Kingswood Primary School

Kingswood Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 115529 Local Authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 357769 Inspection dates 13–14 January 2011 Reporting inspector Ken Bush

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 107 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mrs Julie Rowe Headteacher Mrs Carol Walmsley Date of previous school inspection 11 December 2007 School address Abbey Street Wotton-Under-Edge GL12 8RN Telephone number 01453 842197 Fax number 01453 842197 Email address admin@kingswood.gloucs.sch.uk

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Age group 4–11 Inspection dates 13–14 January 2011 Inspection number 357769 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, initial 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.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the documentation in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to 'Subscribe'. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors. They observed eight lessons taught by six teachers. Meetings were held with senior leaders, including the headteacher, subject coordinators and members of the governing body, including the chair. Inspectors observed the school's work, and looked at planning documentation, assessment information, examples of pupils' work and a number of policy documents. The team received and considered 46 questionnaires from parents and carers, together with a number from pupils and from school staff. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.  The effectiveness of the school's work to improve the teaching of, and accelerate pupils' progress in, writing.  The consistency of rates of pupils' progress across the school, and, in particular, in Years 3 and 4.  The consistency in the quality of teaching and of assessment across subjects, year

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Introduction

groups and ability groups.  The extent to which leadership at all levels, including that of subject coordinators, is having a demonstrable impact upon improving outcomes for all pupils.

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Information about the school

Kingswood is smaller than most primary schools. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage and speak English as their first language. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national average; these pupils' needs are mainly related to specific learning difficulties. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well below the national average. Early Years Foundation Stage provision is in one shared Reception/Year 1 class. The school has received a number of awards in recent years, including National Healthy Schools and the International Award. The present acting headteacher took up her post at the start of the Spring Term 2011. 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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Main findings

Kingswood Primary is a good and improving school, a view which is endorsed strongly by parents and carers. An effective and well-led staff team has been developed which has high expectations of all pupils. As a result of mostly good provision, pupils develop the skills to succeed well. All aspects of pupils' personal development are at least good, with some, including behaviour and pupils' contribution to the school and wider community, outstanding. Self-evaluation and monitoring procedures are robust, which has enabled leaders to accurately identify most of the school's strengths and weaknesses. These effective quality assurance systems enable accurate information about pupils' progress and other aspects of the school's work to be used well. Leaders at all levels, including subject coordinators, make a good and improving contribution to school improvement. The school's track record of good outcomes for pupils over time, the strong support of an

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Main findings

effective governing body and the clear progress made since the previous inspection give the school good capacity to sustain improvement. From broadly average starting points, children get off to a sound start at Kingswood. They make satisfactory progress before they commence Year 1, taking secure early steps in developing basic skills. Provision for children in the Reception class is satisfactory, although there is not always enough challenge in the activities offered in order for the majority to progress as quickly as they could. Assessment information is gathered effectively, but is not used well enough to match activities closely to pupils' needs and capabilities. Pupils' progress accelerates from Year 1 onwards, including in Years 3 and 4, where it was judged to be slower at the time of the previous inspection. Pupils make progress most rapidly in Years 5 and 6 and so reach above average levels of attainment

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Main findings

by the time they leave to go to secondary school. In the recent past, progress in writing has been slower than in reading and mathematics but, as a result of well-focused and consistently applied strategies, including increasing opportunities for extended writing in a range of different subjects, clear improvement is now evident. Consequently, the gap between the rate of progress in writing and in reading has narrowed since the previous inspection and is now very close to that found nationally. Teaching, learning and assessment are consistently good across both Key Stages 1 and 2. Planning is very thorough and meets the meets of the vast majority of pupils in the full range of subjects. However, very few examples of exceptional learning and progress were seen during the inspection, because there are not enough inspirational lessons or opportunities for pupils to work independently for sustained periods of time. Provision for

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Main findings

both literacy and numeracy is strong, whilst that for information and communication technology (ICT) is less well developed, but improving. The school promotes the wider key skills, such as teamwork, effectively and creatively and, consequently, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. 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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Main findings

The school has forged extremely productive partnerships with a range of other schools and outside agencies. This has helped to support, for example, extensive opportunities for pupils through the School Sports Partnership, contributing to pupils' outstanding adoption and understanding of healthy lifestyles. This is also reflected in the school's National Healthy Schools Award. Partnerships with parents and carers are also very strong, reflecting the innovative approaches taken by school leaders and the governing body to communicate with them, including text-messaging and email. As a result, attendance at, and support of, school events by parents and carers are very high.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that as many pupils as possible make exceptional progress by: providing more lessons which inspire them and enable them to work independently more frequently extending the use of probing questions in lessons to promote higher order thinking skills.  Accelerate progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage by: ensuring that teaching and other activities are more challenging and that planning makes better use of assessment information making more effective use of resources and, in particular, the outside area developing clearer and more ambitious plans in order to secure rapid and sustained improvement.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils at Kingswood enjoy school greatly and are enthusiastic about most aspects of their learning, as reflected in consistently high levels of attendance. Outstanding behaviour in lessons makes a distinct contribution to consistently good learning across the school. Pupils have high levels of motivation and concentration and are able to apply themselves for sustained periods of time. In a Year 1/2 art lesson seen during the inspection, pupils maintained great engagement in their learning as they explored how to use different materials, such as stone, wood and metal, to create their own sculptures. A key feature in the success of this lesson was the high quality oral work undertaken by each pupil with their 'talk partner' before, during and after the composition process. In a Year 5/6 mathematics lesson, literacy skills were also well employed as pupils planned in pairs a family holiday. Pupils responded with maturity and determination to a demanding

