Chilham, St Mary's Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 30 June 2026

Chilham, St Mary's Church of England Primary School is a school that cares deeply for its pupils. Pupils feel safe and say that bullying is rare. Staff are on hand at the start of the school day to greet pupils and welcome them in. Some pupils, however, do not attend school as regularly as they should. This can affect their ability to engage with learning and develop their sense of belonging. Pupils benefit from a carefully sequenced curriculum that makes links to the local area. This helps them to build knowledge over time. However, the curriculum does not always consistently provide the support pupils need to close gaps in their learning. This means that pupils do not have enough time to practise and rehearse the key foundational knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics. Consequently, gaps in pupils' knowledge and misunderstandings persist. Typically, pupils engage positively in their learning and focus well in lessons. Many are keen to share their ideas and talk positively about the support the school provides. There is some variation in how well teachers know pupils' starting points and provide the right adaptations to support them to achieve as well as they should. This means that some pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged, are not as well prepared for the next stage of education as they could be. Children in the early years make a positive start to their education. They receive appropriate support from caring staff who make sure that they are well prepared for Year 1. Pupils develop a clear understanding of respect and equality. They learn about different beliefs and take on roles of responsibility, preparing them well for life in modern Britain. These experiences help pupils develop new interests and build confidence.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that their attendance strategy is rigorously monitored so that is continues to improve overall attendance, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They should also ensure that their actions result in reducing persistent absence for all pupil groups.
• Leaders should ensure that pupils' precise starting points are accurately identified, routinely shared with staff and used consistently to inform teaching, assessment and appropriate intervention for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged.
• Leaders should ensure that recent curriculum changes are fully embedded so that pupils build secure knowledge in all subjects, closing remaining gaps that currently limit their readiness for the next stage.
• Leaders should ensure all staff apply the school's agreed teaching approaches consistently, maintaining high expectations for the quality of work in pupils' books across all subjects.
• Leaders should ensure that staff routinely and precisely check pupils' understanding so they can identify misconceptions and address them before pupils move on to more complex learning.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)