Kingsley Primary School

Kingsley Primary School Taybrooke Avenue, Hartlepool, County Durham, TS25 5JR

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils throughout the school make good progress from their starting points and by the end of Year 6 standards are consistently above average in both English and mathematics.  Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make exceptional progress. This is because of the outstanding individual support they receive. Leadership of the resource- based provision is excellent.  Pupils eligible for the pupil premium achieve well.  Teaching is good overall and sometimes outstanding. Lessons are well prepared and very enjoyable. Pupils work hard.  There is a strong focus on literacy and mathematics and pupils are given very good opportunities to improve their skills by practising them in different subjects.  This is a highly caring school where all children matter. The family centre offers a wide range of support and activities that are valued by everyone involved in the school.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ courtesy and respect for each other shine through and underpin their outstanding behaviour. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding.  Leaders and managers including governors share a strong belief in a school that meets the needs of all pupils and their families. As a result, they are committed to improving teaching and achievement.  The leadership team has a very good understanding of the school and what is needed to improve achievement. After a dip in the number of pupils reaching higher levels in Year 6 national tests last year actions to address this were quickly put into place. These are having a positive effect on raising standards.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Occasionally, teaching requires improvement. In these lessons work is not always well matched to the needs of all pupils in the class and this slows their progress.  There are not always enough opportunities for children to find things out for themselves in lessons.  Staff absences have limited the time available for the leadership team to monitor and support teachers new to their role. As a result, they have not always been able to quickly identify ways of sharing best practice across the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching in all classes and saw 17 lessons.  An inspector listened to pupils from both Key Stages 1 and 2 read and looked at their reading logs.  The inspectors looked at the work in pupils’ books to get a view of current achievement and progress over time. This included looking at learning journals from Nursery and Reception.  The inspectors took account of the 23 responses from parents to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and the letter they received from a parent.  Inspectors talked to groups of pupils about their views of the school and how safe they felt.  Inspectors talked to staff from the family centre and visited the pre-nursery group.  Meetings were held with three members of the governing body including the Chair, an external consultant and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors looked at a number of documents including the school improvement plan, data

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Information about this inspection

on pupil progress and reports about teaching. They also looked at the school website.

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Inspection team

Nora Waugh, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Frank Cain Additional Inspector Kate Pringle Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average primary school. There is a nursery unit offering 78 part-time places.  The school is additionally resourced to offer up to 24 places for children with autistic spectrum disorders. These pupils are all included in mainstream classes for much of the time.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is lower than average.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is close to average.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is above average. (The pupil premium is funding provided to support pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, looked after children and the children of services personnel).  Most pupils in the school are from White British backgrounds. The number of pupils speaking English as an additional language is well below average.  Fewer pupils enter and leave the school except at the usual entry points than in most other

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Information about this school

schools.  The school has a family centre that includes business enterprise work.  This school year staffing has been disrupted by the unavoidable absence of a number of key teachers. This includes two of the leadership team and others leaders are teaching full time to cover absences.  The school meets the government’s current floor targets, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching to be consistently good or better and hence further accelerate progress by making sure:  work is carefully matched to pupils’ individual abilities in all lessons  there are enough opportunities in lessons for pupils to find things out for themselves  that best practice in teaching is shared across the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start Nursery with skills that are below those typically expected for their age. This is particularly so in their communication and language development. Adults have high expectations of children and structure teaching well so children quickly begin to develop an awareness of sounds and to learn rhymes.  Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and are proud of what they can do. By the end of Reception most children are able to write sentences using their knowledge of letters and sounds to spell words. They are confident and work well in small groups.  Pupils continue to progress well in Key Stage 1 and achieve well. Writing is particularly strong and has been for the last five years reflecting the priority it is given throughout the school.  This good progress continues across Key Stage 2 and at the end of Year 6 attainment is above average overall. However, in 2012, fewer pupils than previously reached the higher Level 5 in

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The achievement of pupils is good

Year 6 national tests. The school’s leadership took swift and effective action to deal with this and both work in books and the school’s own checks on pupils’ progress suggest more pupils will achieve the higher levels this year.  Almost all pupils make the progress expected of them in English and the large majority do so in mathematics. This is much better than the average for all schools nationally although in 2012 fewer pupils made more than the progress expected of them particularly in English. School leadership is addressing this successfully.  Systems for tracking pupils’ progress are very thorough. School leaders regularly discuss individual pupils and what level of support should be put into place to allow these pupils to achieve well. Teachers then closely check the difference it is making and that it is right for the individual.  Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make excellent progress and achieve

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The achievement of pupils is good

well. This is because of the high level of individual support they receive and the highly skilled teaching assistants who work with them.  Pupils with autistic spectrum disorders who come to the resourced provision from other schools often make extremely rapid progress once settled into school.  Pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals achieve very well. They make very good progress and in 2012 in English more of these pupils made the expected amount of progress than did other groups of pupils in the school overall. In mathematics, the proportion making expected progress was slightly lower than for pupils not eligible for free school meals but still better than the national average. The gap in attainment between those eligible for free school meals and those not eligible is narrowing. This is a reflection of the school’s determination to promote equal opportunities for all pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils read widely and boys in particular are very enthusiastic about the recently introduced e- readers. Reading logs are carefully filled in and very analytical so very useful for all adults supporting children’s reading.  Mathematics is well taught throughout the school. More-able pupils receive a high level of challenge which allowed a number to achieve the higher Level 6 standard last year.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Lessons are well organised and teaching is very thorough, enabling pupils to make good progress in all key stages. Pupils thoroughly enjoy lively teaching as when the teacher was trying and ‘failing’ to write numbers that they could not read. Laughter is heard regularly.  Children listen carefully to adults and to each other. Relationships are very good throughout the school as are pupils’ attitudes to learning. They get on well with their work.  Teachers plan lessons carefully and know what they want pupils to learn. They expect the best from their pupils and in the good and better lessons use a range of teaching methods to make sure this happens. Occasionally, however, the work set is too easy for some pupils and this means they learn less than they could.  Searching questions are often used well to find out what pupils know and can do. This is then used to take learning forward. Marking is conscientious and helps pupils understand what they