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

problem-solving task, drawing numerical and textual information from different sources. These well-planned lessons, which are typical of those seen during the inspection, enabled pupils of different abilities to make equally good progress. The progress made by all groups of pupils, including the more able and those who find learning more difficult, is good. As a result of well-tailored support and timely interventions, the attainment and progress made by the relatively small proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is closely in line with that of their peers in the school, and, in exceptional cases, better. Although there are small fluctuations year on year and in different subjects, due mainly to small cohort sizes, boys and girls 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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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

attain and make progress at a comparable rate over time. This reflects a recent improvement in boys' progress, notably with regard to writing. The vast majority of pupils report that they feel safe and have good knowledge of how to keep themselves safe, including when using the internet. The school council, Eco committee, 'health ambassadors' roles and strong and active links with local churches offer ways for pupils to demonstrate their outstanding contribution to the school and wider community. Pupils' good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is clearly evident in lessons and assemblies, and through the mature way in which they relate to, and communicate with, other children and with adults, including visitors to the school. They have a clear appreciation of different faiths and customs in other countries, as reflected in the school's International Award. However, pupils' awareness of cultural diversity in the

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 2

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Taking into account: Pupils' attainment¹

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 2

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 1

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 1

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Taking into account: Pupils' attendance¹

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4

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How effective is the provision?

Pupils make good progress at Kingswood because teaching is of consistently good quality. Teachers' good subject knowledge is used well to plan engaging lessons which provide ample learning opportunities for the vast majority of pupils. However, the use of probing questions to promote higher order thinking skills and exceptional learning was not widely seen during the inspection. Resources, including electronic whiteboards, are used well both to support lower attaining pupils and to promote collaborative work. Assessment 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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How effective is the provision?

information is used consistently well to ensure that tasks are, in almost all cases, well matched to pupils' aptitudes and abilities. Pupils' work is regularly and thoroughly marked in all classes and pupils are given clear and useful feedback both in books and orally during lessons. Consequently, most pupils know their learning targets and what they need to do to improve their work. The well-organised and well-balanced curriculum makes a strong contribution to good or better outcomes for both boys and girls at Kingswood. There is a good balance between the provision of high quality activities to promote and develop literacy and numeracy skills with imaginative activities to stimulate artistic, creative and physical development. An effective and developing thematic approach enables pupils to readily make links between different subjects, although ICT is not yet being used extensively enough or for different

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How effective is the provision?

purposes. There are numerous trips and visits and out-of-school-hours provision is wide- ranging and of good quality. The school's caring ethos is a feature valued strongly by parents and carers. One remarked, 'My children are both treated as individuals and all their needs are catered for. The staff have a very caring nature and I feel that all my children have had a fabulous start to their school careers.' Well-deployed teaching assistants and the strong teamwork established between them and class teachers are key features of the school's good care, guidance and support. There are well-established systems in place to ensure effective exchange of information with external agencies. Support for pupils whose circumstances render them vulnerable and for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is particularly strong. Transition arrangements between key stages, including with partner secondary schools, are good and are also very highly regarded by parents and carers.

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How effective is the provision?

Supervision of the playground at lunchtime and playtime is adequate, although the unusual shape of the outdoor space presents a particular challenge to school staff.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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How effective is the provision?

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective is the provision?

The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships

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How effective is the provision?

The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

School leaders, ably supported by the governing body, have developed a clear vision to take the school forward which has been translated into an effective strategic plan. The school sets challenging but realistic targets for all pupils and has developed leadership capacity at all levels, which has enabled it to improve since the previous inspection. Subject coordinators make a strong and distinctive contribution both to monitoring and evaluation of pupils' progress and to promoting continuing professional development within their areas of responsibility. Morale within the whole staff body, including support staff, is very high and this is reflected in responses to inspection questionnaires. 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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How effective are leadership and management?

