Petham Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Petham Primary School Petham, Canterbury, Kent CT4 5RD

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Outcome

Petham Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The executive headteacher of this school is Scott Guy. This school is part of Our Community Multi Academy Trust (OCMAT), which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), David Whitehead, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mike O’Connell. There is also a head of school, James Higgins, who is responsible for this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this warm and welcoming village school. They are excited about learning and are happy to be in school. The school’s carefully designed curriculum ensures that pupils achieve well, both personally and academically. Pupils talk maturely about what they have learned. Staff have consistently high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour. Pupils know that they are expected to do their best and are keen to do well. They are engaged, interested and extremely well behaved. They move around school quietly and sensibly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum makes a strong contribution to pupils’ personal development. Pupils are kind to each other and understand the importance of listening respectfully to the views of others. They understand why the school’s values, such as leadership and resilience and talk perceptively about what these mean to them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Strong relationships with staff help pupils to feel safe. They say that there are lots of people they can talk to in school if they have any concerns. Pupils appreciate the steps taken by the school to take care of them if they feel lonely or anxious or feel that they need a little extra help. 1 April 2025

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

The content of the curriculum is carefully structured to ensure that pupils are taught the knowledge they need to learn successfully. In most subjects, including English and mathematics, the school has identified the technical vocabulary that pupils need to know and understand. Work is ongoing to refine the technical vocabulary which has already been mapped out to ensure that it meets the needs of all learners in all subjects.

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

The phonics programme is well-established and an effective element of the curriculum. Staff teach early reading confidently and consistently well. Pupils acquire secure and reliable reading skills as a result. The school checks pupils’ reading to identify those at risk of falling behind. Pupils who need extra help have the right support at the right time. They become confident and fluent readers.

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

The school has adopted a new mathematics curriculum which is taught consistently well across the school. Pupils have opportunities to practise and reinforce what they have learned. Practical resources are used routinely to support pupils’ mathematical understanding from Reception Year upwards. The older pupils explain well how previous learning in mathematics helps them to learn new things.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are valued members of the school community and participate fully in school life. The school identifies their needs promptly. Pupils with SEND benefit from carefully considered support which is tailored well to their individual needs. The school provides a wide range of training to ensure staff have the knowledge they need to respond to pupils’ individual needs.

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

The school puts pupils’ personal development at the heart of its work. The PSHE curriculum provides pupils with various opportunities to learn about different topics and themes. Pupils speak enthusiastically about the wide range of clubs, trips and activities offered in school. The school ensures that pupils have opportunities to take part in a club. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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

Pupils behave extremely well in lessons. They cooperate with each other maturely when working together. Most pupils attend school regularly. The school checks attendance closely. It works constructively with parents and agencies to support pupils who attend less well. The school’s successful work has been central to securing improvements in attendance for individual pupils.

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

The multi-academy trust has established clear and robust procedures to monitor the school’s performance. Members of the trust board and of the local monitoring council represent a wide range of expertise, including in education and safeguarding. Robust systems and structures provide governors and trustees with reliable evidence about the school’s performance.

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

Many parents describe the school’s happy, caring atmosphere and helpful, approachable staff. Staff morale is high. Staff appreciate the steps taken by the school to support their well-being and to help them to manage workload. 1 April 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few of the foundation subjects, the school’s work to refine elements of knowledge, such as subject-specific vocabulary, has not yet been completed. Where this is the case, pupils do not develop knowledge and understanding of key concepts as fully as they could. The school should ensure that the remaining elements of knowledge, such as subject-specific vocabulary, are developed and delivered consistently across the remaining subject areas of the curriculum.

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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 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 predecessor school, Petham Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2015. 1 April 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). 1 April 2025

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School details

Headteacher Scott Guy (executive headteacher) James Higgins (head of school) Website www.petham.kent.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 July 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Our Community Multi Academy Trust (OCMAT).  The executive headteacher and head of school have been in their roles since January 2024.  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.  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. 1 April 2025

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 Inspectors held a wide range of meetings during this inspection. These included discussions with the head of school and the executive headteacher. They also spoke with a range of staff at different times during the inspection.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were gathered through a range of sources, including discussions and Ofsted’s surveys. Inspectors spoke with pupils in lessons and at other times of the school day. They also met with a group of pupils.  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

Julie Sackett, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Owen McColgan Ofsted Inspector 1 April 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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