Canterbury Road Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further improve teaching and assessment across the wider curriculum so that all pupils
  • including the most able pupils – make the same strong progress in these subjects as they do in English and mathematics.
• Continue to improve disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes by increasing the proportion of most-able disadvantaged pupils achieving at the higher standard in English by the end of key stage 2.
• Leaders should continue to strengthen the school’s record-keeping procedures about pupils’ welfare to enhance their strategic overview of this work.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher, staff and governors are united in their ambition for all pupils to succeed. Leaders and staff ensure that the school’s motto – ‘A friendly, happy place to learn’ – is evident from the minute pupils, parents, carers and visitors enter the school. Pupils, staff and parents are full of praise for the school. One parent summed up the views of many, saying, ‘Canterbury Road is a special place to be, we feel very lucky to be part of it.’
• The school is a cheerful and cohesive community. Several parents responding to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, said they like the ‘family atmosphere’ in the school. Staff work closely with parents, building positive and trusting relationships with families over time. As a result, pupils are happy and well cared for.
• The morale of staff is high because leaders invest in their well-being, training and development. The overwhelming majority of staff who responded to Ofsted’s online survey agreed that they are proud to work at the school and feel well supported. Helpful training and individual guidance successfully enable staff to enhance their expertise.
• The capable leadership of English and mathematics is improving teaching in these subjects. Leaders are well trained and knowledgeable and provide effective support to teachers. Some of their improvement actions are relatively new so it is too soon to see the full impact of these. However, there is clear evidence that pupils’ progress is improving because of their work.
• The thoughtfully designed curriculum extends pupils’ learning ‘beyond the familiar’ and broadens their understanding of the world. As a result, the curriculum is wide and varied. Pupils successfully develop their skills and knowledge across subjects. Pupils enjoy the many carefully planned experiences to enrich their learning. Over time, the school has developed positive links with the Royal Shakespeare Company. During the inspection, pupils enthusiastically participated in drama workshops led by the company, deepening their understanding of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. Thoughtfully designed opportunities to develop this aspect are woven through school life. Pupils eagerly explained how they earn ‘silver tickets’ and ‘kindness tokens’ for demonstrating the school’s values. Pupils have a clear understanding of right and wrong and show tolerant, respectful attitudes towards people with different beliefs and lifestyles.
• Leaders use the primary physical education (PE) and sport premium well. They take a thoughtful approach when deciding how to spend the money. Wise investment has enabled staff to improve their skills in teaching PE and extend the range of clubs on offer. As a result, pupils’ participation in sport has increased and some pupils are being trained to become young football coaches.
• Judicious use of additional funding for disadvantaged pupils ensures that most pupils make good progress. For example, funding provides extra support from adults, carefully tailored to meet individual pupils’ needs. Leaders are thorough in analysing the progress that pupils make and adapting support when needed.
• The leadership of the provision for pupils with SEND is strong. Pupils’ needs are carefully assessed so that each pupil gets the support necessary to succeed. Leaders make efficient use of support from outside agencies to ensure this.
• British values are successfully promoted throughout the school. Pupils learn about democracy by voting for members of the school council. Pupils showed respect as they discussed how the display of handcrafted poppies in the playground reminded them of the soldiers who gave their lives in the First World War.

Governance of the school

• Governors know the school well and work collaboratively with senior leaders to ensure that pupils’ needs are met. Governors visit regularly to check for themselves what leaders tell them. They know the provision’s strengths and share leaders’ ambition for the school to continually improve.
• Governors make decisions based on the best interests of pupils. They ensure that funding is used wisely to maintain and enhance current good practice.
• Governors have a wide range of skills and expertise. They keep their knowledge up to date by taking part in training sessions organised by the local authority, including for safeguarding.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders ensure that all staff fully understand their statutory responsibilities for keeping pupils safe. The school’s safeguarding policy meets the latest requirements, including those related to ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’. Staff know how to raise any safeguarding concerns.
• All staff receive helpful training and regular updates to keep safeguarding at the forefront of their minds. Staff are timely in using the school’s procedures to report and record concerns about pupils. The school’s designated safeguarding lead knows pupils well and works appropriately with external agencies when required.
• Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online and how to use the internet responsibly. Pupils talk confidently about telling an adult if they see something that worries them when using the computer. They understand that it is not safe to use the internet to communicate with people they do not know.
• Leaders – including governors – ensure that the school’s recruitment processes are fit for purpose. All the necessary checks on adults who work in school are carried out and recorded effectively.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Pupils enjoy their learning because teachers plan interesting activities that are carefully matched to pupils’ needs, abilities and interests, particularly in key stage 1. Teachers’ high expectations for pupils’ achievements motivate them to try their best. As a result, most pupils make good progress, especially in English and mathematics.
• Knowledgeable teachers use skilful questioning to probe pupils’ understanding and clarify any misconceptions to deepen their learning. For example, in Year 6, adept questioning in mathematics ensured that pupils understood and could explain accurately how to round up numbers when working in decimals.
• Teaching effectively meets the needs of disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Staff know pupils well and generally use this information to carefully plan their learning and support. Additional adults work closely with teachers to ensure that their support is clearly focused on improving pupils’ learning. As a result, these pupils typically make similarly good progress to others from their varying starting points.
• Writing is taught effectively. Pupils’ written work is well presented and shows increasing accuracy in spelling, grammar and punctuation. In key stage 1, pupils successfully used non-fiction books to research information about the Victorian age, writing their own well-constructed sentences to record what they had discovered. Pupils’ books confirm that they write in different styles and for different purposes with the same expectation of high quality in all subjects.
• In mathematics, pupils are given many opportunities to solve problems and explain their reasoning. Teachers plan activities carefully so that pupils build a secure understanding of mathematical concepts, such as place value. Pupils make proficient use of helpful resources and equipment to support their learning.
• In English and mathematics, the most able pupils are routinely challenged and, as a result, achieve the higher standards. In the wider curriculum, however, these pupils are not always fully stretched, limiting the progress of this group in some subjects.
• Ongoing developments to improve teaching in subjects other than mathematics and English are having a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Teachers carefully plan activities to enable pupils to improve their skills and knowledge in a range of subjects. For example, work seen in pupils’ books in key stage 1 shows how they have deepened their understanding of different religions by thoughtfully comparing the portrayal of Noah in Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are confident and self-assured. They are rightly proud of their many achievements and like the way these are celebrated by staff. Pupils value the varied opportunities they are given to contribute to the life of the school. For example, pupils explained how school council members have helped to improve breaktimes for everyone.
• Pupils are safe and say that adults help them to feel safe. They know that they can talk to an adult in school if they have any worries or concerns. Occasionally, leaders’ written records of pupils’ welfare do not provide them with sufficient detail to inform their strategic overview of this work.
• Pupils are kind and caring towards each other. They play well together and enjoy spending time with their friends. Pupils say that bullying rarely happens at the school. They are confident that, if bullying did happen, adults would help to resolve any problems swiftly.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons is superb. The vast majority of the parents, pupils and staff who responded to the online surveys agree that behaviour is managed well. Pupils conduct themselves exceptionally well throughout the school day. They listen very attentively to their teachers and respond swiftly to any instructions.
• Breaktimes and lunchtimes are happy and sociable occasions. Pupils kindly help each other when needed. Low-level disruption to learning is extremely rare. Across the school, staff successfully promote clear daily routines and maintain consistently high expectations for pupils’ behaviour.
• Pupils’ use of derogatory language is rare and there have been no racist incidents.
• Leaders expect all pupils to attend school regularly. Leaders’ actions to improve attendance are having a positive impact. Pupils eagerly told inspectors how they are motivated to attend school regularly and earn ‘air miles’ for their class, which are converted into treats and rewards. As a result, attendance rates are improving rapidly and are now above national figures.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The 2018 unvalidated results at the end of key stage 2 show that the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics – the combined measure – was above the national average. Pupils also achieve good outcomes in English grammar, punctuation and spelling. Overall, pupils make above-average progress in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.
