Kilmington Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at Kilmington Primary school.

There are warm and respectful relationships between staff and pupils. Staff set high expectations for pupils' conduct. Pupils live up to these expectations.

This starts in the early years, where children learn school rules and routines. Pupils behave well and have positive attitudes towards their learning. They enjoy school and attend well.

The school has made improvements that reflect its ambition for pupils, for example, in early reading and mathematics. However, other changes are in their early stages. The wider curriculum does not yet support pupils to build their knowledge well enough across all sub...jects.

In these areas pupils do not achieve well.

Pupils take on positions of responsibility that help improve the school. For example, the school council has introduced systems for recycling and it raises awareness around road safety.

Pupils appreciate the range of trips and visits on offer, such as residential visits which develop their independence and build character.

Most parents would recommend the school to others. They appreciate how the school makes the best use of resources it has.

Many commented on the dedicated staff, family feel and high-quality pastoral care their children receive.

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

Since the school joined the Devon Moors Federation in 2021, there has been a strong focus on English and mathematics. This has meant that pupils achieve well in these areas.

However, across the wider curriculum, the school, and those responsible for governance, has not checked the impact of developments in the wider curriculum. As a result, the school has not identified where the curriculum is less effective. This means pupils do not learn as well and have gaps in their learning.

The mathematics curriculum is well designed and sequenced to meet the needs of mixed-aged classes. It provides pupils with the opportunity to develop their fluency in number. This starts in the early years, where children in Nursery learn about numbers by counting spots on dominoes.

They learn to recognise numbers quickly. Older pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), use this knowledge to solve problems and apply what they have learned. The school identifies pupils with SEND quickly.

Staff work with many specialist partners, as well as parents and carers, to make sure that most pupils get the tailored support that they need.

Across the wider curriculum the school has not considered how content builds progressively on what pupils already know. The school has not identified the small steps of knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn.

It is not clear what pupils must remember over time. This often means that pupils are not ready for the next part of their learning in these areas.Reading is a strength in the school.

In Nursery, there is a focus on developing children's communication and language. Children listen to different sounds before moving on to formal phonics lessons in Reception. Pupils practise their phonics knowledge by reading books that are matched to the sounds and letters they know.

This means they learn to read with fluency quickly. Pupils who do not keep up with the phonics programme are supported to catch up quickly. Older pupils value reading.

They listen to and read a carefully selected and wide range of diverse books.

In the early years, and in the phonics and mathematics curriculums, the school uses assessment systems well. This means gaps in pupils' learning and misconceptions are addressed quickly.

However, in the wider curriculum, assessment is not in place with the same rigour. This means the school is not clear what pupils learn. This prevents pupils from building their knowledge based on what they already know and remember.

The school provides an effective personal, social and health education curriculum for all pupils. Pupils learn about healthy and safe relationships and what it means to be a good friend. Pupils understand fundamental British values, such as democracy and tolerance.

They have a good knowledge of faiths and cultures different to their own.

Pupils enjoy learning outdoors within the local village forest. They apply their indoor learning to new contexts.

Pupils recall topics such as consent and staying safe online. Pupils have some opportunities to take part in some clubs outside their lessons, although pupils and parents would appreciate more.

The school and federation consider staff well-being and workload.

Staff are proud of the culture of teamwork and support that exists at the school. They feel valued and supported.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The precise knowledge pupils need to know and remember is not sufficiently identified and sequenced across all subjects. As a result, pupils do not build their knowledge based on what they already know. They develop gaps in their learning.

The school should ensure that the curriculum identifies the small steps in learning to enable all pupils to know more and remember more. ? Assessment is not effective across the wider curriculum. As a result, the school is not clear what pupils know and can do.

Some pupils do not build their knowledge well. The school needs to ensure that assessment identifies gaps in prior knowledge so that subsequent learning builds on what pupils already know and remember. ? The school does not evaluate the impact of its actions to improve the school.

As a result, it has not identified where pupils do not learn well in the wider curriculum. The school, including those responsible for governance, must ensure that sufficient time and priority are given to check the impact of curriculum development. This will enable them to know how well the curriculum is embedded and support pupils to know and remember more over time.