Working at Molehill Primary Academy: At Molehill Primary Academy we have created a culture that enables both pupils and staff to thrive and achieve their very best. The Academy was opened in 1954 to serve the southern part of the Shepway Estate and the roads leading to it. It caters for boys and girls from the age of three to eleven years. It stands on beautiful grounds which we have specifically developed to aid curriculum studies.

Relationships between staff at all levels, and the children, are highly positive and this creates a warm and vibrant atmosphere in lessons and during social times. With the support and guidance of leaders, teachers provide well-organised, calm and purposeful classrooms in which children can enjoy their learning challenges. The positive and caring ethos at Molehill is combined with a clear, relentless focus and an ambition that all pupils can and will achieve well, regardless of their different starting points. Teachers have embedded a culture of high expectations; we will all do whatever it takes to create better life opportunities for our pupils, they deserve the very best. We help support and develop one another in an open and supportive environment. This extends across the Trust, allowing us to work with other academies, either within the cluster or further afield, whilst still maintaining our own personality and driving our own priorities.

To enhance our curriculum delivery, we are an academy for the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP), an IB World School. This is an inquiry led framework that develops independent learners and posits personal success as essential for academic achievement, and learners who continue to thrive. We employ conferencing, high quality learning conversions and scaffolding with no written feedback, as our evaluation and feedback approach.

Vision and values: - Don’t Give Up – Perseverance | Diversity & Achieving against the odds | Aim High - Concentrate – Managing my Distractions | Listening, not just hearing | Working Hard - Question – Questioning/Inquisitive |Teamwork/Reciprocity | Imagine, Create and Innovate - Improve – Reflecting/Revising | Never Give Up (knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do!) | Be Your Best - Understand Myself – Independence/Interdependence | Community | Challenge Yourself & Try New Things - Understand my actions and the actions of others – Responsibility | Empathy | ‘I Can Do’ Attitude

Here's what Ofsted said:

“Leaders have worked with unrelenting determination and clear focus to drive up achievement and create a can-do culture across the school. This has united staff and inspired pupils so that the school continues to go from strength to strength.”

“A strong sense of community unites the school in working towards the school vision – ‘fostering a lifelong love of learning’.”

Here's what Challenge Partners said:

“Relationships between pupils and staff are strong and contribute to pupils' excellent attitude and behaviour”

“Pupils enjoy learning”

“Pupils are encouraged to develop and share their ideas. They are highly reflective about their strengths and aware of their next steps.”

Molehill Primary Academy was recently awarded with Artsmark Gold and the International School Award - Intermediate Level.

'The sense of pride that we each feel here at Molehill is strengthened by our commitment to placing our pupils at the centre of their learning. Teachers have embedded a culture of high expectations; we will all do whatever it takes to create better life opportunities for our children who deserve the very best. We care about our pupils and the communities we serve, and driven by our strong moral purpose we work together to achieve excellence for all, creating confident, resilient children.' - Principal Laura Smith