• By the end of key stage 1, most pupils achieve well in a range of subjects, including English and mathematics. In 2018, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading was slightly below the national average. In writing, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard was just above the national average. In mathematics, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard was the same as that seen nationally.
• Across the school, most pupils acquire very secure phonics skills and use these competently when they read and write. Results from the Year 1 phonics screening check are consistently above the national figures. Pupils enjoy reading from a wide range of books and most successfully decode less-familiar words because the teaching of phonics is highly effective.
• Current disadvantaged pupils make the same good progress as others in the school because they receive effective support. Work seen in the books of disadvantaged pupils shows that there are no significant differences between the standard of their work and that of others at the expected level in English and mathematics.
• Pupils with SEND receive carefully tailored support that is well matched to their individual needs. As a result, most pupils with SEND progress well towards their personal targets.
• Most-able pupils achieve well. The unvalidated results for 2018 show that, by the end of key stage 2, the proportion of the most able pupils achieving at the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics was above that seen nationally. However, the most able disadvantaged pupils did not achieve as well as others in English.
• Pupils use their well-developed English and mathematics skills effectively in other subjects. Work seen in the books of current pupils shows that they are making the same good progress in many subjects as they do in English and mathematics. However, in some subjects such as science, pupils’ progress is more variable because the assessment of pupils’ learning is not always as precise as it is in English and mathematics.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Outstanding leadership of the early years setting ensures that children get an excellent start to their education. Leaders have very high expectations and are relentlessly ambitious for all children to achieve well and be happy.
• Children make rapid and sustained progress from their lower-than-typical starting points across all areas of their learning. Consequently, they are very well prepared for Year 1. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development – although currently below that seen nationally – is improving swiftly.
• Children are highly motivated learners. They are curious and able to concentrate for sustained periods of time. Adults expertly extend children’s learning through thoughtful questioning, encouraging children to think deeply as they play. Children successfully develop their independence skills, for example by doing up buttons and fastenings themselves.
• Children’s early reading, writing and mathematical skills are adeptly developed, both indoors and outdoors. For example, outside in the ‘mud kitchen’, children busily mixed ‘porridge’ in different-sized bowls. They successfully recalled the sequence of events from the story of ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ and used the language from the story well. Children make highly effective use of their secure phonics skills as they write. They spell simple words or use initial letter sounds for more complex words accurately.
• Disadvantaged children and those with SEND are identified quickly. This enables leaders to ensure that the additional funding is used appropriately, and children’s learning is supported effectively. As a result, these groups of children typically make strong progress from their starting points.
• Safeguarding is effective in the early years. Vigilant staff ensure that the environment is safe and secure. Thorough daily risk assessments are rigorously carried out in the setting. Well-trained staff expertly encourage children to keep themselves safe and manage risks, for example when playing outside.
• Relationships between children and adults are consistently warm and positive. Children are exceptionally kind and considerate to each other. They listen attentively to adults and each other, showing respect for others. Children’s many achievements are noticed and praised effectively. As a result, children behave superbly and feel extremely positive about themselves.
• Meticulous and accurate assessments draw on a wide range of evidence, including from close liaison with parents. Leaders use this information skilfully to plan children’s learning. Leaders have rightly identified that, when they join the setting, some children’s speech and language skills are weaker than typical. Additional support – precisely matched to their needs – enables these children to improve their communication skills quickly.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 118354 Kent 10054144 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 211 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mrs Catherine Mitchell Mrs Zoe King 01795 423 818 www.canterbury-road.kent.sch.uk headteacher@canterbury-road.kent.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 26–27 September 2012

Information about this school

• This school is a broadly average-sized primary school.
• Most pupils are from White British backgrounds.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is above average.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is broadly average.
• There is a breakfast club that is managed by the school.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning throughout the school. Most of these observations were carried out with the headteacher or deputy headteacher. Inspectors also examined a sample of pupils’ workbooks.
• Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders, middle leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, the family liaison officer and a group of staff.
• The lead inspector met with members of the governing body.
• Inspectors met with pupils to discuss their views about the school and heard some of them read. The views of 168 pupils who responded to Ofsted’s online pupil survey were also considered.
• The lead inspector met with a representative from the local authority.
• The views of 74 parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View – including 34 free-text comments – were considered. Inspectors also spoke informally with parents at the start of the second day of the inspection.
• Inspectors considered the views of 23 staff who responded to Ofsted’s staff survey.
• Inspectors scrutinised documentation, including leaders’ evaluation of the school’s effectiveness, minutes of the governing body’s meetings and notes of the local authority’s monitoring visits.
• Safeguarding procedures were also reviewed.

Inspection team

Claire Prince, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Emma Sanderson Ofsted Inspector