Goudhurst and Kilndown Church of England Primary School

Goudhurst and Kilndown Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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118601 Unique Reference Number Kent Local Authority 326854 Inspection number 19 March 2009 Inspection date Joan Greenfield Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Voluntary controlled School category 5–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 211 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Celia Hanlon Chair Andrew Reid Headteacher 15 June 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Beaman Close School address Cranbrook Road Goudhurst Cranbrook TN17 1DZ

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5–11 Age group 19 March 2009 Inspection date 326854 Inspection number 01580 211365 Telephone number 01580 211768 Fax number

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5–11 Age group 19 March 2009 Inspection date 326854 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Goudhurst and Kilndown Church of England Primary School, 19 March 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors. The inspectors evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues:

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Introduction

■ pupils' achievement in writing at Key Stage 1 and mathematics and science at Key Stage 2, especially for the higher attaining pupils ■ the quality of pupils' personal development, especially their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, including their multicultural awareness ■ the impact of leadership and management, especially that of middle leaders, in driving forward school improvement. Evidence was gathered from visits to lessons, scrutiny of pupils' work and teachers' planning, discussions with pupils, staff and two governors, including the chair of the governing body, the views of parents and a scrutiny of the school's documentation. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given its self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

This school is broadly average in size. Almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage in the Reception class. The headteacher has been in post since September 2008.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Goudhurst and Kilndown Church of England Primary School, 19 March 2009

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. Pupils flourish both academically and socially in its caring, supportive and inclusive environment. Its friendly atmosphere and the staff's genuine concern for the welfare of pupils make it an effective place for pupils to learn and develop. As a result, they reach well above average standards in English, mathematics and science and develop into confident, articulate and friendly young people who are prepared extremely well for their future lives. Almost all parents say that their children like school, make good progress and are looked after well by staff. The following comments are typical of many of their responses: 'We are extremely pleased with the progress ... is making'; 'It is a really happy, caring and friendly school'; and 'My child loves going to school.' The very few parents with specific concerns recognise that the school has taken appropriate action to alleviate them, and express their

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Grade: 2

confidence in the quality of the school's work. Pupils' outstanding personal development and well-being are promoted very well from when they first enter the Early Years Foundation Stage. Here, the atmosphere is welcoming so children settle into school extremely well and become confident learners. These attitudes are built on throughout the school and are clearly reflected in pupils' excellent behaviour, the way they help each other and the considerable contribution they make to the school and local community. The school council is particularly influential in contributing to the school's development, for example determining how a large sum of money should be spent on improving the playground. Older pupils act as 'buddies' to help children in the Reception class. Pupils have an excellent understanding of the need to eat healthily and follow a healthy lifestyle. This is shown in the high numbers that take part in the wide range of sporting activities provided. Parents are

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Grade: 2

particularly pleased with the increase in the number of sporting activities introduced this year by the new headteacher. Pupils say there is very little unkindness and are confident that staff will help them if they have a problem. Pupils achieve well and standards by the end of Year 6 are above average. The national test results in Year 6 were well above average in 2007, especially in English and science, and these pupils made good progress. The unvalidated results for 2008 indicate that they are also well above average. This performance was far better than expected as the year group contained a higher proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The test results in Year 2 also showed a considerable improvement in 2008, especially in writing and mathematics. However, the higher attaining pupils did not do as well in writing as they did in reading and mathematics. The school has taken specific action this year to increase the proportion of pupils

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Grade: 2

attaining the higher Level 3 in writing and also to ensure more pupils attain the higher Level 5 by the end of Year 6, especially in mathematics. The first-rate start that children make in the Reception class prepares them exceptionally well for the rest of their time in the school. The well planned curriculum and effective teaching enable children to build on this and make good progress between Year 1 and Year 6. Most groups of pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, make consistently good progress throughout. However, on occasions, some of the more able pupils are not given challenging enough work in lessons to stretch them further. The specific focus on raising the performance of the more able pupils in Year 2 in writing and in Year 6 in mathematics is having a positive impact, but these higher expectations are not yet applied rigorously in their day-to-day learning.

