St Mary of Charity Primary School "brings maths to life"

Ofsted inspectors have praised an outstanding Kent primary school for “bringing maths to life”.

Inspectors visited St Mary of Charity Primary School in Faversham last month. Ofsted return to outstanding schools approximately once every four years to check they are keeping up their high standards in what are called ‘ungraded inspections’.

In their report, which has just been published, the inspectors said the school had “rightly prioritised the development of an ambitious and well-planned curriculum”. 

“Staff are trained and supported well to implement the new curriculum successfully. This is especially evident in mathematics, where teachers bring the subject to life,” they said.

The inspectors praised the way teachers break down and explain mathematical concepts to pupils and ensure they develop fluency in the subject.

The inspectors were also impressed at how the school had “created a culture where books are shared and enjoyed by all”.

They said pupils are “polite, thoughtful and caring to each other”. “Pupils enjoy being at school … expectations are high and classrooms are calm and purposeful places to learn”. 

One parent told inspectors that “teachers have been thoughtful about the support they provide and have enabled my child to be a successful and happy member of the school community”.

There were three suggestions to further improve the school, which include giving extra support to pupils in the early stages of learning to read.

Louise Rowley-Jones, the school’s Headteacher, said:

“We are all so proud of our school. It is a safe, lively and purposeful place to work and learn. The staff team work relentlessly to ensure that children have the very best educational opportunities. In the last two years there have been big developments in our curriculum to ensure that children achieve the very best in Reading, Writing and Maths. We welcome the opportunity to showcase the school further at our next graded inspection”.

St Mary of Charity is part of Aquila, The Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust.

Annie Wiles, Chief Executive Officer of the trust, said the inspectors’ comments were “testament to the enormous dedication and high-quality of the school’s staff and the strong relationship between the school and its local community”.