Kingfield Primary School

Age group 3–9 Inspection date(s) 2–3 February 2012 Inspection number 381048 Kingfield School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 125112 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 381048 Inspection dates 2–3 February 2012 Lead inspector Kevin Hodge

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–9 Gender of pupils Mixed

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Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Patrick Phillipps Headteacher Fiona Nicholson Date of previous school inspection 18–19 March 2010 School address Kingfield Road Woking Surrey GU22 9EQ Telephone number 01483 761885 Fax number 01483 727563 Email address info@kingfield.surrey.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, ini tial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspectors observed 15 lessons taught by seven teachers and totalled approximately eight hours. These included joint observations of lessons conducted with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. Inspectors held discussions with groups of learners, staff, and members of the governing body. The inspectors took account of the responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at development planning, the school’s website, tracking information showing learners’ progress, teachers’ lesson plans and pupils’ work. In addition, the inspectors analysed the questionnaire responses of 105 parents and carers, 29 staff and 47 pupils in Years 3 and 4, and took their views into account.

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Information about the school

Kingfield is smaller than the average-sized school, but is gradually growing in numbers and will become an all-through primary school by 2014. Currently, the school has pupils from Nursery age to Year 4. Most pupils are White British, but small proportions are of Pakistani and Indian heritages. A small proportion is at the early stages of learning English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above average. The number of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is higher than average. The Early Years Foundation Stage children are taught in one Nursery and one Reception class. To accommodate the growing numbers, building works are taking place to provide additional classrooms and a computer suite, which are due to be ready to use later this term.

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Information about the school

The school runs a daily breakfast club. The school has received a number of awards, which include Healthy Schools and Eco Status. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 Kingfield is a good school. The headteacher, staff and governors are steering developments effectively as the school grows in numbers to become an all- through primary. Several areas of the school's work have improved since the previous inspection. Parents and carers are very supportive of the school.

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Key findings

 Children make a good start to their education in the Nursery and then in the Reception class. They quickly settle and gain in confidence in their communication, language, literacy and social skills. Pupils make good progress and achieve well in Years 1 to 4, particularly in their writing and reading skills, which have improved recently. Pupils also achieve well in mathematics, although not all pupils apply their number skills and knowledge sufficiently well in solving mathematical problems. In science, pupils' knowledge develops systematically, although their investigative abilities are not always fostered effectively.

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Key findings

 A strength is how pupils use skills in information and communication technology (ICT) well within a broad and balanced curriculum. Pupils confidently use a range of media such as cameras, video cameras and presentation software.

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Key findings

 Teaching is typically good. Teachers ensure pupils know what they need to learn, develop good relationships with most pupils and use support staff well. Not all teaching is always at the level of the best; for example, the quality of marking sometimes varies between classes. Occasionally, activities in mathematics and science do not always fully capture the interests of pupils, particularly boys.

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Key findings

 Pupils like school, look after each other and are keen buddies or helpers at playtimes. Their typically good behaviour and attitudes reflect the school’s positive promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils say they feel safe and that bullying is rare.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase pupils’ achievement in mathematics and science in Years 1 to 4 by the end of the July 2013 through:  developing pupils’ abilities to apply their mathematical skills in meaningful investigations and problem-solving activities  ensuring that science activities have an exciting starting point for investigation and/or are linked more closely to topic work being covered.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all teaching in Years 1 to 4 is at the level of the best by July 2013 through:  making teachers’ explanations short, sharp and to the point so pupils can get down to activities more quickly  ensuring teachers use thought-provoking questioning in all lessons to stretch pupils’ learning  ensuring that teachers’ marking is consistently good in all classes.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils achieve well given their below-average starting points and reach broadly average levels of attainment by the end of Year 2. By the end of Year 4, pupils reach, and some exceed, typically expected levels for their age. Children make a good start in the Nursery and Reception classes, where they gain a good range of early reading, writing and number skills. In Years 1 to 4, pupils continue to make good progress, although it sometimes varies between classes as there are minor variations in the quality of teaching. Pupils' writing skills have improved since the last inspection; pupils write confidently and imaginatively. Simple reports, descriptions and stories are interesting. In one lesson, for example, pupils enjoyed combining creative ideas as they worked to carefully label the components of an imaginary ice cream-making machine. Pupils are generally excited about their learning and like working together. They like practical activities such as ‘bug hunting’ in the Reception

