Kings' Forest Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection dates 1–2 December 2011 Inspection number 381352 King’s Forest Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 131507 Local Authority South Gloucestershire Inspection number 381352 Inspection dates 1–2 December 2011 Reporting inspector Marianne Phillips

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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 391 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ann Reed Headteacher Eileen Whiting Date of previous school inspection 30 September – 1 October 2008 School address Station Road Kingswood Bristol BS15 4PQ Telephone number 01454 866466 Fax number 01454 866468 Email address head@kingsforestschool.co.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, 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

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. 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 . 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 information 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

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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 three additional inspectors, who observed twenty lessons or parts of lessons. Fourteen teachers were observed teaching. Pupils’ work in English and mathematics was scrutinised. Meetings were held with pupils, staff and members of the governing body. Parents and carers were spoken with on the first morning of the inspection as they accompanied their children to school. Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documentation, including the school development plan, tracking and assessment information, monitoring records, the governing body minutes and documents relating to the safeguarding of pupils. Questionnaires from 146 parents and carers, 19 staff and 134 pupils were analysed.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 Whether the Early Years Foundation Stage is a particular strength of the school and the implications of this in raising attainment in the school as a whole.  The roles of leaders at all levels, but in particular how those in middle management have developed to drive school improvement.  The level of challenge offered to all groups, but in particular that for the most able pupils and how this contributes to their progress as they move through the school.  Whether there are any significant differences between the progress and achievement of different groups of pupils in mathematics.  Whether the quality of teaching across the school is consistently effective and the effectiveness of strategies used by teachers to involve pupils in assessing the quality of their own learning.

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Information about the school

The school is much larger than the average primary school. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities has been rising and is now above the national average. The numbers of pupils eligible to access free school meals is higher than in most schools. The school has high mobility of pupils across all age groups. Nearly half the teaching staff were new to the school in September 2011 as many left for promotion in July. The school has achieved a number of awards, including the Activemark, Healthy Schools and the International School Award. 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

King’s Forest is a good school which has improved since the last inspection under the strong and purposeful leadership of the headteacher. It has a number of outstanding features, particularly in the level of care provided for its pupils and the quality of relationships with its parents. The high level of very positive responses from the parents can be summed up by views such as, ‘King’s Forest is a wonderful school, the children are taught to look after and respect one another and each is treated like a very special individual’ and ‘My child is very happy with the school and as parents we believe the facilities, management and teaching standards are very high’. A sense of community and caring permeates the daily life of the school and the staff passionately express their commitment to each individual child through the good quality teaching and excellent care they provide.

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Main findings

Children get an outstanding start in the Reception classes and make good progress across all areas of the early years curriculum. Pupils continue to make good progress as they move through the school and by the time they leave the school in Year 6, attainment is broadly average in both mathematics and English. Pupils make good progress because teachers set challenging tasks for pupils in most year groups that motivate them to think hard about their work. One outstanding example of this was seen in Year 6 where pupils were asked to role play and generate opinions about the de-forestation of the rain forest. In most classes pupils enjoy their learning and engage enthusiastically with the learning process. Nevertheless, this good and outstanding teaching is not yet a consistent feature across the whole school and particularly in Year 3.

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Main findings

Pupils behave well and are eager to explain about the range of responsibilities they hold. They make a good contribution to the school and benefit from the global links that have been established; this is reflected in the International Award. The school has recently introduced an exciting skills-based approach to planning the curriculum, and, while this is not yet sufficiently embedded to judge the full effectiveness and impact upon pupils’ progress and achievement, it has successfully motivated pupils and inspired them to learn.

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Main findings

Pupils’ progress is monitored rigorously and actions taken ensure that concerns identified are addressed. Pupils are set challenging individual targets and pupils are encouraged through consistent approaches in marking which tells them clearly how they can improve their work further. The school promotes the needs of individual pupils very well and this results in outstanding care, guidance and support. Pupils whose circumstances may make them vulnerable are supported highly effectively by the staff. They confidently record their worries and concerns in their ‘thoughts and 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

feelings books’ because of the atmosphere of mutual trust that exists. Pupils are encouraged to be healthy in a range of ways. One particularly good example is through photographing and displaying the ‘healthy lunchbox of the week’ to encourage the choices of those falling below healthy expectations. Outstanding attention is paid to safeguarding procedures, and pupils who were asked if they feel and are kept safe by the staff replied, ‘Obviously!’

