Rainham Village Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher and deputy headteacher are determined to continuously improve standards throughout the school. They have a secure understanding of the school's strengths and the aspects which require further improvement.

Governors know the school well. They provide effective challenge to leaders. Teachers are committed to ensuring that all pupils make strong progress in their learning.

Teachers know pupils very well and work effectively with leaders and other colleagues to continuously improve their teaching strategies. Pupils, including those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils, make good... progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Middle leaders are effective at what they do.

Together with senior leaders they ensure that pupils achieve well across the curriculum. The headteacher is very well respected by staff, pupils and parents. Staff share her commitment to ensuring that all pupils are safe, happy and achieve well.

Staff morale is high. The school's positive and welcoming ethos ensures that pupils, particularly the high number of pupils who join the school mid-way through their schooling, are safe, happy and well cared for. Arrangements for supporting the most vulnerable pupils are a strength of the school.

Pupils behave well. They are proud of their school and achievements. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive.

Pupils' attendance has improved well and is now in line with the national average. However, the proportion of pupils who are absent too often is above average. The early years provision is well planned to meet children's needs.

Children settle well and make good progress. However, opportunities for children to talk and develop their speaking and listening skills in the Nursery are not as effective as in the Reception classes. Opportunities to develop pupils' scientific investigation skills are not consistently effective, particularly at key stage 1.

The actions taken by leaders to improve outcomes in reading are beginning to have an impact. However, opportunities for pupils to develop their comprehension skills are not consistently well planned. Sometimes, work for the middle-ability and most able pupils is not sufficiently challenging, particularly in mathematics.

In some year groups, pupils have limited opportunities to solve problems and develop their reasoning skills.

Information about this school

The school is a larger than average-sized primary school. There are two forms of entry in each year group, with an additional mixed-age class in Year 4 and 5.

The proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is above average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than the national average. The number of pupils who receive SEN support is above average.

The number who have education, health and care plans is lower than average. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for the attainment and progress of pupils in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. The school does not meet requirements on the publication of the SEN information report on its website.

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