Kingfisher Community Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Kingfisher Community Primary School Kingfisher Drive, Princes Park, Walderslade, Chatham, Kent ME5 7NX

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 February 2025

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Outcome

Kingfisher Community Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The head of school is Fiona Armstrong. This school is part of the Griffin 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 (CEO), Anne Powell, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Michael McCreedy. There is also an executive headteacher, Janey Denton, who is responsible for this school and two others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is a vibrant, inclusive learning environment where every pupil is welcomed and cared for. Pupils arrive at school excited and ready to learn. They thoroughly enjoy learning the school’s interesting and challenging curriculum. Pupils care about their learning and work hard in lessons. They achieve well across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values of respect, perseverance, building relationships, responsibility, resilience and independence are important to the pupils. They strive to live by these values in their day-to-day lives and enjoy the recognition they receive for their efforts. Pupils behave well. They are kind to one another, supporting one another in their lessons and celebrating each other’s successes. Pupils say they rarely fall out; they only occasionally quarrel. They have a trusted adult they can talk to in school if they are worried or upset.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy and safe. Initiatives such as field to fork teach pupils about where food comes from and the importance of eating a healthy diet. Yoga and breathing exercises support pupils’ well-being and mental health. Visits from the fire service and the NSPCC teach pupils how to keep themselves safe. 11 and 12 February 2025

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

The school has designed a highly ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of its pupils, including the most disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Curriculum content has been carefully considered and sequenced. Pupils revisit important concepts over time. They build on their prior learning to deepen and extend their knowledge and understanding. Varied and interesting trips, events and experiences enhance the curriculum. These are designed to widen pupils’ horizons and raise their aspirations.

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

Staff benefit from the opportunity to collaborate with other schools in the trust. They value the training, coaching and support provided by school and trust leaders. Teachers are very knowledgeable about the subjects they teach. They explain new learning clearly and precisely. They help pupils make connections with their prior learning. This helps pupils tackle more complex tasks. Teachers routinely check that pupils have remembered and understood important knowledge. They use this information to adapt their teaching where needed. Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. They concentrate in lessons, persevering when faced with a challenge.

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

Staff know pupils well. They work closely with parents and carers. They actively seek specialist advice from external agencies to identify any barriers to learning, particularly for pupils with SEND. Staff use this information to make effective adaptations to the curriculum. Interventions are delivered by skilled staff. They provide carefully tailored resources and activities. This helps pupils with SEND to successfully achieve their individual targets.

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

The school makes learning to read a priority. It has developed a consistent, effective approach to the teaching of phonics. Children get off to a strong start learning to read. They are given lots of opportunities to apply their knowledge. They practise reading books that are well matched to their reading ability. Teachers continually check which sounds pupils have remembered. If pupils fall behind, skilled adults provide additional teaching tailored to pupils’ specific needs.

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

Staff select class books that enhance pupils’ learning of the curriculum. These books also broaden pupils’ understanding of the world around them and ignite pupils’ love of reading. Pupils talk animatedly about the books they have enjoyed. They are eager to read and enjoy recommending books to others.

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

Pupils’ language is developed effectively across the curriculum. Key vocabulary is taught explicitly and continually rehearsed. Pupils develop a good understanding of language and vocabulary. They are articulate, explaining their ideas and their understanding confidently. They are also keen to write. Some pupils’ knowledge of spelling and letter formation, however, is not as secure as it should be. The school has recently developed a new approach to teaching writing to address this. However, this is not yet embedded. Children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 do not have enough practice to become fluent in this key knowledge. 11 and 12 February 2025

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Pupils learn to become responsible citizens. They contribute to the local community. They collect food for the local food bank and go litter picking in the local area. Pupils learn about people with different faiths, cultures and disabilities. They visit different places of worship and celebrate festivals, including Diwali and Chinese New Year. Pupils are respectful of, and welcome, people’s differences. Pupils value the opportunity to take on roles of responsibility such as eco-warrior and reading leader.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum and its delivery do not provide sufficient opportunity to practise letter formation and spelling. This means some pupils do not become sufficiently fluent in this key knowledge. The school should continue to refine and embed the new sequence for teaching writing so pupils become more fluent in crucial spelling and letter formation knowledge.

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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 September 2019. 11 and 12 February 2025

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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). 11 and 12 February 2025

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School details

Headteacher Janey Denton (Executive Headteacher), Fiona Armstrong (Head of School) Website www.kingfisher-gst.org

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 September 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Griffin Schools Trust.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast club.  The school has a registered Nursery for three- and four-year-old children. There are currently no children attending the Nursery.

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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. 11 and 12 February 2025

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 The inspector met with the executive headteacher, the head of school and other leaders in the school and the trust, including the CEO and deputy CEO. She also spoke with a representative from the local governing board.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record; took into account 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 inspector met with pupils from different year groups to talk about their learning and experiences at school, both in small groups and informally at breaktimes.  The inspector considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. She also took into consideration the Ofsted online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Leah Morgan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 February 2025

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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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