King David Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

King David Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this welcoming and supportive school.

Parents and carers speak extremely highly of the excellent education that staff offer to their children. Pupils relish the wide range of learning opportunities available through the academic curriculum and beyond. Pupils comment that they are very proud and happy to attend King David Primary School.

Staff are determined that pupils will excel. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve exceptionally well. They benefit from interesting and engaging learning activities, e...nabling them to develop a deep and rich body of subject knowledge.

Children in the early years are well prepared for Year 1.

Behaviour is exemplary. Children in the early years learn how to follow routines and take turns.

Older pupils take responsibility for their own behaviour. Pupils meet the high expectations that staff have of their conduct. Pupils comment that staff are quick to prevent any fallouts between classmates.

Staff are also highly proactive in dealing with any incidents of bullying.

Pupils delight in treating others as they would like to be treated themselves. They model this by showing politeness and respect to everybody they meet.

Pupils are kind and caring. They look out for each other and those around them to make sure that no one is left out at social times. Pupils feel safe at this school.

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

Leaders and governors continually reflect on the quality of education that pupils receive. For example, they take decisive and effective action to promote ongoing improvements to the curriculum. As such, leaders have designed an extremely ambitious and well-organised curriculum for pupils.

They have thought about exactly what pupils must know. The curriculum builds seamlessly from the start of the early years through to Year 6.Leaders have pinpointed the essential topics and concepts that pupils must learn in each key stage to create a strong foundation for the next steps in their education.

Leaders ensure that pupils develop highly sophisticated subject-specific vocabulary. Pupils skilfully use pertinent vocabulary and terminology to exemplify their thoughts and ideas. Current pupils are excelling in all aspects of their education.

Teachers have excellent subject knowledge. Subject leaders keep up to date with relevant research about how to deliver the curriculum. For example, they have thought carefully about the purpose of assessment.

As a result of this thinking, leaders have designed assessment systems to test out the exact knowledge that pupils must know and remember. Teachers are equally adept at addressing any misconceptions that pupils may have. Pupils fully understand what they need to do to improve their work.

They appreciate the regular opportunities that teachers provide to revisit important aspects of their learning.

While outcomes in writing in 2022 were lower than usual, leaders have acted swiftly to remedy this issue. Current pupils are making excellent progress in their writing.

Examples of their work demonstrate that pupils have a mature and sophisticated approach to manipulating language to exemplify their thoughts and ideas.

Leaders have developed highly effective systems to identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND. They deliver a wide range of appropriate training to staff, enabling them to adapt the delivery of the curriculum for these pupils.

Staff are skilled in meeting the additional learning needs of pupils with SEND. As a result, pupils with SEND learn exceptionally well.

Staff are highly trained to deliver the phonics programme to pupils at the early stages of reading.

They skilfully enable pupils to develop their reading knowledge. Staff expertly support those pupils who find reading more difficult. These pupils catch up with their peers.

Leaders provide books that closely match with the sounds pupils are learning. This helps pupils to become fluent and confident readers.

Reading is prioritised for all pupils at the school.

In the Nursery and Reception classes, children delight in listening to stories and rhymes. Older pupils eagerly discuss a wide range of authors and literature.

Pupils, including those with SEND and those who are disadvantaged, have access to a wide range of experiences to enhance their learning beyond the academic curriculum.

Leaders have ensured that there is a vast range of clubs available to pupils. They prioritise trips and visits to places of interest. Leaders and staff ensure that enrichment activities bring learning to life for pupils.

Character development is also a key element of pupils' wider development at this school. As such, leaders have created opportunities for pupils to contribute to their local community. For example, pupils attend lunch visits to local care homes, and they support a range of charities of their choosing.

Leaders, including governors, place a high priority on the well-being of staff and pupils. Staff are unwaveringly positive about the support they receive to carry out their roles effectively. They appreciate being consulted in decision-making processes.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders know their community extremely well. They ensure that there are numerous opportunities to teach pupils to be safe.

Leaders have ensured that staff are well trained to spot any potential signs of concern. They provide regular updates to ensure that safeguarding remains at the forefront of staff's work.

Leaders have put effective systems in place to record concerns.

They follow up any concerns tenaciously, working with appropriate agencies for support when required.

Pupils explained that they have a trusted adult they can talk with should they have any concerns or worries about themselves or a friend.

Background

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

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 outstanding in March 2016.

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