Krishna Avanti Primary School

Krishna-Avanti Primary School Spencefield Lane, Evington, Leicester, LE5 6HN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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 make good progress from their starting points. Their progress is outstanding in the Reception Year and is good in Year 1.  The school operates in a warm and caring environment. Very good provision is made to support pupils’ strong spiritual development.  Teaching is good. Teachers and teaching assistants know children well. They plan engaging and exciting activities to support their learning. As a result, pupils enjoy coming to school.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding and they are highly motivated learners. They are very considerate, kind and caring towards each other. Pupils feel safe at school.  Staff use computers innovatively to bring learning to life and this supports pupils’ good progress.  The subjects and topics that pupils learn about meet their needs. There are good opportunities to learn about different cultures.  School leaders have an accurate overview of the school’s performance. The new interim

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

principal has settled into her role quickly and has rapidly won the confidence of parents and carers, staff and pupils.  The governing body meets its statutory duties. It has high expectations of leaders, and ensures that resources are well managed.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ progress in Year 1 is not as strong as in the Reception Year.  Teachers do not adapt activities in lessons to challenge pupils as well as they could do.  Teachers do not consistently outline the next steps that pupils need to take in their learning when they mark pupils’ books.  The school’s strategies to improve pupils’ attendance have not successfully secured above average attendance.  Leaders do not set measurable targets to help them check how well the school is improving each term.  Governors do not check the work of the school for themselves often enough.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in eight lessons taught by four teachers. Two of these were observed jointly with the interim principal.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents including school improvement plans, minutes from governing body meetings, documents showing how leaders check teachers’ work, and the school’s systems to check the suitability of employees who work with children. The inspector also checked work in pupils’ books and the school’s records of pupils’ progress.  Meetings were held with the school’s senior leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body and a group of pupils. A telephone conversation was held with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector gathered the views of parents and carers by taking account of 39 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). He also spoke informally to a number of parents and carers as they brought their children to school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector analysed responses on questionnaires returned by 12 members of staff.

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Inspection team

Jeremy Spencer, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an academy free school which is part of the Avanti Schools Trust. The school opened in September 2011.  The school promotes a Hindu ethos but pupils are able to attend the school regardless of their faith and/or beliefs.  The school is set within the grounds of Evington Hall, on the outskirts of Leicester. Some classrooms, administrative areas, and a sports hall are situated within Evington Hall itself. New classrooms, and a worship and dining hall, have also been constructed within the grounds.  The school is currently smaller than others of the same type but it is expanding rapidly.  The school currently admits pupils in Reception and Year 1 classes. From September 2013 it will also admit pupils in Year 2 classes. The school plans to add a new year group each year, and admit pupils from Reception through to Year 6 by September 2017.  Most pupils are from an Asian or Asian British background. A minority is from a range of

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Information about this school

