Kippax North Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have established a powerful vision, 'digging deep, aiming high'.

This inspires pupils to live out this vision through their exemplary conduct and attitudes to learning. Kippax North Primary School is a friendly and happy place to learn. One pupil summed up the views of many others, saying, 'Our school is fulfilling because it fills you with joy and you can be yourself.'



The school has established an exciting curriculum for pupils to study. This motivates pupils to be resilient when learning something new or mastering a new skill. Pupils extend their skills by taking on many leadership roles within the school.

These roles inspire pupils to c...ontribute to their school community. Pupils are rightly proud of their school.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary.

Adults apply their high expectations of behaviour and routines consistently. Pupils manage and regulate their own behaviour, whether adults are present or not. Pupils recognise the importance of their learning, so lessons are very calm and focused.

Attendance is better than national averages and continues to improve. The school makes sure that pupils and families know that it is important to attend school.

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

The school has established an ambitious curriculum that supports all pupils well.

In most subjects, pupils learn this curriculum in an order that helps them to remember the things they have learned. In early years, children develop their understanding of the past by learning about their local area. This helps pupils to secure their understanding of chronology before studying other important periods in history.

Older pupils use their prior knowledge of history to compare American and British civil rights movements, offering well-reasoned opinions. Some aspects of the curriculum are in the earlier stages of development. Some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and understanding in these areas.

Parents express a mixed view about the quality of support that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive. Some are very positive about this support. Some believe that their child's needs are not met.

Overall, inspectors found that pupils with SEND are well supported. They learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. They receive targeted support to help master new knowledge.

Where pupils require an alternative curriculum to meet their needs, they are given the support that they require. This is helping these pupils to develop their language and communication skills.

Reading is a high priority in this school.

The teaching of phonics is exemplary. Staff help pupils to understand phonics quickly and to become fluent readers. Pupils' books are matched to the sounds that they know.

In early years, adults introduce ambitious new language. Children use this new language enthusiastically, for example holding conversations about stories that they have created. Children rapidly develop mature talk and vocabulary.

Throughout the school, leaders invest in carefully chosen literature. Pupils appreciate the way their teachers bring new stories to life. This inspires pupils to read their own stories with expression.

Pupils in this school love reading.

In early years, staff help children to build very positive relationships. Children cooperate consistently well with each other and show positive attitudes to their learning.

They concentrate well in order to complete the activities that they are given. For example, in mathematics, children use positional language to create maps of a walk they had been on. Teachers help older pupils remember their mathematical knowledge.

Children have lots of opportunities to rehearse and revisit learning. This is helping them to become confident mathematicians.

The curriculum for personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education helps pupils to understand that everyone deserves to be respected.

Pupils talk with maturity about issues such as discrimination. This inspires pupils to treat each other with care and kindness. However, some aspects of the curriculum for PSHE education are not tailored to the needs of pupils.

Some important knowledge is not taught at the time that pupils most need the information, for example changes relating to puberty and the importance of consent. Pupils have some gaps in their understanding.

Those responsible for governance are knowledgeable about the school.

They check that leaders are taking the right actions in the best interests of pupils. The trust and the school deliver highly effective support and professional development for staff. The workload and well-being of all staff are a priority.

The school makes sure that staff have the time that they need to undertake their responsibilities effectively. Staff are proud to work in this school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some aspects of the curriculum are in the earlier stages of development. Some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and understanding in these areas. The school should accelerate curriculum development across all subjects to ensure that pupils knowledge and understanding are consistently strong in all subjects.

• Some aspects of the curriculum for PSHE are not sufficiently tailored to the needs of pupils. Pupils need some knowledge at an earlier stage to enable them to grasp and understand more complex problems later. The school should strengthen the curriculum for PSHE so that pupils are prepared to understand more complex problems later in school.