Teynham Parochial Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Teynham Parochial Church of England Primary School Station Road, Teynham, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 9BQ

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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 15 and 16 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit deeply from the strong sense of community this school has fostered. Staff know pupils and their families well. Pupils develop warm, positive relationships with staff. Pupils know that staff will deal with any concerns they have. This helps them feel happy and safe in school. Pupils are kind and courteous. This makes the school a calm and purposeful environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ well-being is a priority for the school. The expert pastoral team identifies the needs of pupils carefully. It ensures that pupils learn strategies to manage their feelings effectively. They receive a range of support including informal check-ins or time with the school dog, Mabel. Pupils who need further help have access to counselling or spend time with skilled staff in high-quality reflection spaces. These help pupils to regulate their emotions well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has worked hard to improve the curriculum. This has raised the ambition for pupils to achieve well. Staff have high expectations for pupils. They ensure that pupils are taught the knowledge they need. As a result, pupils have a secure understanding of the school’s curriculum. Pupils work hard and enjoy learning. The majority of pupils are well prepared for their next steps.

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum. Staff have clearly identified the skills and knowledge they want pupils to learn from Reception to Year 6. This helps pupils to build on their prior knowledge over time.

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

The school has addressed historic weaknesses in teaching and curriculum. New learning builds on what pupils know and can do. Pupils develop a depth of understanding that ensures they progress well through the curriculum. This is evident in mathematics, for example. Pupils have strong mathematical recall and apply this to complex learning effectively. They are achieving significantly better than previous mathematical outcomes would suggest. Pupils become confident writers. This starts in early years where pupils have ample opportunities to practise their writing. However, some older pupils do not have enough opportunities to write at length in the wider curriculum. Their writing contains inaccuracies in handwriting and grammar that are less evident in other years.

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

Teachers design engaging activities. These give pupils opportunities to practise the skills they learn. Teachers generally explain learning clearly, and this helps to develop pupils’ understanding. However, in some subjects, a small number of teachers do not model subject specific vocabulary precisely enough. As a result, some pupils are not confident in using technical language.

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

The school accurately identifies pupils who fall behind. They are well supported to catch up. For example, pupils with gaps in their phonics knowledge receive high-quality interventions from skilled staff that help them catch up. Teachers know the pupils well. They identify the needs of pupils accurately. This helps them to recognise pupils who may 15 and 16 July 2025

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require additional help. Staff plan well-designed adaptations that break down barriers to learning. As a result, pupils including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve well.

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The school prioritises reading. In phonics lessons, pupils concentrate and are fully engaged in learning. Expert teachers deliver phonics consistently well. The books that younger pupils read are closely matched to their phonics knowledge. This helps most pupils become confident and fluent readers quickly. Older pupils also share this love of reading.

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Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They celebrate the diversity in their school and are respectful of views that differ to their own. Pupils develop a strong understanding of healthy relationships and how to stay safe online. They also benefit from a curriculum that extends beyond the classroom. For example, all pupils develop their resilience through well-designed outdoor learning sessions.

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Pupils behave very well. This starts in early years where children quickly develop positive attitudes to learning through established routines. These routines continue throughout the school and are consistently applied. Pupils play together happily and encourage each other to work hard. The school tracks attendance carefully. This allows staff to identify pupils and families who may need additional help. Staff build strong relationships with these families. This helps the school to offer a range of support to improve attendance. These strategies are effective, and attendance is improving over time.

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The school has been determined in its efforts to improve since its last inspection. It has developed a clear vision for improvement supported by high-quality training for all. The dedicated staff team have worked hard with leaders to drive change. Governors share the same ambition for the school. They know the school well and use this knowledge to offer high levels of support and challenge.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some wider curriculum subjects, the specific vocabulary that pupils need to understand important concepts is not taught clearly enough. As a result, pupils do not always recall and apply this important vocabulary precisely enough. The school must ensure that staff have appropriate subject knowledge to model this vital content confidently.  At times, staff do not give all pupils enough opportunities to practise and apply the skills of writing in subjects other than English. This means that the quality of written work in all subjects is not as strong as it could be. The school must ensure that all 15 and 16 July 2025

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pupils have a range of opportunities across the curriculum to practise their writing with a clear focus on accurate transcription.

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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). 15 and 16 July 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 28 and 29 March 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Teynham Parochial Church of England Primary School is a Voluntary-Controlled Church of England school. The most recent inspection of its religious character, under section 48 of the Education Act 2005, took place in March 2024. The school’s next section 48 inspection will take place within eight school years.  The school currently uses no alternative provision.  The school manages breakfast- and after-school clubs for the wraparound care of 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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 15 and 16 July 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of the 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.  The inspection team met with the headteacher as well as with other leaders and staff. The lead inspector also held phone conversations with representatives of the diocese and local authority.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, physical education and history. For each deep dive, 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. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The lead inspector considered the views of parents and carers through their responses

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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

Gavin Thomas, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Liz McIntosh Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 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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