Kennington Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers see this school as a safe and happy place. Pupils enjoy school. They are cheerful in class and they have positive relationships with their teachers.

Leaders have worked well with parents to ensure that more pupils attend school regularly. Pupils' attendance is similar to that of pupils nationally.

Teachers have high expectations for all pupils.

They want pupils to do well. Pupils usually listen carefully. When they return from breaktime, they settle down to their work quickly.

They try hard because they know this is what their teachers expect from them.

Pupils behave well. They are respectful to staff and to each other..../>
They understand the rules for behaviour and follow them respectfully. Pupils know what bullying is and they say that it is very rare at this school. They trust their teachers to put a stop to it if it ever happens.

Pupils have many opportunities to develop personally as well as academically. For example, they enjoy many trips. These trips include visits to some historic places of interest.

Older pupils experience residential stays in an outdoor education centre. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) participate fully in the wide range of activities on offer.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The curriculum is broad, rich and it is as challenging as the national curriculum.

Teachers are clear about what content to teach and when. This means that, in almost all subjects, pupils can build on earlier knowledge and skills well.

Children start school in the Reception class.

Many children in Reception speak English as an additional language and many of them join the school part way through the year. However, the well-designed curriculum in Reception prepares children well for Year 1.

Across the school, pupils with SEND receive effective and timely support.

Teachers adapt curriculums carefully for this group of pupils. This is especially the case for children in Reception. As a result, pupils with SEND can participate fully in the wider life of the school, and they achieve well.

Leaders have made reading a high priority. Pupils' achievement in reading has improved as a result. This was reflected in the key stage 2 national tests in 2019.

Pupils talk confidently about the books they have read. They speak enthusiastically about their favourite authors. Their reading helps them to recognise and understand a wide range of words.

Pupils enjoy listening to their teachers read. Teachers usually select books that are matched well to pupils' knowledge of phonics. On a few occasions, especially in the early years, these books are not matched as well as they could be.

When this happens, some children struggle to make sense of the stories.

Young children start to learn about phonics as soon as they start school. Teachers know what children should be learning in phonics and when.

This helps teachers to identify quickly those pupils who fall behind and provide strong support so that pupils can catch up quickly.

The curriculum in mathematics helps all pupils to achieve well. Teachers provide pupils with plenty of opportunities to practise the skills they learn, including in other subjects.

For example, in science, pupils in Year 2 recorded information about the weather in Preston. They used their mathematical knowledge about collecting data to organise this information into charts. This helped pupils to apply their earlier mathematical knowledge to a real-life situation.

Pupils talk enthusiastically about their learning in science. There is a well-planned science curriculum that helps pupils to learn well. For example, pupils in Year 4 enjoyed testing out how quickly ice melts in different areas of the school.

Pupils can remember what they have learned in science before. They understand and can explain how their knowledge has developed over time.

The curriculum in geography is not as well organised as in other subjects.

Leaders make sure that pupils cover the national curriculum. However, the order in which the curriculum is delivered is not as logical as it is in other subjects, for example science. This makes it more difficult for pupils to make connections in geography.

The curriculum also supports pupils' personal development well. For example, pupils take part in sports competitions and singing festivals. Some pupils benefit from taking additional responsibility, for instance through their school council roles.

Pupils visit places of worship. This helps them to learn about different religions and cultures. They learn to be respectful and to listen to each other's views.

Pupils are less clear about some aspects of British values, such as democracy and individual liberty. This is because the curriculum does not make this important learning explicit enough for pupils

Poor behaviour rarely disrupts learning. Pupils usually listen carefully to their teachers and follow instructions.

This helps everyone to get on with their work.

Governors and leaders are mindful of staff's workload and well-being. Staff appreciate this.

They feel valued at this school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safeguarding is a priority.

There are comprehensive procedures in place for the recruitment of staff. Leaders and governors complete all necessary checks to ensure that new staff are suitable to work with pupils.

There are clear systems in place to report safeguarding concerns.

Leaders make sure that all staff understand these systems. Staff receive appropriate safeguarding training.

Leaders have established effective partnerships with a range of other agencies.

They secure appropriate support for children and their families when needed.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe when they are using the internet. They know who to talk to if they are worried about something.

Pupils say that they feel safe in school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Leaders have not thought carefully enough about the selection of books that teachers read to pupils in class. These books have been selected to support topics.

However, they are not always appropriate for pupils' stage of reading or learning development, especially in the early years. When this happens, children struggle to understand fully the story they hear and the questions their teachers ask about it. Leaders need to ensure that the books that teachers read aloud are more carefully selected to support pupils' reading development and build more effectively on their prior learning.

. The curriculum in geography is not organised or planned as well as it is in other subjects. This means that the order in which teachers deliver learning is not as clear and logical as it is in other subjects.

This makes it more difficult for pupils to make connections and build on their prior learning. Leaders must organise the geography curriculum so that pupils can build on their earlier knowledge, make connections and achieve well. .

Pupils are not sufficiently knowledgeable about some aspects of fundamental British values. This means that pupils struggle to explain their understanding of everyday issues such as democracy and the rule of law. Leaders need to improve pupils' learning in this area so that pupils' knowledge of fundamental British values is secure.

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