Kingsmoor Lower School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen to come to school every day.

They are highly motivated to learn and want to do their best. Pupils enjoy their lessons and the range of wider experiences the school offers them, such as in sports, trips and residentials. They benefit from having visitors in school to make learning more memorable.

The school is determined that all pupils do well, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils throughout the school rise to the high expectations staff have for them. They respond well to the guidance adults provide.

As a result, pupils are successful learners and are appropriately prepared for their move to middl...e school.

Pupils, including the very youngest, behave impeccably well and show high levels of respect for each other. They are nurtured and kept safe by a dedicated staff team.

Children in early years get off to a positive start. Older pupils relish the leadership roles they can take up and are actively involved in contributing to school life. Pupils support each other as 'play pals' and as school councillors.

Eco-warriors check the school is litter free. Pupils support the community with environmental projects and visit local senior citizens. Pupils, therefore, understand empathy and how to be responsible.

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

The school is determined that all pupils have a fulfilling school experience and are in school regularly. Pupils, parents and carers recognise and appreciate this. The school's actions mean that pupils' attendance is consistently high.

This has a positive effect on pupils' well-being and achievement at this school, including for pupils with SEND.

The school's curriculum builds pupils' knowledge logically over time. Pupils are supported effectively to meet national standards in assessments, including in phonics and times table knowledge.

Pupils are securing the required knowledge to help them succeed in the next stage of their education. However, there are a few curriculum areas where the most important knowledge pupils need to know is not sufficiently detailed. This means some pupils are not gaining knowledge in enough depth.

From early years upwards, pupils are well supported to develop as fluent and confident readers. The school has a clear and consistent approach to the teaching of letter sounds. Staff put effective interventions in place for pupils of all ages who need additional help with reading.

Most pupils read books that are suitably matched to their reading ability.

Staff check how well all pupils retain knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics. In other subjects, staff help pupils to recall prior knowledge before learning something new.

Staff also address misconceptions. However, these checks on learning are not consistently used by staff to adapt the next steps in learning. This results in some pupils not catching up with gaps or extending their knowledge quickly enough.

The school is effective in its support for pupils with SEND. This starts in early years, where time is taken to support these children to settle into school. Pupils' needs are quickly identified.

Staff use specialist advice to make suitable adaptations to provision. They regularly review how well these adjustments are working.

The school has recently expanded its early years to include two-year-olds.

These children benefit from how well staff get to know them. Throughout early years, children learn how to take turns, sustain concentration and develop independence. Children engage well in learning activities with adults.

Most children leave early years with the expected skills to succeed in Year 1. However, the early years curriculum needs refining to deepen the knowledge children secure prior to moving up. The school has started work to address this.

Pupils learn and play without disruption or worry. They follow the school rules exceptionally well. They know how to spot signs of bullying, even though these incidents are very rare.

Pupils live out the school values to achieve the reward of 'good to be green'. Adults sensitively help pupils to regulate their feelings if needed so they quickly calm down.

Pupils gain an understanding of the world beyond their community.

These wider links are intertwined with all aspects of learning. Pupils understand not to discriminate. They are taught about right from wrong from an early age.

Pupils show high levels of mutual respect. They know how to live healthily, recognise positive relationships and stay safe online. School elections and assemblies also help pupils gain an understanding of the values needed for life in modern Britain.

The school is very mindful of staff well-being and their professional development. Governors are proactive in holding leaders to account. They have the necessary expertise to do this well.

The school seeks links with other schools in their locality. This improves the transition process for pupils to middle school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some aspects of the curriculum, the key knowledge pupils need to know is not outlined clearly enough. This means some pupils are not acquiring the depth of knowledge intended to meet the ambitious curriculum aims. The school needs to ensure that in these curriculum areas it clearly signposts the most important knowledge pupils need to know and by when so pupils deepen their understanding.

• There are instances across the school where checks on what pupils know or need are not consistently informing next steps in learning. This hinders how quickly some pupils can catch up or extend their knowledge further. The school needs to ensure teachers use assessment more effectively to ensure learning activities are more precisely adapted to support pupils to achieve as highly as possible.

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