Yalding, St Peter and St Paul Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Yalding, St Peter and St Paul Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Vicarage Road, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent ME18 6DP

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 December 2024

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Outcome

Yalding, St Peter and St Paul Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about coming to school and learning here. The school has high expectations for pupils’ conduct and achievement. Staff and pupils work together to make sure these expectations are fulfilled. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), who benefit greatly from the tailored support they receive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils describe the school as being like a big family. Their behaviour in class is highly focused. Organised routines are put in place from the start of the early years. This helps children to be considerate and respectful of others. These routines also develop pupils’ independence, such as when walking over to the Baptist Hall for their physical education lessons. Pupils do their best to follow the example of the school’s ‘learning superheroes’, such as Professor Perseverance. They enjoy having their achievements recognised through gold cards and celebration assemblies.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils enjoy acting as buddies for children in Reception Year. In the playground, pupils take responsibility for organising games and sharing the space. Through the school council, pupils feel that they have a say in how their school develops, like suggesting new clubs. This helps to strengthen the sense of community within the school. Primary School 10 and 11 December 2024

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

Teachers sequence curriculum effectively so that pupils’ knowledge builds over time. Play and learning in the early years helps children to be well prepared for key stage 1. For instance, children in Reception Year are taught about the properties of shapes. This enables them to explore similarities and differences between shapes in Year 1. The school supports the development of pupils’ vocabulary at every stage. This helps to strengthen pupils’ understanding of musical terms and what these mean for their playing.

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

The school makes reading a central priority. Pupils are enthusiastic about reading, retelling stories, and explaining their favourite characters. Teachers are precise in modelling sounds and showing how to form letters. This supports pupils to become confident in their writing. Weaker readers receive additional help and opportunities to practise. Over time, this helps them to catch up in their reading. Pupils with SEND benefit strongly from the reading programme. This reflects how well they and their needs are understood by staff working with them.

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

Teachers ensure that pupils revisit important knowledge. By practising key number facts, for example, pupils become more adept at using these independently. Teachers use a range of methods to check what pupils have learned. Where this is most effective, it helps the school to refine and adjust what is taught next. Sometimes, teachers do not make sure that pupils have fully understood a topic or task. When this happens, misconceptions or gaps in pupils’ knowledge can persist.

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

Pupils’ behaviour reflects the high standards that the school sets for them. They see the behaviour system as fair and effective. The school provides dedicated nurture spaces for pupils to use, for example, if they feel overwhelmed. Pupils recognise that this benefits everyone, not just those who find it more difficult to manage themselves.

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

The school’s approach to attendance has delivered sustained improvements. Staff work closely with families to understand and overcome attendance issues. Alongside the nurturing approach in school, this has been particularly successful for pupils with SEND. Although some pupils’ attendance remains lower than the school would like, the school continues to do all it can to reduce pupil absence.

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

The school helps pupils to develop a clear sense of right and wrong. The school’s values help to promote respectful and tolerant attitudes. Pupils are taught about how to keep safe in person and online. The school helps them to develop their social skills. This is especially evident in the early years, where staff model and structure discussions and interactions. Throughout the school, pupils value the chance to take part in charitable ventures, such as supporting the local food bank. This helps them to develop a sense of the contribution they can make to society.

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

Leaders and those responsible for governance put the interests of the pupils at the centre of their decisions. They continue to develop aspects of the curriculum, such as assessment, in order to help all pupils achieve their potential. Alongside this, leaders are considerate of the well-being of staff. For example, staff feel that the school’s approach to Primary School 10 and 11 December 2024

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feedback is manageable in terms of workload as well as effective for pupils. This approach reinforces the community ethos of the school in the same way that pupils feel listened to and cared about.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, teachers are not systematic about checking and correcting what pupils understand within some lessons. When this happens, pupils’ gaps in learning, errors or misconceptions are not addressed thoroughly. The school should make sure that staff are consistent in supporting all pupils to secure their understanding of the curriculum.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in January 2019.

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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. Primary School 10 and 11 December 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 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). Primary School 10 and 11 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 January 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a Church of England voluntary controlled school. The most recent section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character took place in March 2019. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place before March 2027.  The school run a breakfast club on the school premises.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with school leaders, including the headteacher, special educational needs coordinator and senior teachers. The inspector also met with the representatives Primary School 10 and 11 December 2024

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of the governing body, and spoke to representatives from the local authority and the Diocese of Rochester.  The inspector considered the views of parents, including through Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, selected groups of pupils to talk to about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also discussed the curriculum and provision for pupils with SEND.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, governors, staff, parents and 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, the inspector also considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for school staff.

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Inspection team

Daniel Botting, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Primary School 10 and 11 December 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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