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Achievement of pupils

class or constructing ‘willow’ statues riding bicycles, connected to their work on the coming Olympics. Pupils' reading skills develop well so they are confident readers by the end of Year 2 and Year 4. Standards in reading are broadly average at the end of Key Stage 1. Pupils recall favourite authors and are proud to keep their reading records up to date. While pupils make good gains in developing their calculation skills, these are not always used in meaningful contexts.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils' understanding and use of ICT skills are strengths of the school. Pupils use these skills, along with their writing and number skills, in a variety of subjects and in preparing presentations with the use of video and pictures. Pupils’ past work in science indicates they have opportunities to experiment, although these do not always start with a problem related to everyday life or a current topic being studied. Pupils learning to speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs make similarly good progress to their classmates because their needs are identified quickly and accurately. Activities within classes, small groups or through one-to-one tuition help them keep pace with others. Boys have lagged slightly behind the girls in the past, partly because some activities are not as engaging to them, but gaps in progress are reducing quickly as they become more motivated to learn.

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Achievement of pupils

The vast majority of parents and carers indicate that they are pleased with the progress that their children make. Comments such as ‘My child is doing well, she achieved good results last year and has continued to make good progress’ were typical and well founded.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching is typically good over time. It is underpinned by positive relationships between adults and pupils. Clear, established routines mean pupils settle quickly to start their learning. Pupils are clear about the purpose of the lesson and how they can judge their success, but some teachers’ explanations can be overly long, reducing the interest of some pupils, particularly boys. Planning across year groups ensures good coverage of skills and knowledge, including the methodical teaching of letters and sounds, handwriting and spelling. Work is effectively matched to different abilities with additional support, activities or resources to aid learning. Practical activities form the basis of many lessons and aid pupils' learning. Topics such as ‘food glorious food’, or the visit of a ‘mad’ scientist, who blew a toilet roll around the hall to illustrate forces, are highlights for pupils. Some activities, however, in

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Quality of teaching

mathematics for example, focus on developing pupils' calculation skills without then helping pupils to understand how these skills can be used in day-to-day situations. Teachers make good provision to develop pupils’ social, moral and cultural development through activities that focus on the school's values, such as friendship. While teaching is mainly good and, in some instances, outstanding, sometimes teachers’ questioning is not always demanding enough in fully stretching pupils' learning or understanding.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers promote the use of ICT well in a variety of subjects across the curriculum and pupils say they enjoy using computers. Marking of pupils’ work, using comments which are either ‘tickled pink’ or ‘green for growth’, are appreciated by pupils, although the quality of comments sometimes varies between classes so not all pupils have the best guidance in how to improve their work. Additional adults make a significant contribution in lessons or small group sessions when they are clearly focused on addressing the needs of those pupils learning to speak English as an additional language, or disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. There is effective practice in the Early Years Foundation Stage, including the systematic teaching of early number, reading and writing in a language-rich environment. Parents and carers overwhelmingly agree with inspection findings that their children are taught well.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils' behaviour over time is typically good. Pupils themselves say they enjoy school and say that only occasionally does the behaviour of some classmates dip below the school's expectations. Pupils report that instances of any type of bullying are quite rare and dealt with effectively by the school should it occur. To help maintain pupils' behaviour, the school develops a wide range of helpful values with pupils. A new value, such as friendship, is a focus each month for pupils to study and apply. Pupils enjoy their roles as buddies in the playground or as members of the school council. Members of the eco-club are pleased that they have just been awarded the bronze level for their work in raising environmental awareness. Pupils are excited at the prospect of using their new classrooms and enjoy watching building work progress. Improvements to pupils' attendance have been convincing and sustained since the