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Grade: 2

5 of 10 Inspection Report: Goudhurst and Kilndown Church of England Primary School, 19 March 2009 Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and the work they do, and a 'buzz' of excitement pervades many classrooms. Relationships between pupils and adults and amongst pupils themselves are excellent, resulting in a purposeful atmosphere for learning. Teachers use their subject knowledge confidently to support learning. When teachers give explanations or ask questions, they use technical language effectively to extend pupils' understanding. Pupils undertake a variety of problem-solving activities, but the teacher's questioning is not always searching enough to make the more able children think more deeply. Teachers manage their classes well and use teaching assistants effectively to support learning. The school gives parents good support to enable them to help their child's learning. The wide range of enrichment activities promotes

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Grade: 2

pupils' learning, enjoyment and achievement well. The opportunities to participate in music festivals, residential visits, arts projects with a visiting artist, and a year-long opera project contribute to their excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. In addition to these extensive cultural opportunities and their strong involvement with the local community, the links with Sri Lanka and India, a multicultural week and 'One World' week contribute positively to pupils' developing understanding of communities in the wider world. However, the way the curriculum promotes their understanding of multicultural society in Britain is a weaker element and so the school's promotion of community cohesion is satisfactory rather than good. Pastoral care and support, including academic guidance, are real strengths as staff know pupils extremely well, especially those who require additional support or have particular needs.

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Grade: 2

Arrangements for safeguarding pupils and ensuring their health and safety are robust. Teachers track pupils' progress systematically during the year against challenging targets. Pupils receive clear guidance on what they need to do to improve their work but are not always sure of their personal targets. The new headteacher has built on the school's existing strengths and is receiving good support from senior staff and governors. Together, they have an accurate understanding of the school's key priorities for development, as shown in the school's improvement plan. The focus on raising standards in Key Stage 1 and developing the role of subject coordinators is already showing dividends. Governors are extremely well informed about the work of the school through their regular monitoring visits and undertake their responsibilities well. The school has good capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Stretch the more able pupils further so that they are working to full capacity in all lessons.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ As part of their wider cultural development, provide pupils with more opportunities to extend their understanding of life in multicultural Britain. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Goudhurst and Kilndown Church of England Primary School, 19 March 2009 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Goudhurst and Kilndown Church of England Primary School, 19 March 2009

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

1 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 1 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 1 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Goudhurst and Kilndown Church of England Primary School, 19 March 2009

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 1 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 3 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Goudhurst and Kilndown Church of England Primary School, 19 March 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

20 March 2009 Dear Children Inspection of Goudhurst and Kilndown Church of England Primary School, Goudhurst, TN17 1DZ Thank you for welcoming us to your school recently. We enjoyed our discussions with members of the school council and the ECO group, and seeing you all at work and play. You told us about some of the interesting things that you do, especially the 'Lantern' project and developing the vegetable garden. This letter is to tell you what we found out about your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You go to a good school that helps you to achieve well and reach above average standards by the end of Year 6. ■ Children in the Reception class get off to a flying start because of the excellent curriculum and teaching they receive. ■ You behave extremely well and look after each other wherever you can. We were impressed with the way the school council is trying to improve things in the playground for you. ■ Large numbers of you take part in the various clubs and sporting activities that are organised for you, and you have an excellent understanding of how to keep healthy and safe. ■ Staff check your progress regularly and give you the right kind of support when you need it. ■ The headteacher, with the support of other staff and governors, leads the school well and knows what has to be done to make it even better. They are working hard to do so. I have asked the school to do two things to make it even more successful:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Give some of you more challenging work to stretch you even further.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Help you to understand a little more about life in multicultural Britain.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You can help by always asking for harder work if you find some of it too easy and by continuing to do the very best you can. Yours faithfully Mrs J Greenfield Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Goudhurst and Kilndown Church of England Primary School, 19 March 2009

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