils’ learning. Some tasks do not follow the sequence of the curriculum. Occasionally, resources lack the detail that pupils need to complete the work fully. In these instances, pupils’ understanding is less secure as a result.

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

The school uses effective methods to check what pupils know and can do. Staff are alert to identifying potential learning needs. The school uses this information to adapt the curriculum successfully, including for pupils with SEND. Weaker readers receive precise support to close gaps in their knowledge of letters and sounds. This helps them to become more confident readers. Although outcomes in the phonics screening check in 2024 were low, over time the school’s support helps weaker readers to catch up well. 19 and 20 November 2024

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Pupils’ good behaviour helps to create a positive climate for learning in the school. Suspensions have reduced sharply. This is thanks to the effective work of the school to support pupils who struggle with their behaviour. Attendance has significantly improved this academic year. The school works closely with families to support them in being in school and on time. However, the school does not draw together everything that it knows about pupils’ attendance and punctuality. Although overall attendance is on an upward trend, there is not a clear strategy to address the higher rates of absence and lateness for disadvantaged pupils.

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The school teaches pupils about different faiths and backgrounds. Pupils visit a variety of places of worship, including the local church and mosque. This helps pupils to understand and respect one another’s beliefs. Pupils are taught about keeping themselves safe online, and about what positive friendships and relationships look like. They are prepared well for life beyond the school gates.

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Leaders at all levels are committed to achieving the best for pupils. However, in several aspects of the school’s work, including curriculum, attendance and behaviour, leaders’ oversight and analysis are not as secure as they should be. This hinders the development of effective shared practice in these areas. The governing body does not have the required understanding of some aspects of its role. It has not ensured that robust systems are in place to oversee the school’s fulfilment of all its statutory responsibilities. As a result, this limits how effectively governors can hold the school to account for the quality of the education provided.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, in some subjects, the work and resources that teachers provide are not aligned with the learning aims set out in the curriculum. This means that some pupils are not developing their knowledge in as much depth as they could. In these subjects, the school should ensure that the tasks set, and the materials that pupils use to complete these, reflect the intended learning from the curriculum.  The school does not have a systematic approach to tracking and supporting improved attendance and punctuality for key groups of pupils. As a result, absence and lateness for some of these groups are not reducing in line with their peers. The school must ensure that there is a strategic approach to analysing and tackling the issues that underpin lower attendance and punctuality for some pupils.  The governing body does not have a strong understanding of its role and how to make sure that the school fulfils its statutory duties. As a result, the governing body is not

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

assuring itself that the right actions are being taken to manage resources, hold leaders to account and to ensure that the school’s vision is being enacted well. The governing 19 and 20 November 2024

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body must develop its knowledge of, and processes for overseeing, all areas of the school’s work with the appropriate rigour.

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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). 19 and 20 November 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school currently uses one unregistered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 19 and 20 November 2024

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 The inspectors met with school leaders, including the headteacher and deputy headteacher. The inspectors also met with the representatives of the governing board and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors considered the views of parents, including through Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, art and design, mathematics and religious education. 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. The inspectors also discussed the curriculum and provision for pupils with SEND and sampled work from other areas of the curriculum.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, governors, staff, parents and

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pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts the pupils’ interests first.  As part of the inspection evidence, inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for school staff.

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Inspection team

Daniel Botting, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Oliver Allen Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 November 2024

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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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