different ethnic backgrounds. Almost half of the pupils speak English as an additional language.  Fewer pupils than average are supported through the pupil premium (additional government funding to help some pupils, including those known to be eligible for free school meals).  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported at school action is below average, as is the proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The principal left the school in April 2013. The school is currently led by an interim principal.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and raise pupils’ achievement to outstanding by:  ensuring that teachers become more confident to adapt activities, as lessons progress, to better match individual pupils’ learning needs  ensuring that teachers’ marking clearly and consistently outlines the next steps of learning that pupils need to take  working closely with parents and carers to improve attendance to be consistently above the average for primary schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by:  setting termly milestones in school improvement plans to enable leaders, including the governing body, to gain a better understanding of how well improvements are being made over time  ensuring that all members of the governing body actively and regularly check the work of the school for themselves.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 ‘I love doing this’, smiled a Year 1 pupil as he used a tablet computer to photograph and record the features of a flower which would classify it as either being ‘living’ or ‘non-living’. This positive comment typifies pupils’ attitudes to learning at Krishna-Avanti Primary School. Teachers’ ability to promote a love of learning, and pupils’ excellent behaviour, underpins the good progress that pupils make at the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children begin the Early Years Foundation Stage with varying levels of skill and knowledge, but generally slightly below those typical for their age. Different groups of children, particularly those who speak English as an additional language, make outstanding progress in the Reception classes. This is because much of the teaching in this phase is highly effective, inspirational and fully meets children’s needs. Children leave the Reception class with skills above those normally expected for their age.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ progress slows as they move through Year 1 because teaching is less strong, but most maintain good progress. The school’s assessments of pupils’ progress, and work in pupils’ books, indicate that they are on track to reach above average standards at the end of Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are making good progress. Good support is provided to these pupils in lessons, often from teaching assistants. Their learning is carefully tracked by a special educational needs specialist to make sure that they do not fall behind.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school uses its pupil premium funding, mostly, to provide additional support from teaching assistants. Those pupils supported through the pupil premium make good progress, indicating that the funding has been used effectively.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 A successful whole-school approach to teaching pupils skills in phonics (the sounds that letters make) supports pupils’ good progress in reading. Pupils of different abilities demonstrate good reading and writing skills for their age and can decode more complex words with confidence.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 A very large majority of parents and carers who responded to the online questionnaire (Parent View) believe that their children make good progress at the school. Inspection findings support this view.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The progress made by the very small minority of pupils who are absent from school for extended periods of time is much slower than that made by pupils who come to school regularly. School leaders are working with parents and carers to encourage them to strongly consider the implications of removing pupils from school for extended periods of time.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ handwriting skills and the presentation of their work sometimes slip below expected standards. This is because teachers do not teach handwriting skills consistently well. However, leaders have recognised this and teachers have, very recently, started to teach a new, agreed style of writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ achievement is good, but not outstanding, because there is not enough outstanding teaching in Year 1.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Children in a Reception class watched the large display screen at the front of the classroom, listened carefully to the beat, and copied the dance moves enthusiastically, as a presenter helped them to burn off some energy before their next lesson. As a result, they settled quickly when their teacher began to talk to them and were immediately ready to learn. Teachers at the school prepare exciting and varied activities which, when combined with skilful teaching, help pupils to make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is outstanding. Classrooms and outdoor areas are vibrant, well-organised and safe places for children to learn in. Consequently, children are confident in their environment, keen to learn and make excellent progress in the Reception classes. Children are surrounded by colourful displays and learning prompts. Letters, sounds, words and numbers are on the walls, doors and even hang from the ceiling. Pupils were observed using these independently to help their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers and teaching assistants make good use of questions in lessons to check pupils’ understanding and extend their thinking. Prompts on classroom walls support parents and other volunteers to do the same, and suggest thought-provoking questions they could ask the pupils. A parent was observed referring to the questions during the inspection, to support her working with a group of children, in one of the school’s ‘stay and play’ sessions.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants communicate well with teachers and make a strong contribution to learning. They show good skills and an awareness of when it is appropriate for them to intervene and provide further support for different groups of pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make good use of information and communication technology (ICT) to support learning. Video clips and engaging multimedia presentations are used successfully to bring lessons to life. There are also frequent opportunities to use handheld devices, including tablet computers, to support learning. Consequently, pupils demonstrate ICT skills above those expected for their age.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers assess pupils’ learning effectively and plan lessons to match the abilities of different groups of pupils. However, teachers do not always demonstrate the confidence to move away from their plans. This means that opportunities are missed to adapt lessons to provide further challenge for pupils who are ready for it. As a result, these pupils make slower progress than they could do. This is one of the main reasons why teaching is not outstanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark pupils’ books frequently and provide positive feedback to pupils about what they have been able to achieve. However, they do not usually outline the next steps in learning that pupils need to take, or check whether pupils have responded to their comments. This is another reason why teaching is not outstanding at the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Parents comment positively on the quality of teaching at the school. One parent told the inspector, ‘Teachers do a very good job here. My child wants to come to school every day and my mind is put at rest because I get regular information about her progress. What more could I ask for?’ Other parents made similar comments. Most parents and carers who responded to Parent View said they believe that their children are taught well at the school. Inspection evidence confirms that teaching is good overall but is stronger in the Reception classes than in Year 1.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 ‘After you,’ a pupil said politely, as she held the door open for her friend to pass through. Pupils are considerate, care deeply about each other and demonstrate happy and trusting relationships.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour, in classrooms, in the worship/dining room and in other areas of the school is outstanding. Pupils move around the school in a very calm and orderly manner. They demonstrate excellent attention and focus in lessons because they are very eager and enthusiastic learners. This means that teachers are able to fully focus their energies on teaching, rather than on managing pupils’ behaviour.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ very good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development at the school helps to ensure that they are well-balanced and content. They sing warmly and pray respectfully during worship sessions, as teachers develop their understanding of different faiths and cultures.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils feel safe and have a very good understanding of safety for their age. For example, they could explain the potential dangers of speaking to strangers, and could explain why it is important to move around buildings with care. Pupils understand what constitutes bullying. However, there have been no reported cases of bullying at the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ attendance is improving rapidly and most pupils come to school regularly. However, a very small minority of pupils are absent from school for extended periods of time, often to make visits abroad.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Almost all parents and carers who responded to Parent View believe that pupils behave well at the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The large majority of parents and carers who responded to Parent View, and all parents who spoke with the inspector during the inspection, believe that the school is well led and managed. Inspection evidence confirms that they are right.

