Fleetdown Primary Academy

Inspection of Fleetdown Primary Academy Lunedale Road, Darenth, Dartford, Kent DA2 6JX

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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This school is part of the Golden Thread Alliance 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), Garry Ratcliffe, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Philip Vander Gucht.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Fleetdown Primary Academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Fleetdown Primary School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as Fleetdown Primary Academy as a result of conversion to academy status. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 25 and 26 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at the school are safe, happy and play an active part in their community. They embody the school’s ‘together everyone achieves more’ philosophy. They value inclusivity and feel that kindness underpins all parts of their school life. Parents and carers support the school’s effective work in supporting pupil’s mental and physical well-being. The pupils understand how to raise concerns and appreciate learning about important topics such as online safety.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils expect to achieve well. They have confidence in their abilities and enjoy their learning. The school’s high expectations are well defined and are followed closely by staff. Consequently, pupils achieve well. They can apply their knowledge to the world around them. They make insightful connections in learning. For example, pupils have strong views about topics such as pollution and ecology in geography. They make links between the motorways near their school and the building of roads through the Amazon.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils live up to the school’s expectations that everyone should be inclusive. The thoughtful support and guidance provided by the school allow all pupils to feel heard and cared for, by peers and staff alike. They behave well and consistently follow the school’s rules of ‘Respect, Responsibility and Equality’.

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

The school has created a comprehensive and balanced curriculum. It has precisely chosen what pupils should learn and in what order. The well-considered Reception curriculum has a focus on high-quality adult and child interactions. The school accurately identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). From the Reception year onwards, these pupils are supported consistently well in lessons. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

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

The school has identified how the curriculum should be taught and provides staff with comprehensive training to support this. However, staff who are newer to the school have not yet fully benefited from this. Consequently, across the school there are some differences in how effective teaching is. Most teachers closely follow the intended curriculum and focus on the key content precisely. They use resources and activities well to promote learning. This helps pupils to remember and use content over time. Staff check pupils’ understanding effectively in most lessons. Pupils’ books show they achieve well and are ready for the next stages of their education.

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

The teaching of reading is successful. From the start of Reception, staff closely follow the thorough and well-sequenced phonics programme. They reliably check what pupils know. This information is used to confirm that the books that pupils read match the sounds that they know. The school has provided a culturally diverse and engaging collection of books for pupils. Pupils across the school truly love reading. They have an extensive range of preferred authors and books. Consequently, pupils develop into fluent and confident readers. 25 and 26 March 2025

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Pupils’ behaviour is consistently positive. Staff explicitly teach them how to conduct themselves. As a result, pupils enthusiastically follow routines and rules. The youngest children understand what is expected and how to treat each other. Children in the Reception year have well-developed language skills. This supports their behaviour. They know how to make themselves understood and how to listen to peers and adults alike. If pupils present with more challenging behaviour, staff take prompt and proportionate action. Pupils’ attendance is generally good. However, the school’s impact on the attendance and punctuality of disadvantaged pupils is limited.

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Pupils have the maturity and character to be ready for their next stages of education. The school makes sure that pupils are taught the knowledge and skills they need to succeed as citizens in modern Britain. Pupils have an impressive knowledge of current affairs at both a local and national level. They recognise and embrace themes of equity and diversity. Pupils delight in opportunities that bring them together as a whole school. They are proud to show their knowledge of sign language. They kindly support and integrate those peers with a hearing impairment. The school’s signing choir assemblies are impressive and joyous. Pupils value this because it brings pupils in the mainstream and the specially resourced provision together. Pupils with SEND are equally well supported to develop their personal skills.

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Parents value the support and care their children receive. Staff are equally proud of the school. Staff well-being is well managed and a school priority. This includes support for those who are new to the teaching profession or new to their role. The school’s work to develop staff professionally is appreciated by all. Governors and trustees meet their statutory duties and support school improvement effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some disadvantaged pupils do not attend regularly enough or arrive at school late. These pupils are missing important learning and developing gaps in their understanding. The school should ensure its work with families brings about improvements to the attendance and punctuality of these pupils.  There is variability in the implementation of the curriculum. This means some pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, do not always learn the curriculum as well as they could. The school should continue to provide professional development and support to ensure staff have a consistent level of knowledge and skills to deliver the curriculum effectively. 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

Headteacher Toniann Braniff (acting) Alice Harrington (substantive) Website www.fleetdown.kent.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Fleetdown Primary Academy converted to become an academy in April 2021. When its predecessor school, Fleetdown Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding for overall effectiveness.  There is an acting headteacher in place during the maternity leave of the substantive headteacher.  The school has been part of The Golden Thread Alliance since April 2021.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.  The school has a specially resourced provision for up to 13 pupils with profound hearing impairment.

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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 25 and 26 March 2025

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(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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 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.  The inspection team met with the acting headteacher, senior leaders, teachers and pupils. The lead inspector met with the members of the governing body, including the chair of governors and representatives of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, geography, physical education and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also reviewed pupils’ work from a range of other subjects.

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 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.  The inspection team observed behaviour in lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. Inspectors spoke formally with groups of pupils as well as talking to pupils in lessons and around the school.  Inspectors spoke with parents at the start of the school day. They considered the views expressed in Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments.  Inspectors spoke with groups of staff and considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Toby Martlew, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gillian Lovatt-Young 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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