Maidstone, St John’s Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. The headteacher, supported by senior staff and governors, has helped to foster outstanding teaching and pupils' achievement since becoming an academy. The school is continuing to improve, as teamwork is a significant strength.

Pupils achieve outstandingly well throughout the school. Results in national tests at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 have been consistently above average. Pupils are articulate speakers, creative writers and confident mathematicians.

Pupils throughout the school learn extremely well. Pupils with special educational needs also achieve exceptionally well. Staff meet their needs very carefully.

This ens...ures they learn at the same high level as everybody else. The range of activities that pupils follow in class is highly engaging and tailored very closely to pupils' interests. This develops their academic, social, and Christian understanding to high levels.

Displays around the school are extensive and reflect the high academic standards pupils achieve. They also showcase their highly impressive skills in model making, art, and creative writing. Parents are highly pleased with the school, citing the caring, supportive, and Christian atmosphere created.

The behaviour of pupils is typically outstanding through the school. Pupils are mature, thoughtful and extremely confident. They say that they feel exceptionally safe.

Teachers use a range of highly effective methods to ensure that pupils achieve to very high levels over time. Pupils speak highly of their teachers as they 'have belief in them' to teach to a high standard. Early years provision is outstanding.

Children have an extremely secure start to their school life. The range of activities they follow develops their skills, attitudes, and behaviour to extremely high levels. The outdoor area however, is not quite as interesting or well resourced as the classrooms.

Pupils have a highly developed sense of right and wrong, fair play and a strong appreciation of the values and traditions of living in modern Britain. Additional funding is used with precision to ensure that a high proportion of pupils take part in a wide range of sports. Specialist teaching and regular competition against other schools help extend pupils' skills.

The school has won awards recognising pupils' sporting prowess. Governors support the school extremely well. They have been instrumental in helping the school to maintain pupils' high levels of academic achievement while improving resources and facilities.

Information about this school

This is a larger-than-average primary school in which most pupils are from White British backgrounds. The school converted to become an academy school in November 2011. When its predecessor school, also called Maidstone, St John's Church of England Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted in 2010, it was judged as good overall.

The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding is much lower than the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and the few children adopted from care in the school. As there are typically five or fewer in each year group, their rates of progress are not reported in detail.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average. The school met the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress at the end of Year 6. Children in the early years are taught in two Reception classes and attend full time.

Also at this postcode