Kinderley Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Kinderley Primary School. This is because pupils feel well cared for.

Staff know the pupils well. Pupils are kind and care for each other. Their parents agree, stating that their children are happy and valued as individuals.

Pupils enjoy learning about different topics in subjects such as science and geography, but the way that these are planned out does not help them to learn more and remember more over time. Pupils are sometimes not enthused to concentrate and engage in learning. When this happens, pupils become easily distracted.

In the past, not enough pupils made good progress in their time in the school. The way that English and m...athematics are now taught has made them more confident in these subjects. Pupils are becoming more confident readers.

Pupils' behaviour during social times, such as on the playground, is better. Pupils play together nicely. They do not think there is any bullying but are clear that when they have had problems with others, staff have sorted these out quickly.

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

Over the last few years, the school has had several headteachers and an almost complete change of staff. The lack of stability caused a decline in standards. There is now a permanent headteacher and a full staff team.

However, establishing a good quality of education is at an early stage.

In subjects other than English and mathematics, there is a planned curriculum but it is lacking in detail. Teachers do not have enough guidance on what core content they should be teaching in each subject each term.

Pupils do not routinely remember previous learning needed to access some of the curriculum. Sometimes teachers' choices of activity do not help pupils focus on the key learning that they need to be successful in the next activity.

Where the curriculum is more detailed, in English and mathematics, teachers are clear on how new teaching builds on what has come before.

They use assessment to identify what pupils do not know, and reteach. Intervention groups led by support staff also aim to fill these gaps. As a result, pupils are gaining confidence in their writing and mathematics and making progress in these areas now.

A new scheme of teaching reading is in place. This is helping younger children learn to read, but how it is taught is inconsistent between classes. Some staff are less confident than others in teaching phonics.

For early readers, books sent home are well matched to the sounds they know. For older readers, there is a wide range of appealing books. They are reading these but are not yet enthusiastic about reading.

In the early years, staff make good use of the outdoors to interest pupils. The nursery is airy and bright, but there are not enough comfortable, multi-use or inviting spaces for the youngest to play in and learn as well as they could. The curriculum for the early years does not explicitly link to what is taught in the rest of the school.

Leaders are not ensuring that what children learn in the early years sets them up well for the curriculum as they get older.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified. Plans are in place, and used, about how to meet these.

Support staff work with pupils in class and in intervention groups to help them access learning. As with the rest of the school, pupils with SEND do not have clear enough progression through the curriculum year on year.

Pupils have opportunities for discussion in class.

They learn about key values and issues such as diversity and inclusion in assemblies. The curriculums for personal, social and health education, and relationships and sex education are being delivered, but no consideration has been made on how next year's teaching will build on this year.

Pupils are kind to each other and welcoming to new members of their school.

They are motivated by the challenges they set themselves and rewards such as 'star of the week'. Pupils do not always attend school enough. Leaders are working closely with families and attendance for many has improved.

Staff all share leaders' clear vision to make sure the pupils succeed. They understand that further changes are needed and are positive about this. They are highly supportive of each other and work together as a cohesive team.

The school has benefited from a great deal of local authority support over the last few years. As a result, subject leaders are confident about how to move their subjects forward. The implementation of this by subject leaders is at an early stage.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safeguarding is a strength of the school. Leaders know every child well.

The team of designated safeguarding leaders works closely together to make sure that pupils and their families receive the support they need. Safeguarding records are detailed. Staff have good training and regular updates to ensure they know what they need to.

Pupils feel safe; their parents agree. All pupils spoken to knew whom they could talk to if they were upset or worried.

All appropriate checks are made on adults who are in school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum in subjects beyond English and mathematics is not planned out in enough detail to ensure that teachers are clear on what they need to teach and when. The nursery curriculum does not make clear how it links to the main school curriculum. As a result, pupils do not have the opportunity to build new learning on what has come before.

Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum is detailed enough and meets the needs of the mixed-age classes. ? The way that phonics is taught is inconsistent across classes and not all staff are as confident as others in how to teach it. This means that some pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise the sounds they are learning.

Leaders need to ensure that a consistent approach is in place and that staff have appropriate training and support to improve their practice. ? The nursery building has been refurbished but the indoor set-up does not yet fully engage children in their learning, as some spaces are not flexible in their use. It does not provide enough comfortable spaces to play for the very youngest.

As a result, children sometimes struggle to focus and do not practise what they have learned about. Staff need to create more opportunities for children to play in different ways that support the areas of learning in the early years. ? Nearly all subject leaders are new to post.

They have received substantial support from the local authority and the headteacher. However, they have not yet had the opportunities to develop their subjects. They need to be confident in leading their subjects, in coordinating the development of a more appropriate curriculum and in supporting colleagues to choose good-quality learning activities.