Kiveton Park Meadows Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Over time, expectations of what pupils can achieve at Kiveton Park Meadows Junior School have not been high enough. Published outcomes for pupils are below national averages. New leaders have raised expectations for all staff and pupils.

Staff now have high ambition for every pupil, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). A new curriculum has been introduced. This is having a positive impact on pupils' development in subjects such as reading and mathematics.

However, there is still more to do to ensure that pupils receive a high-quality education across all subjects.

Pupils are safe and happy. They w...ork hard in lessons.

Pupils value the caring relationships that they have with staff. Behaviour is generally positive in lessons and at breaktimes. However, some behaviour incidents are not successfully addressed.

Pupils get the opportunity to attend a variety of extra-curricular clubs. The clubs align to pupils' interests. They include chess, football and darts club.

These help pupils develop their talents across a range of areas.

Pupils go on educational visits. These include visiting an outdoor activity centre.

Pupils value this experience as they get the chance to develop leadership and teamwork skills.

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

The school prioritises reading. Pupils read books that contain the sounds that they are learning.

They use effective strategies to read unfamiliar words. This helps them to develop confidence and fluency in reading. The school regularly checks what pupils understand.

Staff use this information to quickly identify pupils who are not keeping up with the school's reading programme. When needed, these pupils access additional sessions that are appropriately designed to help them to catch up.

The school has ensured that the new curriculum is suitably broad and balanced.

It has been carefully considered so that pupils' knowledge builds over time. It has had the most impact in reading and mathematics. However, the old curriculum does not match up with the new curriculum.

In some subjects, the school has not considered pupils' prior learning in sufficient detail. As a result, in subjects such as physical education (PE) and history, pupils do not have the knowledge they need to access the new curriculum. This prevents them from developing their understanding.

At times, the work that pupils complete in these subjects is not in line with the intended curriculum. This creates gaps in pupils' knowledge.

The school makes sure that the support for pupils with SEND is in place.

The school ensures that staff are well trained to support pupils in different ways. Effective systems ensure that pupils who may need extra help are identified and well supported.

Attendance systems allow the school to identify any potential issues and take effective action.

The school engages with parents well. Parents know how important it is for pupils to attend school. As a result, attendance is positive.

The school has a detailed process to oversee behaviour. When incidents are reported, leaders effectively addressed any issues. Pupils who need it are given support to help them make better choices in the future.

However, some incidents are not reported. As a result, some pupils do not receive the help they need to improve their behaviour. This means that some poor behaviour reoccurs.

The school has a new curriculum in place for pupils' personal development. This is in the early stages of being implemented. At times, it is not as effective as it could be.

In some lessons, pupils learn about values such as respect and responsibility. They apply this understanding when they discuss and debate the national news each week. They can accurately articulate their understanding.

However, in other lessons, pupils do not retain key information. This includes when pupils talk about different faiths and religions. At times, pupils are unsure and have limited understanding of people who are different to themselves.

Governors and trustees have an accurate understanding of the school. They are working with leaders to improve the school's capacity to improve the quality of education. The school has new governing body members.

This has strengthened their ability to fulfil their responsibilities.

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 considered how pupils transition from the old curriculum to the new curriculum.

In some subjects, pupils do not have the prior learning needed to access the new curriculum. As a result, pupils are not able to build on their understanding as effectively as they could. Leaders should ensure that pupils' prior knowledge is considered so that the ambition of the new curriculum can be realised.

• In some subjects, such as history and physical education, some of the activities pupils complete are not closely linked to the curriculum. As a result, pupils do not learn as much as they could in lessons. The school should ensure that what is being taught closely aligns with the intended curriculum so that pupils can build on their learning over time.

• Behaviour incidents are sometimes not reported to leaders. As a result, some incidents are not addressed as successfully as they could be. The school should ensure that reporting and recording is in place so that instances of poor behaviour can be effectively addressed.

Some pupils do not remember what they have been taught about different faiths and cultures. Consequently, they don't understand some of the different religions that make up modern Britain. The school should ensure that the curriculum is delivered in a manner that supports pupils in understanding different faiths and cultures.

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