Kingsway Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), genuinely enjoy belonging to this small and nurturing school. They value their friendships with each other.

Pupils, including children in the early years, are happy, and they feel safe. They know that staff are there to help them if they have any worries or concerns. Pupils share warm and respectful relationships with staff and with their peers.

Pupils comment that bullying sometimes happens. However, when incidents of unkindness and bullying occur, leaders deal with them quickly.

Leaders have high expectations for pupils' achievement.

However, pupils' learning across ...the curriculum is uneven. This is because some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Pupils do not have sufficiently secure foundations on which to build new learning.

Leaders and staff expect pupils to behave well. Most pupils strive to conduct themselves appropriately around the school. In the main, pupils try to show respect and are polite towards one another.

However, at times, some pupils' behaviour in class is disruptive to the learning of others. In addition, some pupils do not attend school regularly enough.

Pupils enjoy the varied range of opportunities available to them beyond the academic curriculum, such as after-school clubs and trips.

Pupils benefit from a well-designed enrichment programme, which develops their wider talents and interests.

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

The newly formed leadership team is taking the action required to improve the quality of education for pupils at Kingsway Primary School. Leaders have ensured that pupils are taught the full range of national curriculum subjects.

They are in the process of refining the content of the curriculum in each subject. As a result of changes to the design of the curriculum, pupils are achieving more highly than they have done in the past. Nonetheless, current pupils do not progress through the curriculum consistently well.

The impact of the previous curriculum means that they have gaps in their learning.

In the early years, leaders are also developing the curriculum. Across the areas of learning, leaders are establishing the building blocks of knowledge that children must acquire to be ready for the demands of Year 1.

They are also thinking carefully about how that knowledge flows into the key stage 1 curriculum. Nonetheless, while leaders have taken some appropriate steps to improve the early years curriculum, this is relatively new. Weaknesses in the previous curriculum mean that some children do not achieve as well as they should.

Leaders are thinking more deeply about how to upskill teachers in the delivery of the curriculum. Currently, however, teachers are not sufficiently confident about what should be taught and when this should happen. They do not give pupils enough opportunities to recap or recall prior learning.

Consequently, some pupils struggle to make connections with what they have learned previously.

Teachers are developing their confidence in using leaders' assessment systems as the new curriculum is rolled out. Teachers are proficient in dealing with pupils' misconceptions when they arise.

However, because the curriculum is in development, some teachers do not have a secure understanding of where pupils have insecure foundations on which to build new learning.

Leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND appropriately. However, at times, staff do not adapt the delivery of the curriculum as effectively as they should for these pupils.

Nevertheless, leaders work well with other agencies to ensure that pupils with SEND get the help and support they need.

A new phonics scheme has been introduced, which begins in the early years. Staff are gaining confidence in delivering this new programme.

There is also a strong emphasis on developing children's language skills in the room for two-year olds and in the Nursery and Reception classes. As soon as children start in the provision for two-year olds, or in the Nursery class, they are introduced to the joys of stories, rhymes and poems.

Leaders ensure that the books that pupils read match the sounds and words they know.

Leaders identify swiftly any pupil who is not keeping up with the programme. They put support in place so that these pupils can catch up quickly. Leaders have recently developed a new library, which is well stocked with high-quality texts to broaden pupils' knowledge and understanding of books and authors.

In lessons, although behaviour is improving, there are some pupils who have difficulty in managing their emotions. This disrupts learning. At times, some pupils also arrive late to lessons, often after they have started.

Leaders promote pupils' personal development well. Staff make sure that pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND, develop their independence and resilience. Pupils are tolerant and respectful of each other.

They understand that people have different beliefs and come from diverse family backgrounds.

Pupils have a secure understanding of fundamental British values. For example, older pupils recognise and understand what democracy is and why it is so important to have laws in society.

They understand that they must take regular exercise and eat a balanced diet.

Governors know the school well, and they are aware of the challenges that lie ahead. They are holding leaders more fully to account to improve the quality of education for pupils.

Most staff, feel fully supported by new leaders. They appreciate all that leaders do to ensure that they have an acceptable workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and staff are vigilant and keep pupils safe from harm. This is because all staff have received comprehensive safeguarding training. Staff know how to identify a pupil who might be at risk of harm and what action to take.

When needed, leaders work well with external agencies to provide support and help for pupils. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. For example, they recognise the dangers of disclosing personal information when online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Weaknesses in the previous curriculum, both for children in the early years and pupils in Years 1 to 6, mean that pupils have gaps in their knowledge. This makes it difficult for them build new learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers address gaps in pupils' learning so that they can progress well through the curriculum.

Leaders are in the process of ensuring that teachers know how to deliver the new curriculums. ? Leaders' assessment systems do not fully identify where pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Added to this, teachers do not revisit key elements of learning frequently enough to bridge those gaps.

Consequently, some pupils have insecure foundations on which to build new learning. Leaders should ensure that their assessment system closely aligns to the new curriculum and that pupils have sufficient opportunities to revisit and recap important learning. ? There is a number of pupils who do not come to school on a regular basis, or they arrive late to lessons.

This means that these pupils miss out on important aspects of their learning. Leaders should ensure that these pupils attend school regularly. They should ensure that pupils arrive to lessons on time.

• Some pupils struggle to regulate their behaviour in class. They disrupt the learning of others. Leaders should ensure that these pupils receive the support they need to regulate their own behaviour so that they, and other pupils, can learn all that they should.