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Main findings

The headteacher has ensured that new members of the school team have been effectively integrated. All staff have clearly defined roles and responsibilities. They are enthusiastic about and value the lesson-study approach, which offers mutual support through sharing expertise and encouraging an openness, to raise the quality of teaching and learning. The school knows its strengths and its self-evaluation is accurate. Action plans have clearly defined targets and success criteria recorded to address areas that are a priority for development. The good improvements shown since the last inspection demonstrate there is a good capacity for further sustained improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching in Year 3 so that 75% is good or better by December 2012.  Ensure that the newly introduced skills-based curriculum is monitored rigorously by middle leaders to ensure it is having a positive impact on pupils’ progress and achievement.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils very much enjoy coming to school and this contributes successfully to their learning. Attendance has improved since the last inspection and is above average. From low starting points, on entry to Reception, children steadily progress to be broadly average by the end of Year 2. Higher-attaining pupils are challenged effectively by teachers who plan activities which are matched well to their abilities. This was illustrated in a Year 6 mathematics lesson where the teacher recognised the need to challenge the most able pupils further through extension activities targeted beyond Level 5. In this lesson all pupils showed good progress in their learning and 33% of the class displayed high levels of attainment. Reading has progressed steadily for the past two years. Pupils’ results are carefully analysed and this year a correlation was found, with those well supported by parents and carers achieving

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

more success. This led to a drive to engage all parents and carers positively to support their children’s reading. In addition, able Year 1 pupils are timetabled to receive extension lessons in phonics to challenge and extend their skills in reading and spelling. These strategies are proving to be effective in raising the standards in reading. There are no significant differences in the performance of boys and girls. Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals perform well, as do pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils are keen to do their best and they are encouraged by teachers and support 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

staff to achieve. Cooperation between individuals and groups features strongly in lessons and is a good indicator of the positive relationships that exist. Partner and peer support is used to good effect, clearly illustrated when Year 6 pupils were paired up to guide each other as critical friends through the redrafting of their writing.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils are proud of their school and enthusiastically share the contributions they make. They contribute to the decision-making processes in the school through their school council. This meets regularly with the senior leadership team and presents the pupils’ views to the governing body. Successes in achieving the Healthy Schools and Activemark awards contribute well to pupils’ understanding of being healthy. They can articulate the importance of this and the need to keep safe. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils are prepared satisfactorily to meet the challenges of their future lives through developing sound basic academic skills and good life skills based on positive values and a clear sense of right and wrong.

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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 Taking into account: Pupils’ attainment 1 The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress 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 feel safe 2 Pupils’ behaviour 2 The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 2 The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils’ attendance 1 The extent of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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How effective is the provision?

Planning is well matched to the ability of all groups of pupils so that they are challenged to think effectively. Specifically targeted learning objectives accompanied by very skilled teaching are helping all pupils, but particularly the more able, to make good progress in both English and mathematics. Classes are well resourced and teachers use a range of different experiences and teaching styles to create a positive learning environment. The classroom is presented as an exciting place to be and, as a result, pupils behave well and keep focused. The skilled use of interactive whiteboards effectively supports pupils’ learning. Teachers’ questioning techniques

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How effective is the provision?

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

are well developed to encourage open-ended responses. Through plenary sessions and careful questioning strategies teachers evaluate the levels of the pupils’ understanding. In lessons where teaching is not as effective, the pace is slower because teachers talk too much, explanations are sometimes muddled and errors are not always corrected. The whole-school marking policy calls upon pupils to respond to the teachers’ comments and next steps in learning are presented well. Pupils are clear about the levels they are working within and understand how to improve.

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How effective is the provision?

The curriculum has been recently reviewed to make it more exciting. Themes now develop effectively from pupils’ own expressed interests. It is broad and focused upon the acquisition of skills. Because it is a fairly recent development, its impact upon the learning outcomes for pupils has not yet been fully evaluated. Visits and visitors play an effective role in enriching the curriculum and a wide range of extra- curricular activities are also on offer, which are well supported by pupils. The school monitors the attendance of these carefully and adapts the activities to maintain the pupils’ interest.

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How effective is the provision?

Parents and carers are very positive about the level of pastoral support offered to their children through the nurturing ethos and support structures in place. The increasing numbers of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities have resulted in the appointment of an inclusion manager and a newly appointed family support worker. The outreach offered by these members of staff and their excellent partnerships with outside agencies through ‘Team Around the Child’ meetings are very successful in supporting children and families. The school is very inclusive and all children and their families are actively embraced into the school family. Transition arrangements on entry to Reception and exit from Year 6 are very well structured and planned. In these ways children are offered outstanding care, guidance and support.

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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?

The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 1

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How effective are leadership and management?

The headteacher’s clarity of vision and drive for improvement are shared by the school’s middle leaders and the vast majority of staff. There is a real sense of team, purpose and enthusiasm. Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined. Monitoring structures and systems have been established well and leaders are expected to take ownership of their subjects and areas and establish effective action plans. Targets in these are clearly defined and carefully monitored. Teachers are confident in the judgements they make because of the regular opportunities in place to moderate and share outcomes. The school takes good advantage of the many networks that exist 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?

to undertake training to develop teachers’ levels of expertise.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The Chair of the Governing Body and the headteacher have established a good working relationship that provides effective support. Members of the governing body undertake training, have subject responsibilities, regularly visit the school and monitor provision effectively. They take the role of ‘critical friend’ very seriously and their involvement with school evaluation procedures enables them to develop a good strategic view of the school’s strengths and areas for development. Safeguarding procedures are rigorous. There are very careful checks on all adults who work in the school. Health and safety checks as well as risk assessments are carried out rigorously. All members of the governing body have undertaken safe recruitment and child protection training to ensure pupils are kept safe.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The inclusive practices promoted by the school ensure there are no incidents of discrimination and pupils are encouraged to respect each other. Exclusion is very rare and equality of opportunity is positively promoted through the careful monitoring of progress of all groups of pupils to ensure they make the progress they should. Community cohesion is successfully developed through good international links that have a positive impact on the pupils’ learning and enable them to develop a good level of understanding of the lives of others.

