Lower Kersal Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Lower Kersal Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Lower Kersal Community Primary School is 'a school where everyone matters'. This is displayed through the strong relationships between staff and pupil.

Pupils are particularly accepting of others who are different to themselves. They show a mature understanding of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils' achievements, no matter how small, are recognised and celebrated.

This builds pupils' self-esteem and helps them to feel safe and happy.

The school expects pupils to behave well. Pupils live up to this expectation.

I...n lessons, they display positive attitudes to their learning. They are respectful to adults, their peers and the environment. Furthermore, the school raises pupils' aspirations.

For instance, pupils take part in workshops at local universities. The school also has high expectations for pupils to achieve well. Pupils rise to meet these expectations and they achieve well.

Pupils talked animatedly about their participation in mountain biking, performing arts, crime scene investigations and philosophy classes. Pupils' understanding of the local area is developed by spending time visiting the river, wetlands and gardens.

Children in the early years quickly respond to the school's routines.

They enjoy practising their climbing and balancing skills on the newly installed climbing structure. Pupils in year 5, relish the responsibility of caring for the school's chickens.

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

The school's high aspirations for its pupils are reflected in its broad and ambitious curriculum.

Beginning in the Reception class, the school has identified the essential knowledge that pupils should learn and when this should be taught. In some subjects where the curriculum is newer, a small number of teachers do not have the subject knowledge to present information clearly. This hinders pupils from deepening their knowledge over time.

Teachers routinely check on what pupils know to identify any misconceptions and gaps in learning. However, on occasion, misconceptions are not tackled swiftly or efficiently. This means that a small number of pupils are less able to recall their learning.

The school has improved how quickly it identifies pupils' additional needs. Nevertheless, it is still developing staff's expertise in this area. In some subjects, the adaptations to learning that staff make do not support pupils' learning.

In these subjects, pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could.

Pupils' love of reading begins in the early years. Children in the Nursery class enjoy adding actions to familiar stories.

The school has a well-considered reading curriculum that includes a diverse breadth of authors and genres. For example, each week, pupils in key stage 2 read a selection of fiction, non-fiction and poetry texts.

The phonics programme is securely embedded and delivered consistently by well-trained staff.

Children begin to recognise sounds in the Nursery class and learn phonics from the start of the Reception class. They make a secure start in their reading journey. Pupils who struggle to keep up are given regular support.

Most pupils in key stage 2 read with confidence and fluency.

In lessons, pupils follow teachers' instructions diligently. The school's routines are securely embedded.

Moreover, classrooms are purposeful learning environments, where pupils learn without disruption. There are a small handful of pupils who struggle to regulate their behaviour. These pupils are well supported by staff and given space and time to regulate and reflect.

This helps them to return quickly to their learning.

The school's strong provision for pupils' wider development is thoughtfully constructed. This provides pupils with experiences to broaden their understanding and appreciation of the world.

Through debating opportunities, pupils learn skills, such as critical thinking. Learning chess helps pupils to think strategically. Pupils are encouraged to be proud of themselves.

Most pupils act kindly towards one another.

The school has developed strong partnerships with parents and carers. For instance, parents attend workshops on how to support their child with phonics.

Staff are proud to work in the school. They say that changes to the marking policy have reduced their workload. Staff appreciate the time that they are given to lead their subjects.

The governing board uses its experience and expertise to support the school well and to carry out its statutory duties.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority) ? In a minority of subjects, some teachers lack the knowledge and confidence to deliver the curriculum as the school intends.

This hinders some pupils from securing a deep body of knowledge. The school should provide training and support to ensure that all staff have the knowledge and expertise to deliver the curriculum consistently and confidently. ? In some subjects, teachers do not adapt their teaching suitably to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

This means that some pupils with SEND do not build their knowledge well or make connections in their learning. The school should ensure that staff understand how to provide the support that each pupil with SEND needs in order for them to know more and remember more.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2014.