Kingsley Community Primary School and Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Kingsley Community Primary School and Nursery continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this happy and welcoming school. They enjoy their lessons and spending time with their friends.

Pupils who are new to the school are warmly welcomed. They make new friends quickly. Parents and carers are highly supportive of the school.

They appreciate the care and attention staff give to their children.

Pupils feel safe and cared for by the kind and friendly staff. They know that staff will listen to any concerns or worries that they have.

When needed, pupils benefit from help for their well-being. This includes t...ime in 'Nature's Nook' at lunchtimes.

Leaders and governors are ambitious for all pupils to achieve well.

Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children in the early years, achieve well in many subjects.

Staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Most pupils behave well around school and are attentive in lessons.

They strive to follow the agreed expectations of 'ready, safe, respect.' Leaders deal effectively with any bullying incidents should they occur.

Pupils develop their wider interests and talents through after-school and lunchtime clubs, such as chess, choir and Spanish.

They take on a variety of roles to help with the running of the school, for example taking care of the school dog, Monty, being Year 6 buddies to children in the early years and being members of the sports council.

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

Leaders have thought carefully about what they want pupils to learn. They have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils.

They have considered the essential knowledge that pupils should learn and when they should learn it. The curriculum in the early years, which includes two-year-olds, is also well thought out.

Leaders ensure that staff, including those in the early years, are well trained to deliver the curriculum effectively.

In many subjects, teachers design activities that help pupils to build on what they already know and can do. Teachers make careful checks on pupils' learning to make sure that they know and remember what they have been taught. This helps pupils to build their knowledge over time and make links between prior learning and new learning.

As a result, most pupils achieve well in these subjects.

In some subjects, until recently, leaders had not clearly identified the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn or the order they need to learn it. This hinders teachers in designing learning that supports pupils to remember the content of these subject curriculums.

This means that pupils do not deepen their understanding over time. As a result, pupils do not develop a secure knowledge of some important aspects of these subjects.

Leaders have placed a high priority on ensuring that pupils learn to read well.

The school's phonics and early reading curriculum are delivered effectively by well-trained staff. Children in the Nursery class, including two-year-olds, join in with rhymes and songs to help develop their early language. This helps to prepare them well for learning the phonics curriculum as soon as they enter the Reception class.

The books that pupils read match the sounds that they know. This helps pupils to confidently practise what they have learned and become increasingly fluent readers. Teachers are quick to spot if pupils start to struggle with reading.

These pupils, including pupils in key stage 2, are given suitable additional support so that they catch up quickly. Consequently, most pupils become fluent and confident readers.

Leaders have developed effective systems to identify the needs of pupils with SEND.

Leaders work closely with parents and other professionals. Through this partnership work, leaders gain important information about how to support pupils with SEND and make sure that these pupils get the help that they need. As a result, pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their classmates.

Pupils, including children in the early years, are kind and help each other in lessons and at playtimes. Leaders have established clear routines and expectations. Staff and pupils consistently follow the 'five stages of happiness'.

These help to support and promote positive behaviour across the school.

Most pupils display positive attitudes to learning and behave well around school. Pupils are able to concentrate on learning in their lessons.

When pupils get distracted from their learning, teachers act quickly and effectively so that pupils get back on track. Leaders provide high-quality support to help pupils, including those with SEND, who sometimes struggle with their conduct.

Leaders provide many opportunities for pupils to learn beyond the academic curriculum.

The active school council learn important leadership skills. Staff arrange exciting visits, visitors and residential experiences to develop pupils' social and cultural understanding. Pupils learn about a range of faiths.

They develop a mature understanding of the importance of equality and tolerance. They are well prepared for life in a diverse and modern Britain.

Governors share senior leaders' commitment to providing the best possible education for pupils.

They understand their role and ensure that they have the knowledge that they need to challenge and support school leaders effectively.

Leaders place great emphasis on supporting the well-being of staff as well as pupils. Morale is high.

Staff are resoundingly positive about working at the school. They appreciate leaders' support to ensure that their workload is manageable.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders, staff and governors have created a strong culture of safeguarding. They are well trained to support pupils at risk of harm. Procedures to identify and report concerns are understood clearly by staff.

Leaders work effectively with outside agencies to access appropriate and timely support for pupils and families.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including how to manage risks when they are online. For example, pupils learn about cyberbullying and can clearly describe how to stay safe when they are working or playing on the internet.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, leaders have only recently refined their curriculums so that the most important knowledge that pupils should learn and the order they should learn this is clearly identified. This hampers how well some pupils learn in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that teachers are supported to deliver these newer curriculums effectively so that pupils know more and remember more in these subjects.

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.