Goudhurst and Kilndown Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Goudhurst and Kilndown Church of England Primary School Beaman Close, Cranbrook Road, Goudhurst, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 1DZ

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since March 2014. 25 and 26 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ daily experience of school life is reflected in the school motto, ‘Adventurous together’. Pupils grow in confidence through the rich and exciting opportunities provided for them. They thrive academically and attain highly. The high-quality education on offer ensures that pupils are very well prepared for the next stages of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Expectations are high right from the start of school in Reception. Children quickly learn that being kind, working hard and achieving well are the norm. Pupils behaviour is exemplary in lessons, at play or moving around the school. They are unfailingly polite, good-humoured and considerate.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at school and smiles abound. Relationships throughout the school are warm and mutually respectful. Pupils look out for each other. For example, they check that everyone has a whiteboard and pen or help out someone who has tripped outside. They model the schools values of curiosity, compassion, courage and commitment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish the many opportunities they are given to contribute to the wider life of the school. They perform their roles with diligence and maturity. They exude pride, whether being a salad bar monitor or buddy, looking after the school chickens or writing letters to thank the many visitors to the school.

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

The school has ensured that an ambitious curriculum is in place. This has been carefully ordered. Pupils build on key knowledge well as they move from Reception through to Year 6. Staff have strong understanding of what pupils have already learned and know. They use this effectively to recap, check understanding and support pupils in applying their knowledge in a wide range of contexts. For example, in a dance lesson pupils built on knowledge about transitions learned in gymnastics and dynamics learned in music. This routine revision and extension supports pupils well in attaining highly across the curriculum.

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

Reading and learning to read are at the heart of the curriculum. As soon as children start in Reception, they begin to learn their phonics. Staff regularly check pupils’ accuracy and understanding. Any pupils who start to fall behind are given the support they need to catch up quickly. Pupils learn to read quickly and well. They are keen readers. They enjoy using the well-stocked library or discussing the wide range of books they read in class.

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

Pupils build rich vocabularies. Staff in Reception expertly model the use of key words and phrases, which children quickly include in their play and exploration. As pupils move up through the school they are introduced to increasingly complex content. They apply their language skills to evaluate their work and draw well-reasoned conclusions in subjects, such as science. Any pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs quickly identified and are well supported so that they can access learning and experience success. 25 and 26 February 2025

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The school has put a clear behaviour policy in place. This is well understood and consistently applied. Pupils know exactly what is expected of them and they rise to these expectations. They work well together and apply themselves wholeheartedly to the tasks and activities that they are set. Pupils attend school regularly and arrive on time. They are excited to come to school in the mornings.

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Pupils enjoy the wide range of clubs that are on offer, from humanities to football. For instance, they explain how learning tennis in lessons inspires them to attend linked clubs, both in and out of school. Opportunities for character development, such as building resilience, are carefully graduated and inbuilt. For example, younger pupils experience a ‘late night’ in school and then a sleepover in school before the extended residential trip in Year 6. Pupil well-being champions work alongside staff to check that their peers feel included, safe and cared for in all aspects of school life.

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The school is a cohesive, united community. Staff describe how everyone ‘pulls together’. Staff appreciate how their welfare is considered. Strong working across the federation has supported both their professional development and workload. Governors discharge their responsibilities highly effectively. They hold leaders to account and know the school well.

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Parents are rightly positive about the school. They appreciate the family feel and say that the school ‘brings out the best’ in their children. One parent summed up the views of many by saying, ‘We feel lucky to have a school which has high expectations for the pupils but is also a really caring and nurturing environment.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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, 25 and 26 February 2025

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looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.goudhurst-kilndown.kent.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19 and 20 March 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the 10:10 Federation with another primary school. The federation shares a governing body, executive headteacher and some other staff.  The head of school took up his post in September 2024.  The last Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools inspection was in January 2018.  The school provides wraparound care in the form of a breakfast and after-school club.  The school does not currently use any 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. 25 and 26 February 2025

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 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.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with a range of school staff. The lead inspector also met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and held a separate meeting with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects. The lead inspector

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listened to pupils read to a familiar adult as part of the early reading deep dive.  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.  The inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s parent, pupil and staff surveys, and spoke to some parents at the school gate.  The inspectors talked to staff to gather their views about the school, including their workload and well-being. The inspectors met with several groups of pupils, as well as speaking to pupils during lessons and at playtime and lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Deborah Perkins, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Caroline Clarke Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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