Kingsthorne Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Kingsthorne Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Everyone feels welcome at Kingsthorne. Pupils are friendly and treat each other, staff and visitors with kindness. Pupils behave well in lessons and as they move around the school.

They understand the rules and say that adults notice when they do the right things. Pupils say that bullying is rare but if it does happen staff deal with it quickly. Pupils are confident that staff will help them with any problems they have.

This helps them to feel safe at school.

Leaders have high expectations of all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabiliti...es (SEND). They ensure that pupils experience a broad and interesting curriculum.

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and they work hard to produce work of high quality in many subjects. Staff enrich the curriculum with trips and visitors to school to deepen pupils' interest in their learning. Pupils enjoy finding out about the world outside of their local community.

Pupils are keen to help others and relish the chance to become a prefect, a play leader or a member of the school council. They enjoy the opportunities they have to learn to play a musical instrument and to take part in sports clubs and competitions.

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

Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum that sets out the knowledge that pupils should acquire in each year group.

Each subject is sequenced carefully so that teachers know what pupils should learn and when. This is helping pupils to know and remember more. For example, in art, pupils use their prior knowledge of different techniques to explain how artists create their work.

In science, pupils in Year 5 apply their existing knowledge about the parts of a plant to explain plant reproduction with confidence.

Expert subject leaders have identified the vocabulary that pupils need to know and use in each topic. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and they use this well to explain new learning.

Their clear explanations and models ensure that pupils, including pupils with SEND, know exactly what they need to do to be successful. Pupils are rightly proud of the work in their books.

In some subjects, including English, mathematics and science, teachers have well-developed systems in place to check what pupils have learned.

This means that any gaps in learning are identified and addressed. Current pupils at the school are progressing well in these subjects. A much higher proportion than in the past are academically well prepared for secondary school.

The cohort of pupils who left the school last year were disproportionately affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leaders have introduced a new way of checking if pupils know and remember more in foundation subjects. It is too early for teachers to use the information they are gathering to check that pupils have fully learned the intended curriculum in these areas.

Pupils are passionate about reading. Older pupils talk knowledgeably about their favourite books and authors. Younger children enjoy joining in with their favourite stories.

Children begin learning to read as soon as they start school. Staff are well trained to deliver the phonics programme and provide effective support for those pupils who are struggling to keep up. Pupils practise reading with books that match the sounds they know.

This is helping them to read more fluently.

Children in the early years are happy at school. Adults care about the children and relationships are warm.

The curriculum ensures that children experience all areas of learning both indoors and outside. Sometimes, especially when children are making their own choices about activities, adults do not model the use of language in a way that explores ideas and encourages the use of a wide vocabulary well enough.

Pupils with SEND access the curriculum alongside their classmates.

These pupils' needs are carefully identified and appropriate adaptations are made to tasks. There is also additional support in place for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.

Leaders prioritise pupils' personal development.

This includes learning about healthy lifestyles and finding out about different cultures and religions. Pupils are respectful of the differences that people have. They say that anyone is welcome at the school regardless of their race, religion or any disability they may have.

Pupils have a strong voice at the school. For example, they make decisions about the equipment that is purchased for lunchtime activities and they select the charities that the school will support.

Governors want the best for pupils and staff.

They have an accurate view of the school's strengths and weaknesses. Staff are positive about working at the school. They agree that leaders are mindful of their workload and they appreciate the support they receive to do their job well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding at the school. Staff receive regular training so that they can spot signs that indicate a pupil may be at risk.

Leaders respond quickly to any concerns and work well with external agencies to help pupils and their families get the right support.

The curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe. This includes being safe online, being aware of the risks that strangers can pose and what to do if someone is making them feel uncomfortable.

Older pupils learn about what a safe relationship should feel like.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The assessment system for foundation subjects is at an early stage of implementation. This means that teachers do not know if pupils have fully learned the intended curriculum.

Leaders should ensure that the new assessment system is fully embedded so that information can be used to inform teaching and to check that pupils know and remember what they have been taught. ? Sometimes, when children in the early years are engaged in an activity, the language used by adults is focused on instructions. This means that adults do not consistently model the language that they want children to use when they are talking about their learning.

This limits the vocabulary that children acquire. Leaders should ensure that there is a sharp focus on children's acquisition of a wide vocabulary that encourages children to provide a narrative for what they are doing.

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 March 2017.