Cecil Road Primary and Nursery School

Inspection of Cecil Road Primary and Nursery School Cecil Road, Northfleet, Gravesend, Kent DA11 7BT

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 25 and 26 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this caring community. They feel happy and safe. Pupils embody the school values, including cooperation and compassion. This is evident in the focused atmosphere in classrooms. Pupils throughout the school encourage and help each other to complete their work. It is also clear in the deep levels of respect pupils show for all. Staff apply the school’s high expectations of pupils’ behaviour consistently. This begins in Nursery with deeply embedded routines. As a result, pupils behave exceptionally well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are passionate about the subjects they learn. They work hard to complete the engaging tasks that teachers select and discuss their learning excitedly. Pupils’ work shows they learn the important skills and knowledge they need. They are well prepared for their next steps.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school ensures that pupils recognise and value everyone’s individual qualities. For example, pupils can share their cultural traditions with each other as part of the school’s popular cultural days. They also learn how to say hello in the many languages spoken in the school. The experiences of other groups, such as young carers, are also celebrated by the school. Pupils honour the diversity of the school community and show great levels of compassion to all.

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

The school knows its context and community well. It has designed an ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of its pupils. From Nursery to Year 6, the school prioritises the development of oracy and language. As a result, pupils, including the high number who speak English as an additional language, can access the curriculum effectively. They learn the vital curriculum content they need.

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

The school is inclusive and ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve well. Skilled staff quickly identify the individual needs of pupils. They use this knowledge to make appropriate adaptations to the curriculum. This breaks down barriers to learning for pupils.

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

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They explain learning clearly and check on pupils’ understanding with precision. These checks ensure that pupils are clear on their next steps, and teachers quickly support them to fill any gaps in their knowledge. However, the teaching of vital skills, such as letter formation and spelling, is not always effective. The school has begun to address this, but the approach is not yet embedded. As a result, a small number of pupils in most year groups do not always complete their written work as accurately as they could.

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

Pupils love reading. This begins in early years, where children engage excitedly with a range of traditional stories, rhymes and songs. Expert staff teach phonics accurately. Consequently, pupils in the early stages of reading swiftly become fluent readers. Older pupils read interesting stories that reflect the diversity of cultures in the school. They recall the books they read and discuss them happily. The school quickly identifies pupils 25 and 26 March 2025

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who fall behind with their reading. Staff ensure they catch up through timely interventions and support.

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Pupils achieve well. Starting in Nursery, children become confident and independent learners. They communicate their ideas clearly. The majority of children in early years apply the crucial skills of mathematics and English they need. Pupils’ work shows this continues throughout the school. Pupils recall the key content they learn and apply it accurately.

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Pupils’ excellent conduct extends beyond the classroom. They walk quietly throughout the school. Corridors are calm and orderly. Pupils play together joyously at breaktime. Pupil play leaders ensure that all pupils have someone to play with. The school has been relentless in its efforts to improve attendance. It analyses attendance with precision. Staff use this data to plan innovative strategies to reduce absence. While attendance is still below national averages, it is notably improving.

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The school prioritises the personal development of pupils. Pupils enjoy a range of engaging activities to develop their skills and talents. This includes clubs as diverse as podcasting and choir. Many pupils also have opportunities to represent the school in a range of sports. Pupils value these opportunities. The school also enriches the curriculum with a range of trips and visits. These deepen pupils’ learning or provide them with examples of future careers. The school offers a range of high-quality pastoral support. Pupils learn how to manage their emotions effectively. Pupils also have skilled staff who can provide them with extra help when needed.

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The dedicated staff enjoy working at the school. Leaders support staff well. They ensure teachers have appropriate training to deliver the ambitious curriculum accurately. Governors share high ambitions for the school. They hold leaders at all levels to account effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The teaching of writing is not always effective in ensuring pupils have age-appropriate writing skills. As a result, a small number of pupils in most year groups are not accurate enough in their letter formation and spelling. This means that their work does not always communicate their ideas as well as it could. The school should ensure that the teaching of writing provides all pupils with the key skills of transcription that will enable them to communicate their learning consistently well. 25 and 26 March 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). 25 and 26 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 December 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use alternative provision.  The school’s headteacher and senior leadership team have changed since the previous inspection.  The school manages breakfast and after-school clubs for pupils.

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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. 25 and 26 March 2025

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 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.  The inspection team met with the headteacher as well as with other leaders and staff. The lead inspector also held a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, history, art and physical 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 lead inspector considered the views of parents and carers through their responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. The inspectors spoke to staff and pupils

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during the inspection and took account of staff responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey.  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.

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Inspection team

Gavin Thomas, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Louise Lythgoe Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 March 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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