Kitwell Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

At Kitwell Primary School, pupils' well-being is at the heart of everything that happens. The school has high ambitions for every pupil, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff want all children to flourish.

On the whole, these aims are realised.

Pupils at this school display positive behaviours. They are welcoming, friendly and curious.

Pupils enjoy learning and coming to school. Relationships between adults and pupils are warm and respectful. Staff know their pupils very well, and use this information to intervene before an issue arises.

Pupils say that all staff care about them and... are confident that staff will deal with any issues quickly and effectively.

The school places great emphasis on pupils' personal development. Pupils benefit from an impressive range of activities that develop their character and raise their aspirations.

The many activities include external visitors, trips, residential visits and after-school clubs. Pupils speak passionately about their roles as house leaders, school councillors or attendance ambassadors. Leaders ensure that the school is fully inclusive.

Pupils with SEND enjoy taking part in the same opportunities as their peers.

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

Since the previous inspection, leaders have made many improvements to raise standards. They have devised a new curriculum, which includes new learning schemes for almost all subjects.

This new and ambitious curriculum ensures that all pupils learn a wide range of subjects.

Subject leaders have carefully planned what pupils need to learn over time in most subjects. However, in a few subjects, this planning is still at an early stage.

As a result, learning does not always build in a logical order. Leaders are aware of this and are taking steps to improve these subjects.

Pupils with SEND are very well supported.

They receive effective help and support. This includes in their lessons and through targeted interventions. All staff know pupils with SEND and their needs very well.

Leaders have ensured that relationships with parents of pupils with SEND are strong and that they support the whole family. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

The school has made reading a priority.

All pupils enjoy daily story and reading time. Pupils read often and across the curriculum. Adults use the school's chosen phonics scheme to help pupils at the early stages of reading gain confidence and fluency.

Staff quickly spot pupils who may need extra support and give them additional help. This help generally ensures that these pupils catch up quickly.

Most pupils start school with gaps in their knowledge.

The strong curriculum and positive relationships help them to overcome many of these. While pupils make strong progress from their low starting points, some do not reach the expected standard at the end of their time at school.

Teachers use assessments effectively to check on what pupils can do and what gaps in knowledge and skills persist.

They use the information from these checks to adapt their teaching gaps and to put effective support in place. Pupils receive work that is well matched to their needs; this includes pupils with SEND.

Reception children settle well into school.

Children are safe and happy. They get off to a positive start in reading. They learn about the links between letters and sounds as soon as they start school.

At times, the knowledge pupils are expected to learn in the early years is not clear. This means that learning can sometimes slow. In addition, while children have outside space to extend their learning, this outdoor area is underdeveloped.

Leaders support pupils' personal development extremely well. This work is further underpinned by excellent relationships and the school's personal, social and health education curriculum. Pupils have many, varied opportunities to develop their character.

For example, they take on leadership opportunities in school, support the local community or take part in the many activities to extend their learning beyond the classroom. Pupils understand about different faiths and cultures and say that everyone is equal. All of this means that they are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Staff are proud to work at the school. They believe that leaders care about their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not set out clearly all of the content children are expected to know in the early years. Consequently, adults do not always know what to teach and when. The school should ensure that the knowledge pupils are expected to know and when is clear to all adults in the early years.

• The outside learning environment in the early years is underdeveloped. As a result, there are limited opportunities to extend children's learning. The school should ensure that the learning environment in the early years is appropriately resourced to support children's learning and development.