Knightlow CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love attending this friendly and welcoming school that is at the heart of the community. The warm and nurturing relationships between adults and pupils that permeate the school are summed up by one pupil who said, 'We are surrounded by love and kindness.' Pupils know that if they have a worry, there is an adult who will listen to them.

This means that they feel safe.

The school is ambitious for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are committed to their learning and produce work of a high quality.

They achieve exceptionally well in reading, writing and mathematics.

Pupils typically beha...ve well. Older pupils act as excellent role models to younger pupils around school.

Pupils proudly take on responsibilities in school. This helps them to develop their independence and leadership skills.

A rich range of wider opportunities enhance and further the curriculum.

Pupils benefit from the different extra-curricular clubs and trips. The sporting offer for all pupils, including pupils with SEND, is a particular strength.

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about all aspects of school life, often referring to the 'Knightlow family' and the strong community links.

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

Reading sits at the heart of the school's work. Staff implement the chosen phonics programme effectively so that pupils and children in the early years quickly learn to become fluent and confident readers. Engaging reading spaces capture pupils' imaginations and foster a love of reading.

Reading ambassadors support this work by providing book recommendations for their peers. Older pupils enjoy reading with their younger 'buddies'. This enables them to be positive role models and share their love of reading.

Pupils are incredibly proud of the books that they create and publish each year that are shared with pupils in Malawi through a strong school-to-school partnership.

The curriculum for English, mathematics and science is meticulously planned and sequenced. It clearly sets out precisely what pupils need to learn and in what order.

Staff routinely check what pupils know and can remember. They use this information well to identify previous content to revisit so that pupils can build on and deepen their knowledge. Staff provide highly effective support for pupils who have gaps in their knowledge.

This helps them to catch up quickly. Pupils, including pupils with SEND, achieve highly across the school in these subjects.

Pupils really enjoy their learning across the curriculum and benefit from many enrichment activities that spark their interest and enthusiasm.

However, in several wider subject areas, the curriculum is being revised. This is because the school has identified that the previous curriculum did not always build well enough on what pupils already know. Furthermore, in some areas of the wider curriculum, teachers do not consistently use assessment well enough to check that pupils fully understand what they have been taught.

This prevents pupils from building their knowledge securely.

There is a strong culture of inclusion. Staff identify the needs of pupils with SEND early and accurately.

Staff support pupils with SEND skilfully to access the same curriculum as other pupils. They also provide individual support targeted to pupils' needs. Pupils with SEND are extremely well supported and achieve well.

The school gives children an exceptionally strong start in the early years. The quality of learning is evident in every activity. Adults prioritise developing children's communication and language.

Children have eloquent conversations about their learning. They are inquisitive and show high levels of concentration and engagement.

Pupils attend school well.

The school has worked tirelessly to remove any barriers to attendance. Pupils are polite and courteous. The school's clear expectations and routines help to create a calm and purposeful atmosphere around the school.

The school provides a wide range of opportunities to extend pupils' learning beyond their immediate environment. It organises a range of trips and visiting speakers to help pupils better understand the wider world. The school provides opportunities for pupils to become responsible citizens.

They support local and national charities. Pupils learn about different cultures and faiths. They know how to keep themselves safe, including online.

Governors are actively involved in the school. They have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and the areas that require further development.

Staff feel valued and proud to work at this school.

They appreciate the support offered around their well-being as well as the commitment to their ongoing professional learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The school ensures that appropriate checks are completed when recruiting new staff.

Staff receive regular safeguarding training and know how to report any concerns that they have about pupils' welfare. Support is put in place for pupils at risk of harm. However, until very recently the school's system for recording and sharing safeguarding concerns was not robust.

Records of the support put in place were not always well documented or stored in one central place. This means that safeguarding records do not include all the records of discussions, action taken and decisions made. The school is in the process of rectifying this by implementing a new recording system.

However, this is in the early stages of being implemented and there is further work to do.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some aspects of safeguarding record-keeping are not as well organised as they should be. Safeguarding records do not include all the records of discussions, action taken and decisions made.

The school is already beginning to rectify this by implementing a new reporting and recording system. However, this is in the early stages of being implemented. The school needs to make sure that systems are in place that enable them to review all aspects of the school's work to keep pupils safe.

• Foundation subjects are not as well designed and sequenced as they should be. This has an impact on the level of knowledge that pupils retain. The school should ensure that subject leaders receive the support they need to develop their subjects sufficiently to ensure that learning builds sequentially so that pupils know and remember more.

• In some foundation subjects, teachers do not use assessment well enough to check that pupils fully understand what they have been taught. This prevents pupils from building their knowledge securely on what they already know. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment strategies effectively in all subjects to support pupils' next steps in learning.

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