Kewstoke Primary School

Kewstoke Primary School Kewstoke Road, Kewstoke, Weston-super-Mare, BS22 9YF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Pupils’ progress is not good enough. Their attainment is not as high as it should be. Given their starting points, achievement requires improvement.  Teaching is inconsistent; too many lessons fail to promote rapid progress because teachers’ expectations are too low. Pupils have too few opportunities to work independently.  The skills of teaching assistants are not consistently well used to support learning.  Teachers’ written marking does not consistently explain to pupils how they can improve.  Teachers’ management of pupils’ behaviour is not good enough. Consequently, pupils do not always concentrate fully on what they should be learning and they rely too much on teachers to help them progress.  Relatively recent changes to leadership and management have not yet had a significant impact on achievement. The sharing of leadership among staff is at an early stage of development.

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The school has the following strengths

 The new headteacher, fully supported by staff, the governing body and the local authority, has acted firmly to begin to address weaknesses. As a result, teaching and pupils’ behaviour are starting to improve.  Children make a good start to their school lives in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Pupils are happy and safe at school.  The governing body is well informed and offers good challenge to the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed lessons in all classes; he visited eight lessons taught by five teachers.  The inspector held discussions with pupils, teachers, the headteacher, representatives of the governing body and a local authority officer.  The inspector examined school documents including assessment information, planning documents and records of checks on teaching, and the school’s documentation on safeguarding arrangements.  The views of 16 parents were analysed through the Parent View website.

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Inspection team

John Carnaghan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average sized primary school.  Almost all pupils are White British and speak English as their first language.  The proportion of pupils eligible for additional funding (the pupil premium) is below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is above average overall, especially those pupils supported on school action. The school has a below average proportion of pupils supported on school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The school does not use any alternative provision for its pupils (lessons that take place regularly away from school).  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The headteacher took up her post in September 2011.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching in Years 1 to 6 and accelerate pupils’ progress by:  directing the work of teaching assistants more carefully so that they support pupils’ learning more effectively  managing pupils’ behaviour to ensure their engagement throughout the lesson  setting high expectations and ensuring that pupils are fully aware of what they should learn in each lesson  providing pupils with clear, consistent guidance on how their work could be improved  improve pupils’ independence as learners by offering more opportunities for them to work on their own or in groups.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management through further training to develop expertise among all staff with responsibilities.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Progress has started to accelerate this year in response to improvements in teaching but it still requires improvement in Years 1 to 6 because teaching is not consistently strong enough.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 has been similar to the national average for a number of years. There has been a slow improvement in attainment in mathematics, an area of concern in the previous report and attainment in mathematics is similar to that in English. Given their starting points, attainment is not high enough.  The school uses additional government funds (pupil premium) wisely to support specific groups of pupils so that, for example, those who are known to be entitled to free school meals progress at a similar rate to their peers. Spending is focused on providing more time for support staff to offer additional help. The attainment levels of the pupil premium group, as reflected in average

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

points scores in national assessment data, have improved, and are similar to those of other pupils in the school.  Pupils who are disabled and those who have special educational needs supported by the school at action level make similar progress to their classmates; individual learning needs are well known to all adults. Pupils benefit from carefully tailored assistance to enable them to overcome their barriers to learning.  Assessment information is used to follow each pupil’s progress. When progress falters or other issues are identified action is taken, usually in the form of well-judged, personalised support. In this way, the school provides equality of opportunity for all and ensures there is no discrimination.  Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and aptitudes that are below those expected for their age. In the caring environment of the Reception class they make good

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

progress, particularly in areas where they were less skilled, such as writing. They leave to move into Year 1 with attainment that is close to the national average.  Attainment in reading is a little higher than in other areas because pupils are taught well to link sounds with letters (phonics). The school has good arrangements to ensure that all pupils have every opportunity to read widely, so they develop better than expected fluency and are confident in handling books from a young age.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is not consistently good. Teachers do not always make clear what they want pupils to learn.  In less effective lessons, teachers do not work at a brisk enough pace or expect pupils to tackle tasks quickly. Lessons sometimes lose pupils’ interest because the activities lack variety and go on for too long. When pupils sit on the carpet for a long time, for instance while the teacher goes over work they have already covered, they start to fidget and their concentration wanes.  Teaching assistants are capable and well trained. However, in too many lessons they are not used well enough to help pupils learn. This is because their work is not well directed by teachers; they are not fully briefed, so they are unsure of what to do.  Many lessons do not encourage pupils to think things out for themselves and work independently. This is not the case in the Early Years Foundation Stage where planning is good

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

and the youngest children happily work and play together, learning on their own or with friends. However, the learning of older pupils is more dependent on adults’ continual guidance and intervention.  Pupils are given too few opportunities to work on their own for prolonged periods. Where they are able to undertake their own investigations, they are enthusiastic and learn well. For example, Years 3 and 4 pupils enjoyed working out the magnetic properties of various substances by testing each one; this enabled them to quickly establish a pattern for resistance to magnetism.  Some pupils’ work is carefully marked by teachers, who provide helpful advice. However, this practice is inconsistent. Some pupils have learning targets, but these are often too generalised to be relevant to their needs and are often expressed in a way that pupils find hard to understand.  Reading is taught well. Teachers offer numerous reading opportunities so that, from an early

