Kings Avenue School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this school.

They value the positive relationships they have with staff. Leaders in the school are ambitious for pupils, both in terms of behaviour and their academic progress. Pupils meet these high expectations.

They enjoy their learning, work well in lessons and appreciate rewards for positive behaviour. The 'star pupil of the week' has the opportunity for a trip to the 'book hut', where they can pick a new book to keep.

Pupils speak confidently about the school's 'moral compass'.

This consists of four key behaviours: to be kind, honest, helpful and fair. This guidance helps them think about how to act and behave. Pupi...ls know what bullying is and know that it is not tolerated in the school.

Staff deal well with any minor incidents.

Leaders encourage pupils to take part in leadership opportunities. They want pupils to have a voice.

The active school council contributes to decisions about school life, including taste-testing for the canteen. Teachers encourage pupils to create their own clubs. A pupil-run book club has recently been set up.

This is well attended by other pupils. Older pupils support younger ones. For example, Year 6 pupils regularly offer support to early readers.

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

Leaders and teachers are working hard to develop a broad and ambitious curriculum. Subject leaders deliver training to improve the expertise of all teachers. They know how their curriculum areas link to the early years foundation stage (EYFS).

These links are a key part of their planning.

Governors have a clear understanding of the curriculum. They have visited the school to further their understanding of their link subject areas.

Curriculum leaders present and discuss their subjects at governing body meetings.

Subject leaders identify the key knowledge and skills that pupils need to understand and build up over time. This is having a positive impact on pupils' learning.

Year 6 pupils were using their learning on angles, multiplication and division to successfully solve a mathematical problem linked to the area of a triangle. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 in music were able to identify the differences between major and minor scales.

Leaders have prioritised reading, and pupils learn to read well.

Teachers follow a clear and well-planned phonics programme. They have received the correct training and use this in their practice. Children start this reading programme from Reception Year onwards.

Some children in Nursery start the phonics programme before they join Reception if they are ready. Pupils read books that match the sounds that they know, both in school and at home. This means that they can confidently use their learning to help them read unknown words.

Leaders assess pupils regularly and identify those who need additional help quickly. Pupils receive additional lessons to help them catch up.Pupils can use some subject-specific vocabulary well.

In the EYFS, children were using their knowledge of three-dimensional shapes to help them explain vertices. In music, pupils in Years 5 and 6 could explain and demonstrate their understanding of rhythm. However, some struggled to show understanding of other subject-specific concepts, such as tempo and pitch.

In science, Year 3 pupils were not able to clearly describe how shadows are formed. Leaders are working to identify and close these gaps in pupils' learning.

Teachers are aware of the needs of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils with SEND have work adapted to ensure that they can access the full curriculum. Teachers regularly check pupils' understanding and review their learning. However, on a small number of occasions, misconceptions were not addressed effectively by staff both in lessons and in pupils' work.

Pupils meet the clear expectations that teachers have of them. They behave well in lessons and are respectful and kind towards each other. They benefit from a curriculum that goes beyond the subjects that they learn.

They learn how to keep themselves safe online, and how to respect diversity. Pupils have a clear understanding of democracy and appreciate the roles they can hold in the school. These include being on the school council and as play leaders.

Teachers are well supported by school leaders. Leaders are accessible, and staff value this. They know that they can ask for help, particularly with workload.

They appreciate the care and consideration given to their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Clear routines are in place to track and respond to safeguarding needs.

Staff are clear about identifying potential concerns and how to log these. School leaders use external agencies effectively and make relevant referrals when required. Staff have received safeguarding training and they are aware of specific contextual safeguarding concerns for the school.

Pupils learn about online safety, consideration of mental health and an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. All statutory checks are in place. Governors seek assurances that school leaders are following these routines and expectations.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• While the curriculum is well thought out, teaching does not always respond to pupils who make mistakes. This means that some misconceptions go unaddressed. Teachers must ensure that they are following the school's policy and approaches when correcting pupils' work and identifying misconceptions, whether in books or in lessons.

• Pupils can recall key concepts and prior learning across a range of subjects. At times, their fluency of this recall, particularly linking to key subject-specific terminology, is not as clear as it should be. Leaders must continue to identify and address these gaps in learning.