Lordswood School

Inspection of Lordswood School Lordswood Lane, Chatham, Kent ME5 8NN

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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 Jayne Lusinski. This school is part of The Griffin Schools Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Anne Powell, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mike McCreedy. There is also an executive headteacher, Janey Denton, who is responsible for this school and two others. 1 and 2 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are inspired by knowledgeable staff and an aspirational curriculum at this school. A deep commitment to equity and fairness runs throughout every aspect of the school. Pupils feel safe and valued. They thrive, both academically and socially.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school exudes high standards in all it does. Everyone is determined that pupils will receive the very best education and the widest opportunities possible. Every detail of the school’s work is precisely designed to meet the needs of individual pupils. Staff understand pupils’ interests and incorporate them into the curriculum. Consequently, pupils make rapid progress through the curriculum, no matter what their starting points are. They achieve highly and are ready for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are taught to be resilient when learning is difficult. They are rightly proud of their achievements. Behaviours and routines which help pupils to learn are explicitly taught right from the Nursery. As a result, pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Pupils behave calmly around the school. In lessons, they apply themselves diligently. They concentrate intently as they practise new learning, determined to master it successfully and live up to the school’s high expectations of them.

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

Pupils at this school achieve more highly than published outcomes show. Many pupils join the school at untypical times during the school year. The school checks their starting points and helps them to close any gaps in their understanding. While at the school, pupils progress through the curriculum well. However, some do not reach national expectations by the end of key stage 2.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious beyond the scope of the national curriculum. It defines what must be taught and in which order. Staff have expert knowledge of the subjects they teach. The most important elements of the curriculum are revisited. This helps pupils understand them and commit them to long-term memory. Staff explain new learning in ways that pupils can understand. In the early years, there is a highly effective emphasis on developing children’s speech, language and communication skills. The school quickly identifies the specific needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND are supported excellently.

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

Staff check pupils’ understanding during lessons and address any misconceptions immediately. They adapt activities and resources, so that all pupils get the support they need to access the same curriculum. Pupils are taught to challenge themselves to learn more deeply. They frequently apply what they already know to make comparisons, solve problems and reason.

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

Reading is taught excellently. The school works in partnership with parents and carers, so they understand how to help their children read at home. Right from the start of Nursery, pupils reflect on stories and discuss their meaning. Targeted and personalised support mean that most pupils keep up with the curriculum. Pupils who struggle to read benefit 1 and 2 July 2025

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from bespoke additional phonics teaching. The books pupils read match the sounds they know. Pupils have frequent opportunities to practise reading throughout the curriculum. As a result, pupils become fluent readers, confident at analysing texts and understanding how authors use language to communicate meaning.

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Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable in lessons and at social times. They are full of respect for staff. Staff build pupil’s self-esteem and confidence and pupils trust them. Pupils are taught how to understand their feelings and ways of managing them. This results in consistently calm, focused behaviour and supports pupils’ ability to learn independently. As pupils get older, they become resilient, independent learners and there are no limits to them achieving highly.

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Pupils have exceptional opportunities to develop personally and socially. They build their characters through participation in fundraising for local and national charities. They perform in arts festivals and compete in sporting events. The school encourages pupils to be leaders of the future through roles of responsibility. They take part in the pupil parliament and work alongside staff to review and evaluate the curriculum. Pupils’ opinions are valued. They are encouraged to be curious about the world around them. In doing so, they formulate their own well-thought-through opinions. Pupils respectfully challenge the ideas of others. As a result, they leave as responsible citizens, who are ready to contribute positively to modern British society.

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The school keeps a close eye on pupils’ attendance. The school supports pupils and their families with any barriers they may have to attending school. The school advocates strongly for pupils and ensures that families get help when it is needed.

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Trustees carry out their statutory roles effectively. Trust systems to monitor and continually improve the school are well developed and have a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes. Trustees are passionate advocates for disadvantaged pupils. They keep staff well-being and workload high on the agenda. The school focuses staff development on meeting pupils’ educational and pastoral needs. Staff are proud to be part of this school community.

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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. 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 26 and 27 March 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Griffin Schools Trust.  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). 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.  This was the second 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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, physical education, mathematics, history and art. For each deep dive, inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning, spoke with leaders and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher, the executive headteacher and other senior leaders. They also met with the CEO, the deputy CEO, trustees, and members of the local governing body, including the chair.  Inspectors met with some pupils to discuss their learning.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central

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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’ interest first.  Inspectors considered parents’ views expressed through Ofsted Parent View, including any free-text comments.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Throughout the inspection, inspectors met with groups of staff. They also considered the opinions expressed through the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Jo Brinkley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kate Owbridge 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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