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

age, pupils have an easy familiarity with books of all kinds. The degree of support offered to readers is varied with their capabilities, so that those who need it most benefit from numerous opportunities to read to adults.  Better teaching is characterised by high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and their academic performance. Deadlines are used so pupils know what they have to accomplish and the time- scale. This ensures their learning is good. Pupils report that they enjoy mathematics lessons because teachers make the learning enjoyable.  In the best lessons, teachers use their enthusiasm and expertise in their subject to motivate pupils. For example, a good Years 5 and 6 English lesson on the use of language was enlivened by the teacher’s profound admiration for the qualities of the text being studied. This inspired pupils in their successful efforts to explain the various techniques used by the writer to hold the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

 Pupils are too reliant on adults to help them learn. While disruption in lessons is unusual, pupils do not easily concentrate on their work or show a consistent personal commitment to success.  Where teachers are alert to pupils’ needs and help them through every stage of the lesson progress can be good; where teaching is less effective pupils’ lack of focus hampers their learning. There are inconsistencies in the way teachers manage classroom behaviour so some rooms are too noisy, distracting pupils from their work.  Pupils and staff agree that behaviour has improved. Pupils know and respect the behaviour policy and the rewards and sanctions that are built in. Few parents have concerns about bullying or behaviour.  Bullying is an unusual occurrence. Pupils report that anti-social behaviour is effectively dealt with by staff, so it rarely escalates into any form of bullying. They are aware of the possibilities of

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The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

bullying through the internet or by texting but say that it hardly ever happens.  Teachers and pupils get along very well together; teachers go out of their way to foster good relationships with pupils. The atmosphere in the school building and the playground is generally calm and orderly and pupils are courteous to one another and are careful to move around safely on the steep site.  Improvements to the perimeter fencing and access arrangements mean the site is more secure and pupils feel safe. Pupils are well briefed by teachers and visitors, for example members of the emergency services, on what to do if faced with danger or an emergency.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because neither achievement nor teaching is good.  Since her appointment the headteacher has worked consistently to broaden the responsibility for leadership and management so all staff play a role. Teachers report that the school benefits from this team approach and are happy that their growing contributions to leadership and management are valued. They have started to receive training to equip them for greater responsibilities, but this is at an early stage and the school acknowledges that there is more to be done.  The headteacher has introduced greater rigour into the school’s self-evaluation through the more analytical use of assessment information and frequent, regular and thorough checks on all aspects of the school. This has helped leaders and managers to a greater understanding of what needs to be done.  Development plans are relevant, appropriately detailed and practical. They are starting to have

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The leadership and management require improvement

an impact on teaching and learning and to bring about other positive developments, such as calming pupils’ behaviour. The school demonstrates a capacity to continue to improve.  Checks on teaching are regular and support good practice. Leaders follow up on areas of concern promptly and staff report that this is both rigorous and supportive.  The local authority has been alert to the school’s needs and has provided much advice and expertise to support the headteacher and staff as they pursue their goals of raising achievement, improving behaviour and developing teaching.  The subjects and activities taught have been developed to provide interesting, relevant experiences for pupils. Partnerships with local schools provide engaging activities, for example a local secondary school is helping pupils have a go at making a television sports programme.  Well-planned assemblies contribute to pupils’ spiritual understanding and promote social

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The leadership and management require improvement

responsibility, especially in the school environment. Pupils enjoy the discussions that arise in personal and social education lessons. Numerous fund-raising activities for charities promote reflection on the suffering of individuals faced by difficulties such as famine.  The governance of the school: – The governing body is well informed about the school through the regular checks it makes, including targeted parental questionnaires and a system of school visits. Useful reports from the headteacher and local authority as well as personal visits and conversations with staff help governors keep a close eye on teaching and progress. They are well aware of teachers’ performance management and contribute to the discussions on priorities for individual staff and how they link to their pay progression. Governors have a good grasp of school assessment data and how this relates to national yardsticks and they use this information to

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The leadership and management require improvement

challenge the school to do better. The governing body contributes to discussions about how best to spend the additional government funds allocated as the pupil premium and checks up carefully to ensure that this extra expenditure makes a difference to the pupils it targets. Governors undertake relevant training, such as how to interpret pupil performance information presented in Raise on Line. This enhances their capability to support staff and pupils. They regard pupils’ safety as paramount and help to ensure that the school’s safeguarding arrangements meet requirements.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 109092 Local authority North Somerset Inspection number 405211

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 98 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sue Marshall Headteacher Lynne Yelland Date of previous school inspection 15–16 March 2011 Telephone number 01934 623430 Fax number 01934 628924 Email address Kewstoke.pri@n-somerset.gov.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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. 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

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School details

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’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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