Bapchild and Tonge Church of England Primary School and Nursery

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Bapchild and Tonge Church of England Primary School and Nursery School Lane, Bapchild, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 9NL

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Outcome

Bapchild and Tonge Church of England Primary School and Nursery 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 thrive in this welcoming and caring school. The school has a strong culture built around its values. Adults are compassionate and are responsive to the needs of pupils. Pupils form positive relationships with one another. Children in the early years settle well to life in school. Older pupils support younger children. For example, buddies link with children in the early years to help them to settle into the life of the school. As a result, the school is a place where pupils are valued and cared for.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for its pupils. The school develops pupils’ characters, confidence and resilience. For example, pupils learn about how to articulate their own emotions, and they are responsive to the feelings of others. Pupils achieve well across a broad range of subjects. They produce high-quality work that adorns the corridors. They explore their learning through a variety of engaging activities. They talk with interest and enthusiasm about what they learn in class.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is positive. The school sets clear rules for pupils. Pupils appointed as anti-bullying ambassadors keep a caring watch on other pupils during playtime. This builds a culture in the school where pupils feel safe and happy.

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

The school provides an engaging curriculum. The school ensures that the pupils’ needs and interests guide the content of what they learn. This helps to make the curriculum relevant to pupils and maintains their interest. The early years curriculum helps children to gain the knowledge needed to transfer to key stage 1 with confidence. Leaders make 25 and 26 March 2025

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sure that teachers are clear about what they teach. They are mindful of the workload of teachers and help them to manage this well. Subject leaders are knowledgeable. They guide teachers in the delivery of the curriculum. As a result, teachers help pupils to gain the knowledge needed to succeed.

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Pupils become confident, fluent readers. They enjoy reading. Children in the early years gain the phonics skills needed to read simple words. They develop a love of stories and enjoy enacting stories when learning through play. Older pupils gain the skills needed to read with fluency. However, some pupils do not always apply what they learn when exploring texts in more depth. This is because the school has not thought carefully enough about how some pupils will become more skilled readers over time.

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Pupils develop their knowledge across a broad range of subjects with confidence. Children in the early years explore number and shapes. They apply their knowledge through a variety of engaging play activities. Older pupils are able to apply what they learn in mathematics across other subjects. For example, they use graphs in science and timelines in history. This helps them to embed their mathematical skills. They produce commendable artwork and speak articulately about the work of artists from a range of cultures and times.

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Teachers help pupils to embed what they learn. They carefully check what pupils know. Teachers are clear about the key milestones in learning. They use this knowledge to check that pupils achieve these milestones. They ask meaningful questions that encourage pupils to explore new vocabulary and concepts well. They quiz pupils to check that they can remember what has been learned previously. Teachers identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. They provide helpful adaptations in lessons. This ensures that pupils learn confidently alongside their peers. Where needed, pupils with SEND receive interventions that help them to gain the knowledge and skills needed.

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The school has high expectations for the behaviour of pupils. Pupils listen respectfully in class and respond positively to staff’s instructions. When required, staff support pupils sensitively to amend their behaviours. There is a whole-school approach to improving attendance. Staff provide support for families of pupils whose attendance falls below the expected level. As a result, pupils’ attendance is swiftly improving.

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The school celebrates diversity. Pupils learn about this through the curriculum and in assembly themes. Parents and carers visit the school to talk to pupils about their own cultures and religion. Pupils learn about life in modern Britain. However, sometimes pupils are not confident about using key vocabulary linked to fundamental British values.

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Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities. They relish the roles of responsibility given. For example, pupils trained as play activity leaders encourage positive interactions during social times. 25 and 26 March 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The reading curriculum has not been designed in a way that enables some pupils to build their reading skills as well as they could. This means that some pupils do not master the full range of reading skills and are not able to apply them when reading and exploring texts. The school should ensure that the curriculum supports pupils to become progressively more skilled and confident readers.  Pupils are not always confident when talking about important concepts relating to British values. This is because the school’s personal development programme does not emphasise the importance of pupils learning relevant key vocabulary. Consequently, pupils do not always deepen their understanding of these topics. The school should ensure that delivery of the personal development programme enables pupils to secure a stronger understanding of British values.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in April 2015. 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

Chair of governing body Suzannah Butcher

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 July 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a voluntary-aided Church of England primary school in the Diocese of Canterbury. The school last received an inspection under section 48 for its religious character in December 2024.  The school is part of the Rural Swale Collaboration Group. This is a group of five primary schools. This is a collaborative group with no governance or leadership responsibility for this school. The school has its own governing body, which takes all governance responsibilities.  The school provides a breakfast and after-school club on site.  The school operates a nursery on site that caters for children from the age of two years.  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. 25 and 26 March 2025

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 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 the headteacher, members of the governing body, other leaders and a range of staff.  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 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 inspector reviewed a wide range of documents, including those related to governance of the school.  The inspector considered the views of parents and carers through their responses to

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Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspector spoke to staff and considered the views of staff and pupils in the staff and pupil surveys. The inspector spoke to pupils and parents during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Graham Chisnell, lead inspector 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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