Warden House Primary School

Inspection of Warden House Primary School Birdwood Avenue, Deal, Kent CT14 9SF

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

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The headteacher of this school is Robert Hackett. This school is part of Veritas Multi- academy 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), Dr Kerry Jordan-Daus, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Squadron Leader Simon J Haseltine.

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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 December 2014. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade 18 and 19 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this nurturing school. They talk confidently about treating people equally and fairly. Pupils know the school’s values. They explain values such as ‘success’ as knowing how to work together, and ‘positive’ as turning difficult challenges into positive situations. Pupils learn well about keeping safe, including when they are online.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and manage this skilfully. Pupils are motivated and have positive attitudes to their learning. They are respectful towards staff and each other. If any pupils present more challenging behaviour, the school works sensitively and caringly. Pupils love the opportunity to take on roles and responsibilities such as school councillor. They take part in democratic processes as well as a wide range of educational trips and visits. This gives pupils an increasing sense of confidence and belonging.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In a number of subjects, pupils do not learn the curriculum well. They have gaps in their knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics. The school has not supported pupils effectively to address these gaps. This is reflected in the low published outcomes achieved in recent years. However, the school ensures that pupils at the earliest stages of reading, and in subjects such as art, are learning well.

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

The school is ambitious for all pupils, but this ambition is not achieved consistently throughout the curriculum. The school has identified the knowledge and skills that it wants pupils to learn, but staff have not developed the subject knowledge and expertise they need to implement this well. Some staff modelling and choice of activities do not give pupils the opportunity to build on what they know already. Some activities are too simplistic and not matched to pupils’ understanding closely enough.

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

At times, staff do not check how well pupils have learned the curriculum. Questions from staff and the checks made to pupils’ work do not focus on the specific knowledge that pupils have learned. As a result, pupils have errors and misconceptions that are not addressed. Despite recent changes that are beginning to improve this, pupils’ outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2 are too low.

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

Phonics is prioritised. Pupils make a strong start in the Reception Year. If any pupils fall behind their peers, they receive extra help to remember their key phonics knowledge. As pupils progress through the school, they enjoy rich, challenging texts that help to motivate and engage them.

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

The school identifies and meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Pupils with SEND access the curriculum successfully. They respond positively to carefully planned guidance, including individual targeted support plans. Where the curriculum is strongest, support and adaptations to the curriculum for pupils with SEND are precise. However, where the curriculum is not as securely delivered, 18 and 19 March 2025

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some adjustments and learning activities do not always help pupils with SEND achieve as well as they should.

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Children in the early years make a strong start. They enjoy activities such as the role-play stage. They use songs, rhymes and musical instruments to rehearse and enjoy performing creatively. Children are proud to share their work and excited to talk about their learning journals. Children develop their communication and language skills effectively, for example talking about herbivores, omnivores and carnivores while learning about dinosaurs. Staff develop children’s language skills deliberately and meaningfully.

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Pupils know the school rules of ‘Be kind, be safe and be your best’ well. They use these to help guide their decision-making and treat each other kindly. Pupils explore spiritual understanding through clearly planned opportunities in the curriculum and a thoughtful programme of assemblies. Social activities such as football, choir and music bring pupils together and help them to feel proud of their school.

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If pupils are at risk of lower attendance, the school does all that it reasonably can to help them be in school successfully. The school understands the causes of lower pupil attendance and works closely and caringly with pupils and their families. There have been positive shifts in pupils’ rates of attendance overall.

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Trustees and the local academy committee understand their statutory roles and responsibilities. They know the school’s strengths and areas for development. Leaders have a clear understanding of how to improve the school and build on the existing strengths. The trust guides and supports staff expertly. Despite this, actions have not yet had the impact that leaders intend. Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the actions that leaders take to reduce their workload. Parents are supportive. They appreciate staff’s clear dedication and commitment to all pupils at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not ensured that teachers have the pedagogical knowledge to teach the curriculum as intended. For example, how new content is explained is not exact enough for pupils to understand. This means pupils do not learn the important knowledge set out in the curriculum as the school expects. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge and expertise to teach the curriculum as expected.  In some subjects, some activity choices do not help children learn the intended curriculum as effectively as they should. This means that some pupils are not learning securely and building their knowledge and understanding over time. The school should ensure that the staff knowledge and skills are effective, and that the curriculum is 18 and 19 March 2025

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implemented and evaluated consistently well across all subjects so that pupils learn securely.  Sometimes, the checks on what pupils know lack the accuracy to precisely determine where there are gaps in knowledge. This means that pupils are moved on to the next stage of learning before they are ready. They develop misconceptions and do not learn as securely as the school expects. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge to test accurately what pupils know and adapt their approaches accordingly.

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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). 18 and 19 March 2025

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School details

Chair of trust Squadron Leader Simon J Haseltine

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 2 and 3 December 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  Warden House Primary School joined the Veritas Multi-academy Trust in September 2015.

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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. 18 and 19 March 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, the CEO, trustees, members of the local academy committee and other senior staff.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, physical education and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and, where possible, looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors spoke with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at break and lunchtime.  The inspectors met with groups of staff and considered the opinions expressed through the staff survey.  The inspectors took account of the views expressed from parents through Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Carl McCarthy, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Catherine Hylands Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 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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