Gillingham St Michael’s Church of England Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They look forward to activities such as professional pizza making and singing joyfully in assemblies.

Everyone is friendly and supportive.

Pupils include each other in their play at breaktime and lunchtime. 'Playground buddies' help to support this effectively. Pupils trust that they can share any worries with teachers.

They know that the adults will help them resolve these. This all helps pupils to be happy and safe.

Pupils achieve well.

There are high expectations about what they should learn. Staff provide the support pupils need to realise these expectations. For example, pupils who need it get additional s...upport with reading in the afternoon.

However, on occasions, planned learning does not capture pupils' interest well enough, so they do not build knowledge as well as they might.

Pupils learn about tolerance and respect in personal, social and health education (PSHE). They apply what they learn and are accepting of each other's differences.

Pupils value the broad range of enrichment opportunities. They compete in sporting and science competitions against other schools and have won awards for their sportsmanship. They have meaningful opportunities to develop their leadership and teamwork skills through the student council and house captain roles.

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

The school has ensured that the curriculum caters well for mixed-age group teaching. Leaders have carefully planned what pupils should learn. From early years, the curriculum builds and connects pupils' knowledge effectively over time.

For example, in early years children learn about the local area. Older pupils build on this by exploring a case study of the wider area of Dunwich, which includes visiting the museum there. Pupils use what they have already learned to develop key historical skills, for example comparing modern-day Dunwich with medieval times.

This connected and gradual approach enables pupils to achieve well across the curriculum.

Teachers are knowledgeable and provide clear explanations that equip pupils with the understanding they need. For example, in mathematics, teachers model the methods pupils need to solve problems successfully.

Occasionally, the learning activities staff plan do not grasp and build on pupils' interests. Staff do not always check how well these activities are working. This leads to some pupils losing focus or becoming distracted because some activities are not well enough matched to their needs.

As a result, some pupils do not secure important knowledge as well as they should.

The school carefully identifies how the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities can best be met. For example, where pupils have speech, communication and language needs, teachers make well-considered adaptations to the curriculum so these pupils can successfully learn to read using phonics.

Reading is prioritised right from early years. The teaching of early reading through phonics is well embedded. Staff skilfully support pupils to decode and blend words.

The books pupils read match the sounds they are learning. Any pupils who need extra support get the help they need. Older pupils read regularly and are well supported to develop their comprehension skills.

This all means that pupils learn to read with confidence and have a passion for books.

Pupils behave respectfully. In early years, pupils learn routines, such as sharing, taking turns and learning to listen when on the carpet.

Older pupils are polite. They understand and respect each other's differences. As a result, there are no issues of bullying or discriminatory behaviour.

The school takes effective action to support pupils to attend well.

The school has ensured that pupils' personal development is promoted well. Pupils learn about what is right and wrong.

They learn about the beliefs and cultures of others. Music and singing play a big part in pupils happily coming together as a one-school community. Barriers to participation in enrichment opportunities have been removed.

This ensures that all pupils benefit. These opportunities include residential trips that help to develop the increased independence pupils need as they prepare for secondary education.

The trust has ensured that its systems for governance and school improvement all connect.

This means that the school is challenged and supported effectively. The school works together with other smaller schools in the trust. This provides staff with many opportunities to collaborate, develop professionally and share practice, which they value highly.

This also supports their workload and well-being, of which leaders are continually mindful.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teachers sometimes plan activities that are less effective at grasping and building on pupils' interests.

Where this is the case, pupils can lose focus on activities because staff do not check well enough how effectively these activities are supporting their learning. As a result, some pupils do not secure important knowledge as well as they might. The school needs to ensure that staff receive further training to address this so that all learning engages pupils and that they retain and secure important knowledge consistently well.