Kenmore Park Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Kenmore Park Junior School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this school. They get on very well together. Pupils are proud of their school.

Pupils settle in quickly when they join the school. They enjoy learning interesting knowledge and skills across all subjects. Staff have high expectations of what pupils can do and achieve.

They encourage pupils to take part in many aspects of school life. This includes participating in a range of educational trips and clubs, including residential visits. Pupils take part in projects to recycle as much as they possibly can and to reduce plastic waste.

They collec...t money, food and gifts for various charities.

Behaviour in lessons and around the school is calm and orderly. Pupils are respectful of staff and of each other.

Staff take care of pupils. Pupils know that staff are there to help them with their learning and with any concerns that they might have. Bullying is rare, and swiftly dealt with.

Parents and carers feel well supported by leaders.

Pupils appreciate the wide range of sporting and musical opportunities they have at school, such as gymnastics, skipping club, chess and choir.

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

Senior leaders are clear about their vision for the school.

Staff and pupils share leaders' belief that 'education is the most powerful gift'. Leaders have designed a curriculum that is ambitious, broad and well sequenced. Regular assessment identifies any gaps in pupils' understanding.

Teachers use this information well to make sure that pupils are secure in their prior learning.

Reading has a high profile in the school. Staff regularly share their favourite children's books and authors with pupils.

This helps to promote interesting discussions about books. Staff support pupils to read and understand increasingly complex texts. Pupils love their library and reading corners, which are well stocked with a diverse range of books.

Staff identify and support pupils who need extra help in early reading. However, at times, staff are not clear about the school's approach for teaching phonics. This leads to inconsistencies in how early reading is taught.

Leaders have mapped precisely the knowledge they want pupils to learn. Teachers know what to teach and when. Pupils build their skills and knowledge in a range of subjects.

For example, in mathematics, pupils in Year 4 learn about measuring angles in different shapes. By Year 6, pupils can use their knowledge of geometry to draw complex shapes. In computing, pupils learn research and coding skills.

They apply these in a series of real-life applications, such as animation and designing presentations.

Pupils love to sing and perform. They have rich opportunities to learn a range of instruments as they progress through the school.

A varied curriculum is in place to support pupils' physical activities, including dance, swimming and outdoor adventure pursuits.

Leaders are quick to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff adapt learning well to meet pupils' individual needs.

Consequently, all pupils achieve well.

Leaders give careful thought to pupils' personal development. They consider the changing needs of the school community.

Pupils learn about how they can improve their own feelings of well-being and happiness. They have opportunities to contribute within and beyond the school community, for example through roles such as school council members, eco-leaders and food charity fundraisers.

Pupils meet the high standards of behaviour expected of them in class.

Staff use well-established routines, and learning is not disrupted.

Leaders manage staff's workload and well-being effectively. Staff are appreciative of this, and morale is high.

The governing body is diligent in supporting and challenging leaders as they seek to improve the education at the school. Parents hold senior leaders in high regard.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The school has clear practices to safeguard pupils. Staff receive regular training. They are quick to identify and report any concerns about pupils.

Leaders follow these up promptly. They make sure that pupils who may be at risk of harm get the necessary support. Leaders maintain detailed safeguarding records.

They complete with rigour all statutory pre-employment and vetting checks.

The computing curriculum provides pupils with a good understanding of how to stay safe when online. In personal, social, health and economic education, older pupils demonstrate a mature approach when discussing how to stay mentally and physically healthy.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders currently have a range of systematic synthetic phonics programmes in place. On occasion, staff do not pronounce sounds precisely when teaching pupils to read. As a result, there are inconsistencies in how phonics is taught.

Leaders should establish a consistent approach to teaching early reading. They should ensure that all staff have the necessary training in phonics to strengthen their skills and expertise.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2017.

Also at this postcode