Kingsway Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a very warm and caring school. Staff and pupils are kind and thoughtful.

The single school rule of 'respect' is easily understood by all and shines out. Pupils say that at this school everyone is equal and everyone is welcome.

The school has high expectations of how well pupils behave and achieve.

Pupils speak with confidence about their learning and know that the school wants them to do their best. They work hard and are doing well across the curriculum.

Pupils behave very well in and out of class, rarely disrupting learning or being unkind.

When they fall short of expectations, the school helps them learn to improve their behaviour... in a positive way.

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They always demonstrate positive attitudes.

Classrooms are calm, purposeful places where pupils love to learn. From the early years to Year 6, pupils are progressing well through the curriculum.

Pupils are safe, and all adults in the school know precisely how to keep them safe.

Pupils learn how to stay safe and become experts in keeping themselves safe online. They know staff are there to help and are confident to seek help if they have worries.

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

This is a school which has been on an exciting, challenging and improving journey in recent years.

Leaders across the school and trust have brought about many positive changes. Imminent building works have staff and pupils alike excited about the future.

The school has put in place an ambitious, well organised and exciting curriculum which pupils enjoy and remember.

Careful thought has been given to the order in which staff teach each subject so that pupils' learning builds over time. The school supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. They identify pupils' needs early and put effective support in place swiftly.

Teachers organise learning in ways that excite pupils and enable them to learn well. They enhance learning with lots of purposeful activities which bring learning to life. Pupils told inspectors how much they enjoy the projects they complete in computing.

For instance, younger pupils loved creating their own stop motion animations. However, sometimes teachers give pupils work which they struggle too much with and so they do not achieve as much as they could. This is because teachers do not always ensure that pupils have the necessary knowledge to access it well enough.

Reading is a priority at this school. Well-trained staff know exactly how to teach it. From the very start of Reception class, children begin to learn phonics in daily lessons.

They quickly become familiar with the sounds letters make and how to blend these into words and sentences. Teachers check the sounds that pupils know and quickly put in extra support when needed. Adults select books for children which only contain the sounds they know.

This means they develop into fluent readers.

All pupils have access to a wide range of books to read from the well-stocked school library. They enjoy the challenge of the tests they do after each book; this encourages them to read more.

The pupils at this school love reading and do so regularly, both independently and with adults.

In the early years, the children get off to a positive start. Teachers provide activities that are well matched to what children need.

The classroom and the outdoor environment are both engaging. Despite children having only recently started at school, they have already learned school routines. They are settled, happy and thriving.

The curriculum extends well beyond the academic. The school has set out what pupils need to learn to be active citizens and be ready when it is time to move to their next schools. The school prepares pupils well for their futures.

Pupils understand the importance of respect and equality and talk about both maturely and with sensitivity. They become school parliamentarians and contribute actively to school life.

The school organises trips and visits that enhance the curriculum.

These provide valuable experiences which pupils love. Pupils visit the theatre, an indoor snow centre and a space camp, and in Year 5 and Year 6 pupils attend a residential.

Despite the best efforts of the school and the improvements made so far, there are still too many pupils who miss school regularly.

This means they are missing the lessons, learning and exciting experiences which they need to achieve well.

The school engages positively and thoughtfully with parents, and parents appreciate the support they and their children are given.

Leaders at all levels provide teachers and staff with effective support and training.

They consider the workload and well-being of staff. Staff, including teachers at an early stage of their career, feel valued and are proud to work here.

Leaders in school and across the trust know the school very well.

They are passionate and enthusiastic, and parents recognise this. Leaders carefully review how well the school is doing and put in place helpful plans to move the school forward. They share a clear ambition for this school's continual improvement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On occasion, pupils are unable to access and complete their work because teachers have not ensured that pupils have the prerequisite knowledge to make sense of new learning. The school needs to support teachers to consistently provide pupils with work that builds on their prior knowledge and matches their learning needs.

• Despite the best efforts of leaders and staff, too many pupils are absent from school too often. This means they miss out on important learning. The school needs to seek alternative ways to engage effectively with parents and carers so that pupils attend regularly and do not miss valuable learning opportunities.

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