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

previous inspection. Attendance is now broadly average, aided by initiatives such as ‘making attendance count’, the development of a breakfast club and by fostering closer links with parents and carers to promote higher levels of attendance.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Most parents and carers believe that pupils' behaviour is good, although a very small minority feel that the behaviour of a small number in the past has sometimes fallen short of the school's high standards. They appreciate the efforts the school has made, however, to ensure that all pupils behave considerately to others.

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Leadership and management

Senior leaders, including governors, have succeeded in guiding the school carefully in its preparation to become a full age-range primary school. They have improved upon the level of drive and ambition noted in the last inspection report and, as a result, senior leaders’ priorities for development are communicated clearly to staff. Weaknesses have been remedied successfully, leading to improvements in pupils' writing skills and a rise in attendance levels. The recent formation of a senior leadership team enables a closer focus on those essential areas needed to improve the school's effectiveness even further. Staff say they feel valued and are proud to be members of the school. Senior staff monitor teaching regularly to gauge progress in applying the ‘six key components’ of effective lessons which were jointly agreed by staff and the result of well-chosen staff development. While this has proved effective

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Leadership and management

in raising the quality of teaching for most, monitoring of teaching is not always sharply aimed at identifying ways in which pupils' learning can be improved further.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum effectively caters for older age groups as they move through the school and pupils say they like studies such as ‘chilly adventures’ or topics such as ‘Tomb Raiders’. While this is proving successful for most, occasionally some activities in mathematics and science are not always related to everyday situations so pupils can apply their learning. There is a good range of activities that promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and pupils are enjoying learning about others with differing backgrounds and beliefs.

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Leadership and management

Members of the governing body give good support to senior leaders and pupils; this is an improvement since the previous inspection. Governors regularly seek the views of parents and carers and quickly addressed issues around attendance and behaviour of a small number of pupils. Safeguarding routines are rigorously applied to ensure the safety and welfare of pupils, particularly during the current building works. Checks on staff appointments are up to date and meet current requirements. The governing body ensures that equal opportunities are promoted well on a day-to-day basis and discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. It has been successful in ensuring that the school reduces any gaps in attainment between different groups of pupils. Given that senior leaders and the governing body have improved several aspects of the school’s work and have maintained the good effectiveness of others, this indicates that there is good capacity to improve further.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Kingfield School, Woking GU22 9EQ

Many thanks for your welcome when we visited your school. We think yours is a good school, which everyone is keen to keep improving. Here are some particular things we found out.

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Inspection of Kingfield School, Woking GU22 9EQ

 You make good progress in your learning most of the time so you achieve well, especially in English, mathematics and ICT.  You behave well and you told us you enjoy lessons.  Your attendance levels are now average − keep it up and well done!  The school cares for you well, particularly those of you who find learning hard.  The school makes good links with your parents and carers. Many said that they would recommend your school to others.  You told us that you all feel safe in school and that bullying is a rare thing.  The headteacher, staff and governors are continuing to prepare for the day that your school changes into a full primary school.

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Inspection of Kingfield School, Woking GU22 9EQ

We have asked the school to improve two particular aspects of the school to help it get even better:

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Inspection of Kingfield School, Woking GU22 9EQ

 Help everyone make even faster progress, ensuring that you have more opportunities to apply your mathematical skills in everyday situations, and that your science work always starts with an exciting problem to solve.  Make all teaching exciting and to the level of the very best in school.

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Inspection of Kingfield School, Woking GU22 9EQ

All of you can help, too, by trying to keep up your good behaviour and in giving your ideas about how the school can keep improving. I hope you like your new classrooms.

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Inspection of Kingfield School, Woking GU22 9EQ

Additional inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', wh ich is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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