The governing body discharges its responsibilities to good effect. Good use is made of governors' professional expertise outside education to challenge and support school leaders and provide appropriate strategic leadership. A good example of this is in the lead they have taken successfully in strengthening parental engagement. Equality of opportunity is vigorously and successfully promoted and is reflected in the good achievement of all groups of pupils. The school is welcoming and inclusive and instances of discrimination are extremely rare. Procedures for ensuring the effectiveness of safeguarding, including risk assessments, are good and clearly understood by all staff. Clear and robust arrangements are in place for monitoring how well policy is translated into practice. The school has made a strong and improving contribution to promoting community cohesion which has benefited both pupils and the wider community. It has

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How effective are leadership and management?

made good progress in evaluating its various plans and activities to guide future developments, including forming links with urban schools within Gloucestershire to extend pupils' understanding of cultural diversity within the United Kingdom.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for leadership and management

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement

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How effective are leadership and management?

Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of the school's engagement with parents and carers 1

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 1

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money 2

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children start in the Reception class with broadly average starting points in terms of prior attainment, although there is a significant range within that and considerable variance from one year to the next. Most children quickly learn the routines needed in order to work and play with others successfully. Consequently, outcomes for most children are satisfactory by the time they start Key Stage 1, although for a minority, progress is better. Children develop mostly positive attitudes to learning, are well behaved for most of the time and cooperate well with their classmates and with adults. Staff generally make effective use of the learning and play facilities and there is a satisfactory balance between adult-led and child-initiated activities. During the inspection, 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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Early Years Foundation Stage

children were observed in one lesson collaboratively investigating differences between 'night creatures' and 'day creatures', whilst in another lesson, they undertook some practical numeracy tasks in the outdoor area. The useful information that is gathered about children's progress is not used as well as it might be to tailor activities to suit the needs of all individual children. This results in some pupils being insufficiently challenged, including in adult-led activities. The outdoor area is not arranged sufficiently well to cater for a range of stimulating activities and the electronic whiteboard is not used as extensively as it might be, meaning opportunities to accelerate learning are missed. Arrangements to ensure the safety and welfare of children are securely in place. Personal contact with parents and carers is maintained on a daily basis, which enables any emerging issues or concerns to be dealt with efficiently. Consequently, parents and carers

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Early Years Foundation Stage

express a high degree of satisfaction with the quality of care and education provided. Plans to bring about further improvement are adequate, but lack the level of detail required to promote rapid and sustained progress.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

The proportion of parents and carers who responded to the parental questionnaire was above that typically found in primary schools. Almost all parents and carers expressed their approval of the way that school leaders and the governing body are seeking to move the school forward. One parent/carer commented: 'My child has made excellent progress in the school and has been encouraged to take part in extra-curricular activities too. This has led to her confidence growing, as well as her social skills. She participates fully in school life, enjoys her learning and takes part as a peer mediator. She really looks forward to school.' A few parents expressed concerns in the questionnaire about whether arrangements for dropping off and collecting children from school are adequately monitored and supervised by staff. The school accepts that this is an area which should be reviewed in the near future. The comments on this issue were taken into account by the inspection team as

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Views of parents and carers

part of its judgement that the effectiveness of safeguarding procedures is good.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The inspection team received 46 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 106 pupils registered at the school.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 39 85 6 13 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 34 74 8 17 2 7 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

My school informs me about my child's progress 29 63 12 26 3 7 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

My child is making enough progress at this school 27 59 17 37 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The teaching is good at this school 34 74 10 22 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school helps me to support my child's learning 30 65 15 33 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 26 54 15 33 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 29 63 13 28 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school meets my child's particular needs 27 59 17 37 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 26 57 18 39 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 26 57 16 35 1 2 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 26 57 16 35 1 2 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 34 74 12 26 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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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.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils.

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Grade Judgement Description

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

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2009 to 31 August 2010 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspec tion outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). The sample of schools inspected during 2009/10 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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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

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on 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 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. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Kingswood Primary School, Wotton-under-Edge GL12 8RN

Thank you very much for welcoming us so warmly to your school. We have judged that Kingswood is a good school and it is clear to us why most of you are proud to go to it. You told us that you feel safe in school and you know a lot already about how to keep yourself safe out of school as well, including when you use the internet. This shows us, too, that the teachers and other adults who work at your school care about you and support you well. You behave exceptionally well and show that you care about your classmates and other people outside of the school. We are also very impressed with how much you know about eating healthy foods and taking lots of exercise, and that some of you are health ambassadors! You make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics because the lessons which your teachers and other staff provide are mostly good. Teachers also mark your work carefully and give you useful targets so that you all know what to do to improve it. Your

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Inspection of Kingswood Primary School, Wotton-under-Edge GL12 8RN

headteacher and all the other adults, including the governors, lead the school well. There are things which can be improved and so I have asked your headteacher and the governors to:  make sure that in the Reception class, the activities are more challenging so children can make progress more quickly  aim to get more of you making not just good progress but exceptional progress, by providing more lessons which are inspiring and by asking questions more often which make you think in more depth about topics. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to your school. You can do your bit to improve it further by continuing to do your best in your learning.

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Inspection of Kingswood Primary School, Wotton-under-Edge GL12 8RN

Ken Bush Lead Inspector out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which 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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