Kender Primary School

School report DRAFT - not for publication

p.1

DRAFT - not for publication Inspection of Kender Primary School Kender Street, New Cross, London SE14 5JA

p.1

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 11 and 12 March 2025

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this happy and nurturing school. They benefit from positive and caring relationships with their classmates and with staff. Teaching staff across the school know pupils and their needs well. Pupils know that if they have a concern, they can speak to an adult who will take the time to listen and help them.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school expects pupils to behave well. Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable across the school. The values of ‘resilience’, ‘readiness’, and ‘respect’ are firmly embedded across all aspects of school life. Pupils, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), work hard and achieve well.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides opportunities for pupils to learn about faiths and cultures that may be different from their own. For example, through assemblies, pupils celebrate Eid, Chinese New Year and Christmas. Children in the Reception Year learn about Ramadan. They celebrate this festival by producing artwork of the moon and stars.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

There are a range of roles of responsibility here. Pupils are democratically elected by their classmates to be school councillors. School councillors promote the importance of wearing school uniform. Older pupils volunteer to give up some of their playtime to support younger pupils. This is because the school promotes kind, respectful relationships.

p.2

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

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils visit the school library. Children in the early years listen attentively to stories. They join in with repetitive phrases and use actions to show their journey as they go on a ‘Bear Hunt’ with delight. These experiences develop a love for reading.

p.2

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

The school ensures that pupils learn to read as quickly as possible. Children begin to learn to read as soon as they join the Reception Year. Teachers have received effective training in early reading. They teach the reading programme consistently and in a logical order. Books are carefully matched to the sounds that pupils know. This helps pupils to read with growing fluency. If any pupils find reading difficult, they are typically given the help they need to keep up.

p.2

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

The school has in place a broad curriculum. The school has identified the key content that it expects pupils to learn and when. In the Reception Year, children learn to recognise what comes before and after a given number. This learning prepares children well for the mathematical learning to come in Year 1. The school identifies pupils with SEND quickly. Teachers adapt teaching approaches so that these pupils access the same curriculum as their peers.

p.2

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

Teachers have good subject knowledge and explain new learning clearly. They expose pupils in Year 5 to ambitious vocabulary such as ‘fury’, ‘mere’ and ‘merriment’. Teachers check that pupils understand new words so that pupils use them in their writing. However, 11 and 12 March 2025

p.2

3

in a few subjects teaching does not check what pupils know sharply enough. Therefore, some pupils have gaps in their learning and struggle to recall important knowledge and skills.

p.3

3

Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. Classrooms are purposeful places to learn. This starts from the Nursery where children learn to share, take turns, and collaborate well with their classmates.

p.3

3

Attendance is a high priority for the school. Leaders identify any barriers to attendance and put in place appropriate strategies to help pupils attend regularly. Leaders know that some families take term time holidays which can impact on learning. The school is doing all that it can to ensure that attendance improves.

p.3

3

The programme for pupils’ personal development is exemplary. Visits to London’s landmarks and places of worship enhance the curriculum. The school provides purposeful opportunities for pupils to express themselves. For example, pupils took part in a peaceful demonstration to show how plastic harms the environment.

p.3

3

Pupils contribute to the wider community by adding their artistic ideas to a mural on a local bridge. Pupils' artwork, inspired by a trip to the River Thames, was displayed as part of a gallery for parents and carers to enjoy. The school provides opportunities for pupils to work alongside professional artists, film writers, and camera crew operators. These experiences expose pupils to different careers and raise ambition.

p.3

3

Pupils learn about consent in an age-appropriate manner. They are taught not to share personal information online. External professionals deliver workshops about knife crime. This helps older pupils learn to manage risks beyond the school.

p.3

3

Governors and school leaders are ambitious for the school. Governors have appropriate processes in place to check that the school is effective. Teachers value how the school manages their workload and supports their well-being.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, especially for those subjects at the early stages of implementation, the checking of what pupils know and remember can be variable. This means that some 11 and 12 March 2025

p.3

4

pupils do not learn the intended curriculum as well as they could. The school should strengthen practice so that gaps in knowledge and skills are swiftly addressed, enabling pupils to know and remember more.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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 March 2025

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school runs a breakfast and after-school club daily.  The school makes use of one registered alternative provision.

p.5

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. 11 and 12 March 2025

p.5

6

 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.  Inspectors held meetings with the senior leadership team.  An inspector met with representatives of the governing body and spoke to a representative from the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the

p.6

6

curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The lead inspector listened to some pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

p.6

Inspection team

Deborah Walters, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Nick Hitchen Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7