Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
School’s ‘outstanding’ turnaround
A school languishing in special measures just seven years ago is now officially ‘outstanding’.
Adisham Church of England Primary School has been given a glowing report by Ofsted, scooping top ratings across the board.
Its remarkable transformation began in 2013, three years after it was placed in special measures, when Kent County Council sought help after a second consecutive bad rating from the education watchdog.
The Stour Academy Trust, which now runs six schools across the county, immediately turned Adisham into a ‘good’ school, with inspectors praising the fast-paced change being adopted by the leadership.
The following year, and with official academy status confirmed, the school received more investment from the trust, focusing their efforts on raising teaching standards across all areas.
Now, following an inspection in July, the school has been given the highest possible rating of ‘outstanding’.
A report has highlighted the effectiveness of teachers providing a balance to classes, combining fun with a sense of challenge.
It says: “The rich curriculum engages pupils extremely well in their learning.
“In addition to developing subject-specific knowledge, skills and understanding, it offers pupils a wide range of opportunities to develop and further extend their writing skills.”
Praising pupils for their willingness to engage with the curriculum, the report points to warm relationships developed by teachers with their classes, leading to safe and fun lessons on a regular basis.
It adds: “Expectations across the school are high.
“Work in the books of even the youngest pupils shows neat presentation and meticulous attention to detail. Pupils are rightly proud of their work.”
To improve standards further, the school has been advised to integrate maths across other subjects, which according to the inspectors would help accelerate pupils learning further.
Simon O’keefe, chief executive officer of The Stour Academy Trust, said “What a fantastic journey for the pupils, parents, staff and governors at Adisham CE Primary School.
“The ‘outstanding’ judgement is testament to what can be achieved when schools work collaboratively and support each other for the benefit of all pupils.”