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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 Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school’s engagement with parents and carers 1 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 1 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 2 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children in the Reception classes make excellent progress. They greatly enjoy the experiences on offer and make significant gains in their learning. The teachers are very skilled and know their children well. An excellent balance of teacher-led and child-initiated activities are organised and learning is generated in many creative and inspiring ways in both the indoor and outdoor settings. In a numeracy lesson children were being introduced to the concept of adding on and taking away to solve a numeric problem. The children sat in a circle with two plastic circles laid on the floor 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

in the centre of the group. Seven counters were placed in one circle and the teacher challenged an able child to say ‘how many need to be taken away to leave 4?’ With the teacher’s help he solved the problem, explaining his solution. Practical addition was creatively demonstrated with children placing the two circles on top of each other and physically grouping the objects from the two separate circles into one combined circle, counting the sum as they did so.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Visual prompts such as ‘put on your listening ears’ are used to great effect, as are multi-sensory actions and responses. Children learn to cooperate and share, take turns and make choices. Relationships with parents are excellent and large numbers are evident on a daily basis. The children are cared for and provision for their welfare is excellent. Progress is monitored carefully and learning diaries are used to record the wealth of activities offered to each individual. The Early Years Foundation Stage is outstandingly led by a strong team of teachers and support staff. Their levels of expertise are making a difference to the quality of learning and the rate at which individuals 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 Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of provision in the 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

There was an above-average response from parents to the Ofsted questionnaires, with 146 returns representing 37% of families of pupils attending the school. The vast majority of parents were very pleased with and appreciative of the work of the school and the support provided for their children. All parents agreed or strongly agreed that the school kept their children safe. One example of many comments sums up the consensus of opinion that ‘King’s Forest is a wonderful school where the children are able to learn in a caring, well-structured environment which brings out the absolute best in each and every child’.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at King’s Forest Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 146 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 391 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 92 63 50 34 4 3 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 104 71 42 29 0 0 0 0 The school informs me about my child’s progress 67 46 73 50 2 1 2 1 My child is making enough progress at this school 80 55 61 42 4 3 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 86 59 57 39 0 0 0 0 The school helps me to support my child’s learning 72 49 70 48 3 2 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 76 52 65 45 2 1 0 0 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) 69 47 61 42 2 1 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school meets my child’s particular needs 67 46 75 51 2 1 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 64 44 71 49 2 1 1 1 The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 61 42 73 50 4 3 1 1

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 85 58 53 36 6 4 0 0 Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school 92 63 49 34 2 1 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. 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 48 6 0 Primary schools 6 47 40 7 Secondary schools 12 39 38 11 Sixth forms 13 42 41 3 Special schools 28 49 19 4 Pupil referral units 14 45 31 10 All schools 10 46 37 7

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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 2010 to 31 December 2010 and 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. 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.  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 King’s Forest Primary School, Kingswood, Bristol, BS15 4PQ

Thank you for making us welcome at your school. We enjoyed meeting you and listening to the things you had to say. You told us how much you and your parents appreciate the excellent way you are cared for by your headteacher, the staff and governors. We agree with you. King’s Forest Primary is a good school and it is supporting you well in your learning and the way you are developing into responsible young adults. You are all making good progress because of the way you work hard to achieve the challenges set by your teachers. You understand how well you are doing and are very clear about the next steps you have to take to meet the targets that are set by yourselves and the teachers. You get an outstanding start in the Reception classes, but your progress is a little slower in Year 3. You catch up again by the time you get to Year 6. We have asked your teachers to make sure the good teaching that happens in the majority of classes extends to all classes to ensure you

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Inspection of King’s Forest Primary School, Kingswood, Bristol, BS15 4PQ

progress at the same rate throughout your time at school.

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Inspection of King’s Forest Primary School, Kingswood, Bristol, BS15 4PQ

We saw the good efforts everyone makes to keep you safe and healthy and the responsible way you respond. Your teachers are good at making sure you are all treated equally and you get some excellent support, particularly when you are going through difficult times. You are certain that you are not bullied in school and you behave well in your lessons and when you play together. Your headteacher is very good at building the school team, making sure everyone gets on well together and cares for each other. She and the other school leaders have provided you with a good curriculum that encourages you and motivates you to participate in a range of exciting activities. We want them to make sure the curriculum is helping you to achieve and progress by monitoring carefully how well you can use the range of skills they teach you, as you move through the school. They are keen to give you the best school they can. You can help by always doing your best.

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Inspection of King’s Forest Primary School, Kingswood, Bristol, BS15 4PQ

Marianne Phillips Lead inspector procedures set 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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