Valley Invicta Primary School At Kings Hill

Inspection of Valley Invicta Primary School At Kings Hill Warwick Way (Off Tower View), Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4AL

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

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The headteacher of this school is Steph Guthrie. This school is part of the Valley Invicta Academies 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), Richard Hayden, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Matt Fletcher. 1 and 2 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Aspiration abounds at this inspirational, vibrant school. The school has very high expectations of what pupils can achieve, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These expectations are met. Pupils achieve highly. They benefit from an exceptional education which prepares them very well for their next stage of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils describe the school as being a place they can ‘flourish’, and they do. Pupils embody the school values of empower, inspire and connect. Exceptionally kind and warm relationships are the norm throughout the school. Pupils are courteous and considerate. They behave impeccably.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a strong commitment to equality. They explain that ‘we don’t judge’. Everyone is welcome here. Pupils are respectful of each other. This helps to create an atmosphere where pupils feel safe and are safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are immensely proud to be part of the school. They relish opportunities to represent the school, for example as part of the school band. Uplifting performances allow pupils to showcase their many talents. Pupils contribute to the wider life of the school through leadership roles and membership to different committees. They confidently explain how they have informed policies and changes to playtimes.

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

Ably supported by the trust, the school has created and implemented an ambitious curriculum. This clearly sets out the important knowledge pupils need to learn as they move through the school. Pupils’ acquisition of this knowledge is checked, revisited and expertly built on. Staff have been well supported by the school to design learning activities that connect learning and prepare pupils exceptionally well for moving forward through the curriculum. As a result, pupils acquire deep knowledge across a range of subjects. For example, in science pupils discuss how the circulatory system works and link this to their knowledge on how the heart and lungs work.

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

The school carefully identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Staff have a deep understanding of each pupil within the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. They skilfully build the curriculum around each individual’s needs, likes and challenges. The excellent support for pupils with SEND across the school helps them to learn the same content as their peers. Pupils with SEND achieve very well across the curriculum.

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

There is a sharp focus on developing pupils’ vocabulary and language skills. This begins in the early years where strong foundations are laid for children’s future learning. Staff skilfully use opportunities to encourage talk and the use of books. An exceptionally well considered environment helps children to reinforce key knowledge. For example, children playing in the ‘travel agent’ take pretend bookings over the telephone and explore places to travel through the use of reference books. 1 and 2 July 2025

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Children in the Reception Year begin to learn phonics as soon as they start at school. Staff deliver the phonics programme with precision. Any pupils who need extra support are swiftly identified through timely checks. They are given the help they need to catch up quickly using books that are well matched to their needs. This helps them to be successful and grow in confidence. Pupils learn to read quickly and well. Typically, pupils are fluent readers by the end of Year 2. Events such as community reading, book swaps and charity book donations ensure reading is at the heart of the school.

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Pupils enjoy coming to school. They attend well and learn the importance of punctuality. Classrooms are calm and focused. Even the youngest pupils in early years follow school routines well. Pupils across the school demonstrate exemplary attitudes towards learning and each other. Pupils demonstrate maturity in using the school’s ‘peace pathway’ to help them resolve things positively on the rare occasion that there are disagreements.

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The school’s provision for pupils’ personal development is exceptional. A broad range of carefully selected trips and experiences enrich pupils’ interests and nurture their talents. The school ensures that pupils, including those with SEND, benefit from this wide offer. Pupil-led events, such as an autism awareness week, help to foster an understanding of each other’s needs through, for example, encouraging everyone to use special communication boards.

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Trustees and members of the local school board provide well-focused support and appropriate challenge. They share the school’s ambition of excellence for pupils in all areas of school life. Staff feel valued and that their views are considered. They take pride in working in an environment that places pupils’ success, happiness and well-being at the forefront of everything. They are rightly proud to be part of the exceptional team driving the school on from strength to strength.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 1 and 2 July 2025

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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 13 and 14 March 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Valley Invicta Academies Trust.  The school operates a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. This caters for pupils with autism aged four to 11. At the time of the inspection, there were 18 pupils on roll at the specially resourced provision.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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. 1 and 2 July 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection the inspectors met with a range of school staff. The lead inspector also met with representatives of the school local board, including the chair of governors and a representative of the trust. The inspector had separate meetings with other representatives from the trust, including the deputy CEO.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects. The lead inspector

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listened to pupils read to a familiar adult as part of the early reading deep dive.  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 inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s parent, pupil and staff surveys and spoke to some parents at the school gate.  The inspectors talked to staff to gather their views about the school, including their workload and well-being. The inspectors met with several groups of pupils, as well as speaking to pupils during lessons and at lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Deborah Perkins, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Jo Hygate 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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