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The quality of teaching is good

need to do to improve their work.  Teaching is very carefully structured to allow pupils to progress well in English and mathematics but there are not enough opportunities in lessons for pupils to find things out for themselves. An external consultant has recently worked with the Early Years Foundation Stage team to develop opportunities for children to learn through play. This is still too recent to know how much difference it has made but staff feel it has improved their teaching.  Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive excellent teaching. Often they work with the rest of the class but this is balanced with very well planned individual support and practice that enables them to make exceptional progress. The school environment is well organised with lots of small teaching spaces, often with computers, to facilitate this work.  There is a wide range of opportunities for pupils to use their reading, writing and mathematical

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The quality of teaching is good

skills in other subjects and this is a strength of teaching in the school. There are examples of a high quality displayed throughout the school including Henry VIII writing letters to an agony aunt about his matrimonial problems and using mathematical calculations to find out how quickly a stream was flowing.  Work is beautifully presented in all subjects and handwriting is very well taught from children first coming into Reception.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 This school is very welcoming and friendly. Everyone is extremely proud of it and its achievements and would like others to share in its success. There is a quiet determination to ensure that all pupils whenever they arrive are cared for and ‘find a home’ there.  Behaviour is outstanding throughout the school and at lunchtimes and breaks. Good behaviour is the expectation and so is not given additional rewards or incentives. Pupils understand this and willingly follow the rules and routines.  Some pupils have very challenging problems when they first enter school. They are calmly supported to work through these and become part of the school community. The family centre offers a counselling service that is of great support to children and their families.  Pupils say they feel very safe in school and their parents agree with them. All parents who responded to Parent View would recommend the school to others. Pupils are aware of the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

different types of bullying but do not view it as a problem in school. They are clear about their personal safety and are particularly articulate about internet safety with even younger ones knowing exactly what they should and should not do.  The school encourages pupils to be involved in making decisions. This is part of the underlying respect for children that underpins the school philosophy. There are good opportunities for older pupils to take responsibility in school.  Overall attendance is similar to national averages but is showing good improvement. The school has worked hard to achieve this and the additional outreach support from the family centre is making a difference. The school has a policy of never excluding pupils and has not done so for at least 20 years.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, senior management and governors believe passionately in providing excellence for all children including those accessing the resourced provision. The school building is extremely well resourced with an interesting and sometimes innovative use of space. This has contributed to an excellent ethos where all children respect and value each other and their environment.  Leadership and management of the school are good. Time is being used carefully to maintain the high standards the school expects and to concentrate on key priorities. Leaders know the school well and work hard to improve teaching and achievement. Data are thoroughly analysed and priorities added to the school development plan as a result of this.  All staff participate in performance management, and have targets and access professional development linked to these. Although systems to check teaching remain strong, the coaching

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The leadership and management are good

and support for teachers new to their year group and the sharing of good practice within the school have not been as comprehensive as planned.  Leadership of the resourced provision is excellent. The school is determined that all children will settle and succeed. Careful thought has gone into every aspect of meeting the needs of these pupils. For example, at the start of the day they come into school calmly as they arrive and there are no internal bells to unsettle them.  Pupils have access to a wide range of opportunities to add to their experiences. This included a residential visit to an outdoor centre funded by the school. The pupils then gave the governing body an impressive presentation about their visit and the work that had come from it. There is a variety of outdoor and sporting activities for children to access including a physio club and a very challenging climbing wall for older pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Both in assemblies and in class pupils have regular opportunities to reflect on what they are doing and the world around them. They work together and support each other with a maturity that is beyond their years.  This is a very family-friendly school. The breakfast and after-school club are deliberately kept affordable for all families. Since running the family centre the school has gradually increased what is offered including the pre-nursery sessions and it is rapidly becoming an integral part of the school. This work is highly valued by staff, parents and children.  The school values the support the local authority gives, particularly around the resourced provision for children with autistic spectrum disorders. They also value the support of local consultants.  The governance of the school:  Governors are enthusiastic and very active in their support of the school. Many have been

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The leadership and management are good

connected with it for a long time. They have a good understanding of pupils’ progress and the leadership of teaching. They are confident to challenge school leaders when necessary. Governors take their duties around performance management seriously and make well informed decisions about pay. They believe strongly in the school’s ethos and in support for all children. The use of pupil premium funding and the resourced-base provision are discussed regularly. They are very proud of how the family centre is developing under their direction. They ensure safeguarding requirements are met and are proactive in ensuring pupils’ continued safety in school.

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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 111601 Local authority Hartlepool Inspection number 412250

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 497 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Vale Headteacher Alison Darby Date of previous school inspection 4 October 2007 Telephone number 01429 273102 Fax number 01429 273102 Email address admin.kingsley@school.hartlepool.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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