Valley Invicta Primary School At Aylesford is a highly ambitious school where pupils feel valued and respected. This is because staff give pupils a voice and include them in all aspects of school life. Pupils take on many roles, such as those of subject ambassadors, house captains, eco-warriors and digital leaders. One pupil proudly told the lead inspector: ‘Lots of people want to come to this school.’ Under the leadership of the determined headteacher and deputy headteacher, the school continues to go from strength to strength. A sense of purpose and high aspiration permeates the school. This is because staff have consistently high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour. Pupils get on well with each other and show high levels of respect for staff. Bullying is incredibly rare, but it is dealt with well. One pupil commented: ‘If you are nice to someone, they will be nice to you.’ Engaging lessons that keep pupils interested lead to them demonstrating high levels of concentration. Pupils behave very well in lessons and around the school because they know that this is the ‘Aylesford Way’. One parent echoed the views of many parents and carers in saying: ‘My child feels successful, happy and safe at school.’ What does the school do well and what does it need to do better? An ambitious, exciting and well-thought-out curriculum ensures that pupils learn many different subjects. Learning in each of these subjects is carefully organised from Reception to Year 6 so that pupils learn as much as possible about a range of different topics and concepts. Consequently, pupils talk confidently about what they learn. For example, during the inspection, pupils in a Year 4 art lesson explained to the lead inspector that they had learned about an artist called Daniel Mackie. They went on to demonstrate how they had used his artwork as inspiration for their own sketches of animals in their natural habitats. They talked with confidence about the different techniques of hatching they used, including cross- and contour hatching. Children in early years respond with excitement and enthusiasm to the many activities staff organise for them. They get off to an excellent start so that they are ready for key stage 1. However, leaders acknowledge that the links between what children learn in Reception and Year 1 could be further strengthened in a small number of subjects. Staff confidently teach many subjects and have an excellent understanding of the most effective teaching approaches because of the training they receive. Leaders support staff well and ensure that staff workload is manageable. Simple assessment processes help teachers to check pupils’ learning regularly. Teachers use this information to help them plan future lessons. They revisit key learning at regular intervals so that it becomes lodged in pupils’ memories. As a result, pupils cope well with more demanding work as they move through the school. Leaders understand the importance that reading has in helping pupils to learn. Consequently, they have prioritised reading across the school. Children start learning to read in the first week of Reception. No time is wasted in pupils starting the school’s wellplanned phonics programme, which leads to pupils getting off to a flying start with reading. Staff are well trained and know what they need to do to ensure that all pupils, including the weakest readers, become fluent, confident readers. Pupils are motivated to read as many books as possible through the school’s ‘We’re Inspiring a Love of Books and Reading (WILBAR)’ initiative. Pupils earn a bear called ‘Wilbar’ for every 100 books they read. They excitedly strive to collect as many as they can. A highly inclusive culture enables all pupils to achieve well. Those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified quickly because of the strong staff–pupil relationships. Leaders think creatively about what will make the most difference to these pupils. The changes they make for these pupils in lessons are subtle so that pupils feel included. This leads to pupils with SEND working towards the same ambitious goals as other pupils. Leaders work closely with other professionals as needed to make sure that the right support is in place at the right time for these pupils. A wealth of experiences and opportunities for pupils means that they become confident, well-rounded individuals who are ready for later life. An extensive personal, social, health and economic education programme means that pupils develop an impressive understanding of the many important topics they learn about. This includes learning about different faiths and religions. Pupils also participate in a wide range of clubs and activities. In discussion with the headteacher, the inspector agreed that the school’s curriculum may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection.