Harris Primary Academy Kenley

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. The Executive Principal and Head of Academy lead and manage the academy exceptionally well. They have ensured rapid improvement in all aspects of its work since it opened.

Leaders are uncompromising in their efforts to ensure that all pupils fulfil their potential. They have given teachers and teaching assistants high quality support and training. This has led to notable improvements in the quality of teaching.

The leadership team, including those in charge of subjects, is very knowledgeable about the quality of provision because it checks all aspects very carefully and quickly takes action if it spots a weakness. The governors a...re extremely well informed and take an active role in all aspects of school life. Finances, including for primary school sport and supporting disadvantaged pupils, are managed very well to maximise the impact on learning.

The Harris Federation has provided excellent support and challenge to the academy to secure improvement. Pupils' achievement is outstanding because pupils are taught exceptionally well. Early years provision is outstanding.

Teaching is excellent. Children acquire new skills very quickly and behave exceptionally well. Provision is extremely well led and managed.

In Key Stages 1 and 2, teachers expect nothing but the best from pupils. They get on very well with pupils and are very effective at making learning interesting. Teaching consistently provides the right level of challenge for pupils, including the most able.

Pupils are very proud of the academy and are brilliant ambassadors for its work. Their behaviour is outstanding. They are highly motivated and work hard all the time.

Pupils get on extremely well together. They are polite and courteous. They thoroughly enjoy their work, especially the way that learning is enriched by clubs, visits and visitors.

The academy promotes creativity in areas such as art, sport and music very successfully. The safety of the pupils is outstanding. Adults ensure pupils are very aware of how to keep themselves safe.

Senior leaders and governors ensure the site is extremely safe. The academy plays an important role in supporting other establishments in the Harris Federation. While the great majority of parents are happy with the huge improvements since the academy opened, a minority feels that they could still be more involved in its work.

Information about this school

Harris Primary Academy Kenley converted to become an academy on 1 September 2013. When its predecessor school, Roke Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate. This is a larger-than-average-sized primary academy.

Children in the early years attend full time in one of the two Reception classes or part time in the Nursery. Around a half of pupils are White British. Other pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, including White and Black Caribbean and Asian.

Nearly a quarter of pupils speak English as an additional language. Only a few of these are in the early stages of learning to speak English. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is broadly average.

The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is also broadly average. This is additional government funding provided to give extra support to those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and to children who are looked after. The academy meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress.

The governors are managed by the Harris Federation. The Executive Principal leads and manages three academies in the Harris Federation. The academy runs breakfast and after-school clubs which are managed by the governing body.