Kingmoor Nursery and Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Kingmoor Nursery and Infant School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a graded (section 5) inspection now. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy at Kingmoor Nursery and Infant School. They arrive each day ready to learn and excited to see their friends and teachers. Staff have forged positive relationships with pupils and families.

They ensure that pupils have time and space to talk about how they feel and to share any worries that they may have. Leaders deal quickly and effective...ly with pupils' concerns, including about bullying. This helps pupils to feel safe.

Leaders' and governors' values of 'loving learning, enjoying, discovering, growing together' are evident throughout the school. Leaders have high expectations of pupils' learning and behaviour. Pupils, including children in the early years, rise to these high expectations.

They behave very well and are committed to learning. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve exceptionally well.

Pupils are highly engaged with the local community.

They have worked closely with the housing estate resident's association and have met with a councillor to share their ideas of how to improve the local area. Pupils have been proactive in raising awareness of issues such as dog fouling, speeding, parking and recycling. Pupils are considerate of the needs of local people.

They have sung to stroke patients in the local community centre, written letters to elderly neighbours and distributed gifts around the local housing estate. These different experiences help pupils to become responsible and empathetic citizens.

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

Leaders have designed a highly ambitious and broad curriculum from the early years to the end of Year 2.

Leaders are extremely knowledgeable about the subjects that they lead and have expertise and wider experience to lead their subjects very effectively. Leaders have ensured that the curriculum builds successfully year on year. They have also given careful consideration to the key stage 2 curriculum in the junior school so that pupils are prepared well for the next stage of their education.

Leaders have clearly identified the essential knowledge for pupils to learn. This has been broken down into smaller steps of learning and ordered logically so that pupils can build knowledge well over time.

Leaders have ensured that teachers have secure subject knowledge to teach the curriculum successfully.

Teachers give pupils work that allows them to develop deeper knowledge. They check that pupils have retained prior knowledge before moving on to new learning. Teachers address pupils' gaps and misconceptions quickly and effectively.

Leaders have established clear assessment strategies for teachers to check what pupils know and can remember. These are used consistently and effectively. Teachers use this information to shape future teaching.

Leaders identify quickly pupils who may have additional needs. Pupils with SEND are supported extremely well to learn the same curriculum as their classmates. Leaders have ensured that teachers have the knowledge and expertise that they need to adapt the curriculum so that all pupils can learn it well.

Leaders also provide a wealth of support to families of pupils with SEND.

Leaders have prioritised reading across the school. Pupils read widely and often.

They make good use of the book area in the early years outdoor environment and enjoy reading with their friends and adults. Leaders have also successfully established an outdoor library on the playground for parents and carers to share books. Leaders organised a book hunt around the local area for pupils to find new books to read.

These opportunities have encouraged a love of reading in pupils of all ages. Leaders have successfully established a phonics curriculum from the beginning of the Reception Year. Staff in the Nursery class effectively model and develop children's language and communication so they are prepared well for the phonics curriculum.

Staff are highly skilled in teaching phonics lessons. Pupils learn sounds in a logical order and read books that contain the sounds and words that they know. Pupils who need help to keep up with the phonics curriculum are supported effectively to do so.

This helps pupils to build confidence and fluency in reading.

Pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons. They enjoy their learning immensely and concentrate well on their work.

They are focused and curious. Disruption to lessons is rare as pupils value their learning. Leaders establish clear and consistent routines in the early years.

This means that pupils know what is expected of them. They are polite and considerate of each other and of adults. Leaders have developed a stimulating outdoor environment which helps to promote pupils' physical development and social interactions in the early years and at break and lunchtimes.

Leaders have developed a curriculum that supports pupils' wider development. Leaders place 'learning powers' at the heart of the curriculum and promote behaviours such as resilience, reflection and collaboration across the school. Pupils understand what these character traits look like in practice and are rewarded for demonstrating them.

Some pupils are school ambassadors. They have been instrumental in supporting other pupils' positive behaviour and well-being. For example, they have developed a reward system for pupils to earn acorns and they run the shop where pupils can exchange them for gifts.

Leaders also ensure that pupils, including those with SEND, attend a wide range of clubs, including craft, science and cooking.

The school is very well led and managed. Governors and leaders in school are passionate about professional development for leaders and staff.

Staff appreciate the opportunities that they have to widen their knowledge and expertise. They know that leaders prioritise their workload and well-being and feel valued by leaders. Governors know the school well and effectively hold leaders to account for the actions that they take to drive further improvement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding. They have ensured that staff have the training they need to identify pupils who may be at risk of harm.

Leaders respond swiftly to act on any concerns that staff may have. They keep diligent records of actions that they have taken. Leaders provide a wealth of help for vulnerable pupils and families.

Some staff are specifically trained to support pupils' emotional well-being. Leaders have also employed additional specialists to work with pupils individually and in small groups. Leaders work with other agencies to secure additional help for pupils.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when they are online. For example, leaders have ensured that pupils know how to swim and how to be safe near water.

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 October 2017.