Kingfield Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kind and respectful within this welcoming school community. They thrive in a supportive and aspirational environment.

The school has high expectations of pupils' achievements, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning, particularly reading. As a result, they achieve well.

Pupils are polite and considerate. The school encourages them to be friendly and responsible through explicit teaching about the school values of 'ready, respectful and safe'. Pupils demonstrate these qualities through positive attitudes and relationships with other pupils and staff.

Pupils feel safe. Th...ey feel listened to and know that adults take any concerns seriously. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in the community and online.

They understand how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. Pupils also appreciate how the school rewards their achievements and celebrates their success.

Pupils value the wide range of opportunities in school.

They have benefitted from working with the 'Young Carers Orchestra' and local care homes and by raising money for children's hospitals. Pupils live out the school vision of 'Be the best you can be' by eagerly participating in the many experiences on offer.

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

The teaching of reading is a strength of the school.

The school strongly promotes developing children's language and communication skills from the start of Nursery. This helps to improve children's listening skills, ready to learn to read. Staff consistently follow a well-sequenced phonics scheme from Reception onwards.

They receive high-quality training from the school and consistently follow the well-ordered programme. Staff use a diligent approach to checking pupils' understanding that informs them about pupils' reading fluency and accuracy. All pupils have books that closely match the sounds they know.

Staff support older pupils to choose appropriate reading books to expose them to books that they might not otherwise read. Consequently, pupils are keen readers, with access to a wide range of books.

The school has an ambitious and well-developed curriculum.

In most subjects, the curriculum is detailed and identifies the key knowledge and skills that the school intends pupils to learn from Nursery onwards. Staff follow the curriculum closely, and this supports pupils to gradually learn the essential content so that they are ready for their next stage of learning. In a small number of subjects, the curriculum is less well developed.

Teachers are vigilant in checking pupils' understanding and then identifying and closing any gaps in learning. This rigour means that pupils build their knowledge over time effectively. The school is swift to identify the needs of pupils with SEND.

It provides thoughtful extra help, and staff adapt their teaching skilfully to enable these pupils to achieve well.

Children in Reception and Nursery enjoy a positive start at the school. Staff choose resources and activities that strongly promote children's learning and independence.

This includes children learning about important life skills such as washing their hands and cleaning their teeth. Children interact positively and kindly and are taught how to settle any minor disagreements independently.

Pupils' behaviour is positive.

Staff explicitly teach them how to behave from the start of Nursery. This helps even the youngest children to understand what is expected and how to behave. As a result, pupils enthusiastically follow routines and rules.

If pupils present with more challenging behaviour, staff take prompt, appropriate and proportionate action. Pupils' attendance is generally good. However, the school's oversight of pupils with lower attendance is not yet sufficiently well developed.

The school prioritises pupils' personal development from early years onwards. This begins with well-considered opportunities in Reception and Nursery. Staff positively develop pupils' understanding of different family structures, cultures and religions as they move through the school.

Consequently, pupils are able to articulate a detailed understanding about equality and inclusion. By the end of their time at the school, pupils are informed and active citizens, ready for the next stages of education. The extra-curricular club offer is developing.

Currently, too few of the most vulnerable pupils benefit from this offer.

Leaders are committed to the school; they are well informed and challenge each other. They keep pupils' interests at the centre of their decision-making.

Staff, including early career teachers, are well supported, which enables them to focus on teaching. Parents appreciate how the school works to keep them involved about what pupils learn and how they can support this at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A few curriculum subjects are not yet strongly developed. As a result, the learning of some pupils is variable. The school should continue to refine all subjects and ensure that staff follow plans closely so that pupils achieve highly across the curriculum.