Teachers at Dymchurch Primary School celebrate after Ofsted inspection

Teachers at a village primary school previously rated ‘requires improvement’ are over the moon to have turned things around after their latest inspection.

Officers from Ofsted picked up on issues with child attendance, behaviour and curriculum at Dymchurch Primary School during previous visits.

But following an inspection last month, officers praised the New Hall Close site for its knowledgeable teachers and “exceptionally well behaving” pupils.

As of September this year, Ofsted no longer makes an overall effectiveness judgement at inspections of state-funded schools – this means schools will no longer receive ‘single headline’ grades.

Instead, schools receive a rating in existing subcategories – quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision.

Dymchurch Primary School marked ‘good’ for its quality of education, leadership and management, and early years provision.

The behaviour and attitude of its pupils and their personal development were deemed ‘outstanding’.

Reflecting on the school’s transformation, head of school Jenny Ross said it had taken a village to achieve the necessary improvements.

"We've focused on building a school community centred around excellence and growth,” said Mrs Ross.

"This journey has been about dedication and focusing on areas we knew needed attention.

“The entire team, along with the pupils and their families, have played a huge part in this success.”

In an inspection report published this month, Ofsted say the atmosphere in classrooms is peaceful and productive.

“Pupils behave exceptionally well,” penned officers.

“Pupils are taught techniques to regulate their emotions. When pupils become anxious or overwhelmed, they know how to calm themselves. Consequently, incidents of poor behaviour are rare.”

And while they note “disappointing” key stage 2 national test outcomes from 2023, inspectors say this does not reflect how well pupils are doing over time.

“All at the school are relentless in their commitment to deliver the very best for all pupils,” continues the report.

“Teachers are knowledgeable about the subjects they teach. They explain important concepts clearly and accurately and demonstrate crucial skills well so that pupils know how to be successful.”

The 163-pupil school was converted into an academy under Our Community Multi Academy Trust (OCMAT) in 2021, but had struggled perform well in inspections.

Commenting on the long-awaited positive Ofsted review, OCMAT CEO David Whitehead said everyone at the trust was delighted with the outcome.

“Moving from decades of underachievement to a ‘good’ rating, with two areas marked as ‘outstanding,’ is a testament to the hard work, resilience, and dedication of our staff, governors, and pupils.

“The Dymchurch community can now have full confidence in the exceptional quality of education and care their local school provides.”