St Simon of England Roman Catholic Primary School, Ashford

Inspection of St Simon of England Roman Catholic Primary School, Ashford Noakes Meadow, Ashford, Kent TN23 4RB

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

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The headteacher of this school is Peter McCabe. This school is part of Kent Catholic Schools’ Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Annemarie Whittle, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Caroline Stockmann. 1 and 2 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff at this inclusive school nurture and care for pupils. Pupils feel safe and staff keep them safe. Pupils are happy coming to school. The school puts its ‘Ten for Ten’ programme into practice proudly and effectively, which helps to ensure that pupils achieve aspirational life experiences before they leave school. These include having the chance to work with an established artist, perform publicly and take part in a mini-enterprise project.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn a broad and rich curriculum. The school has high expectations for what pupils can achieve in their learning. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve well. They actively engage in lessons and like a challenge. From the early years, the school promotes pupils’ curiosity. They display an active interest in learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a calm atmosphere at St Simon’s. Pupils behave well and embrace the diverse cultures within its community. The school teaches pupils how to look after one another, using an approach called the ‘Caring Cs’. The school effectively develops pupils’ understanding of life in modern Britain. One pupil’s view, typical of many, that ‘everyone is welcome at St Simon’s’, reflects how inclusive the school is.

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

The school’s curriculum is well designed from the early years onwards. It is ambitious and considers the needs of all pupils. The trust has supported the school effectively in the development of the curriculum. There has rightly been a particularly sharp focus on pupils’ language development. This is helping pupils communicate more effectively.

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

The school prioritises reading highly. Children learn phonics from the early years and they learn to read confidently and fluently. There is a clear structure of catch-up support to help any pupils who need it. The school is quick to respond if anyone falls behind. The school helps new arrivals and pupils who speak English as a second language well. From the early years onwards, the school fosters a shared love of reading among pupils.

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

Teachers are knowledgeable about the subjects that they teach. They use a range of well-judged approaches in lessons, which mean pupils learn effectively. The school has made sure that pupils with SEND access the curriculum fully. Teachers use well- considered resources to support all pupils effectively. Staff check pupils’ learning, such as at the end of topics and units of work, to track how well pupils have progressed through the curriculum. However, there are some inconsistencies in how well teachers check pupils’ understanding. At times, pupils’ misconceptions are not picked up as swiftly as they could be in order to help pupils learn even more.

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

Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and welcoming. Pupils are supported by staff if they have any worries or concerns. The school takes prompt and effective action to deal with any situations of unkindness, including bullying. Teachers are alert to any low- level disruption in the classroom. They address this quickly so that pupils stay on task. 1 and 2 July 2025

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This promotes a positive environment for pupils to learn in. The school rightly keeps a close eye on pupils’ absence. If pupils’ attendance starts to dip, leaders take effective action to address this.

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The school gives pupils meaningful opportunities to act as leaders and model citizens. These include taking part in a business project in Year 6, becoming ‘young language ambassadors’, joining the ‘liturgy committee’ and working at the ‘St Simon’s job centre’. The school ensures that pupils learn about fundamental British values, including democracy. Pupils elect school councillors and vote when they decide how to spend any money raised through fundraising activities. The school promotes pupils’ wider talents and interests. It provides a range of opportunities to nurture and develop these. These include football club, sports competitions, the chance to learn and play musical instruments and choir performances in assemblies and in the wider community outside school.

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Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision of providing high-quality education for all pupils, which translates into how the school operates. With support from trustees, an effective local governing body check on leaders’ progress towards achieving this vision. The trust and governors play an active role in school development. For example, they review the curriculum and make sure that it is helping pupils to learn and remember more. The trust supplies continual development for staff. Staff value this very much. They say that leaders are considerate of workload and care for the well-being of all.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, staff do not check what pupils know carefully enough before moving pupils’ learning on. This means that, at times, staff do not address misconceptions or errors in pupils’ work as well as they could. The school should ensure teachers use systematic checks, which identify any areas in pupils’ learning that need further attention and adapt their teaching 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. 1 and 2 July 2025

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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 and 2 July 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 30 November and 1 December 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is a Roman Catholic school. The last denominational inspection (section 48 inspection) took place on 21 and 22 November 2024. The next scheduled inspection is due by December 2029.  The school is part of the Kent Catholic Schools Partnership.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school manages a breakfast club 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 1 and 2 July 2025

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.  Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The lead inspector met with the chair of trustees, a group of governors and representatives from Kent Catholic Schools Partnership, including the CEO. The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative from the diocese.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, history and design and technology. 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.

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Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  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 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

Ian Howie, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jenny Ashley-Jones Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 July 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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