Kinlet CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Kinlet is a calm, happy school, where pupils feel safe and value the friendships that they make. The values of respect, tolerance, thankfulness, resilience and courage are important for this school. Staff use these to build a culture where pupils 'love to learn, learn to love'.

Pupils study a broad range of subjects. They enjoy the trips and experiences that the school has started to introduce. However, the school is still working to establish a sufficiently ambitious curriculum.

Currently, the quality of education that some pupils receive requires further improvement. As a result, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do n...ot know and remember what they should. Consequently, they are not sufficiently well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Pupils' behaviour is improving. Most pupils follow the school's rules and routines well. However, there is still some low-level disruption in lessons.

Staff do not routinely tackle these quickly enough. This can distract pupils and hinders their learning.The school has introduced some clubs, including football and gymnastics.

Pupils have opportunities to take on leadership roles, including being selected as 'young leaders' or as school librarians. However, these roles are not fully established across the school.

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

The school prioritises the effective teaching of early reading.

Its approach to teaching phonics is consistent. All staff are well trained. They check pupils' phonics knowledge effectively.

This means that staff know exactly what pupils need to learn next. Pupils speak enthusiastically about their love of reading. They enjoy adults reading the class book to them.

However, the reading curriculum beyond phonics does not define the key skills and knowledge that pupils need to know. Consequently, previous learning is not built upon.In several subjects, the curriculum is not fully developed or implemented well.

This means that pupils are not supported well enough to build up their subject knowledge. Pupils lose focus and motivation to learn because the curriculum is not structured or taught well enough. The needs of pupils with SEND are identified securely.

However, the support in place for them is not always matched well to their needs or reviewed in a timely manner. This means that pupils with SEND are not building their knowledge and skills as well as they should.In some subjects, including mathematics, the curriculum sets out the key knowledge pupils must learn and the order in which to learn it.

However, suitable checks are not made on how well pupils understand the curriculum. This means that some pupils move on to new learning with gaps in their knowledge still present.In the early years, children settle well into routines and know and follow the rules.

They work well alongside their peers and are happy and confident. Staff know the children well and form positive relationships. However, the early years curriculum is not fully developed.

The school has prioritised addressing weaknesses in the management of pupils' behaviour. Consequently, behaviour is improving and the environment is calm and orderly. Pupils play well together on the playground.

However, some pupils are reluctant to actively participate in lessons. This is not always addressed effectively by staff. Systems to check attendance are effective.

The school takes actions that strongly support pupils in attending regularly.The school has worked hard to improve its personal development offer. Enrichment and wider curriculum opportunities have been enhanced.

However, some parts of the personal development programme are less well implemented than others. Pupils know how to stay healthy. However, their knowledge of other faiths, cultures and diversity is less strong.

There are plans to address this.The school works with parents and carers to support pupils' education. It offers many chances to come to school for workshops and coffee mornings.

Staff are supportive of the school's leadership. They are proud to be part of the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The curriculum in the early years and some foundation subjects does not clearly lay out the precise knowledge and essentials skills that pupils need to learn. As a result, learning is not well sequenced, and staff are not always clear about what they should teach and when. The school should design and implement a curriculum that ensures children in the early years, and pupils across the rest of the school, are well prepared for the next steps in education.

• The school does not have a systematic approach to the use of assessment. This means that gaps in pupils' learning and misconceptions are not routinely identified and addressed. The school should develop an effective approach to using assessment to inform teaching and support pupils' progress.

n The school does not check the impact of their work consistently and rigorously well enough. This means that the school is not evaluating their actions and areas for improvement well enough. The school should develop a consistent and rigorous approach to identifying key priorities accurately and checking how well agreed actions are improving the school.