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The leadership and management are good

 Effective systems are in place to manage and improve the quality of teaching. As a result, teaching is good and pupils achieve well at the school. Each teacher has personal development targets, set each year by senior leaders, to help improve their performance. Leaders review each teacher’s progress towards meeting their targets as the year progresses.

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The leadership and management are good

 The interim principal has an accurate overview of the school’s performance. She is supported well by other leaders in the school, who help to ensure that data about pupils’ performance is accurate and up-to-date.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have well-considered ideas about what they can do to improve the school and have drawn up action plans to help them to organise the implementation of these ideas. However, these plans do not clearly identify how leaders, including the governing body, can check and measure the impact of the actions each term. This means that leaders cannot easily gauge whether or not their plans are on-track as the year progresses.

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The leadership and management are good

 The leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage is outstanding. Very high expectations combine with the excellent guidance the leader gives to staff. As a result, children in the Reception classes make outstanding progress from their starting points.  Leaders successfully ensure that the subjects and topics taught in the school are interesting for pupils, meet their needs, and help them to make good progress overall during their time at the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding requirements are met. This includes the correct checks on adults working with pupils in the school. Appropriate policies are in place to support the safety and well-being of pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders are building effective partnerships with others in the local community, including other schools and the local church. The Early Years Foundation Stage leader has agreed, with the interim principal’s permission, to work with HMI to share her very strong practice with other professionals, in schools across the East Midlands, to help support their improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Relationships between the school and the local authority are good. The school has opted to buy in a range of support services from the local authority since it opened, including support for newly qualified teachers and support for the Early Years Foundation stage. The success of the Early Years Foundation Stage, in particular, suggests that the support they have received has been effective.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school promotes equality of opportunity effectively. The school works well to secure the good progress of pupils from different backgrounds and with different needs, including those who speak English as an additional language. The school’s work to raise pupils’ awareness, understanding and respect for those who come from different backgrounds to their own is also very successful.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body meets its statutory requirements, including for safeguarding. Governors have a good overview of the way the school uses its resources and effectively challenge senior leaders to ensure that they secure value for money, including for those pupils supported through the pupil premium. Governors have high expectations of school leaders and manage their performance effectively. Governors also know what the school is doing to reward good teaching and how it tackles any underperformance. The Chair of the Governing Body has a comprehensive overview of the school’s work and pupils’ achievement, and visits the school regularly. However, other governors visit the school less frequently and do not check the work of the school for themselves often enough. This means that they rely too heavily on the reports they receive from school leaders and the Chair of the Governing Body.

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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 136930 Local authority Leicester Inspection number 400325

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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 Academy free school School category Non-maintained Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 105 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Pradip Gajjar Principal Sally Hughes (Interim Principal) Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 0116 241 9880 Email address info@krishna-avanti-leicester.org.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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