Kenningtons Primary Academy

Kenningtons Primary Academy Tamar Drive, Aveley, South Ockendon, RM15 4NB

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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 Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The headteacher ensures everyone is focused on improving teaching and raising the pupils’ achievement. She has the full support of the strong team of senior and subject leaders.  Governors support the school well in its drive for improvement and check its progress carefully towards meeting its targets.  Good and improving teaching is leading to pupils making good progress in all year groups.  The teaching of writing and phonics (the sounds that letters in words represent) has improved and attainment in both areas is rising.  Children make good progress in the Nursery and Reception. Their strong relationships with adults and each other help them to settle quickly and enjoy their learning.  Pupils try their hardest in lessons. They show they are keen to do well by listening attentively to their teachers and each other.  Pupils are polite and well-mannered. They take pride in their appearance, their school and the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

responsibilities they undertake.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school, and that adults look after them well.  Topics are carefully planned so pupils can practise and reinforce basic skills as well as extend learning across other subjects.  The school develops an awareness and respect for diversity among the pupils. It is a harmonious place where pupils enjoy learning about different faiths and considering other people’s beliefs and values.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not always cater well for the learning of the most able pupils.  Leaders do not check the impact of Nursery and Reception teaching regularly enough to make swift adjustments if needed.  The classrooms and outside areas in Nursery and Reception do not entice children to engage enough with books or to write.  The feedback pupils receive on their work in mathematics is not as helpful as in writing, because not all staff follow the school policy.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 26 lessons. In each of these lessons, inspectors examined the work in pupils’ books. Five lessons were seen together with the headteacher or other senior leaders.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, school staff, the Chair of the Governing Body and another governor, and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 69 responses to Ofsted’s online parent questionnaire, Parent View, and held informal discussions with parents and carers at the start of the school day. Inspectors also took into account of a survey undertaken by the school in December 2013 that had 255 responses.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents including the school’s own information on the pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors also took account of the 49 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Martin Beale, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Matthew Klimcke Additional Inspector Susan Cox Additional Inspector Ken Parry Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than most primary schools and pupil numbers are rising.  The school converted to become an academy in September 2012. When the predecessor school, Kenningtons Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is below average, although the range of backgrounds represented is wide.  The school receives pupil premium funding for an above-average proportion of the pupils. This is additional government funding which, in this school, supports pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is well above average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average and falling.  Many more pupils than in most other primary schools join or leave partway through their primary

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Information about this school

education.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching by ensuring that:  teachers set work that consistently challenges the most able pupils  teachers in the Nursery and Reception pay greater attention to developing the children’s reading and writing skills  marking and feedback in mathematics meet school aims by providing pupils with clear guidance on how to improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by analysing the impact of teaching in Nursery and Reception by evaluating assessment data more rigorously and frequently.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress and attainment is broadly average and rising by the end of Year 6. There is no difference in the achievement of pupils of different ethnic backgrounds. Pupils who join the school partway through the year make good progress once they have settled in.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Year 6 test results were average in reading and mathematics in 2013 but below average in writing. This was largely because few pupils reached the higher Level 5. Writing has been the weaker subject for some time. Action taken to bring a clear structure to the pupils’ development of writing is leading to progress increasing and attainment rising. Additionally, more pupils are now working at higher levels in all year groups.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter the Nursery or Reception with skills below those expected for their age, particularly in language and communication. They make good progress so that their overall attainment by the end of Reception has risen to broadly average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress their understanding of phonics and in their wider reading skills such as comprehension and research. The results of the national Year 1 phonics screening check were broadly average in 2013. Subsequent action to improve teaching of phonics has resulted in a rise in the pupils’ achievement.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Through the sharp focus on raising their achievement, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. Individual needs are carefully identified and effective support quickly provided. The impact of this support is regularly evaluated and adjusted where necessary.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school makes good use of additional funding such as the pupil premium. Smaller teaching groups and counselling for individual pupils are leading to eligible pupils making good progress. Their Year 6 test results in 2013 were similar to those of other pupils in the year group in mathematics and writing, and less than one term behind in reading. There is a similarly small gap in attainment currently in Year 6.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most able pupils achieve well overall, but do not make consistently good progress in all year groups.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching across the school is carefully planned and structured so that it builds on the pupils’ earlier learning. Teachers assess carefully the pupils’ understanding at the start of each unit of work in order to inform their planning. By checking the pupils’ progress at the end they evaluate the impact of their teaching.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers and support staff are trained well to meet the specific needs of pupils they work with. Teachers deploy support staff carefully inside the classroom and when pupils are taught separately in small groups with work designed specifically to meet their learning needs.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers generally challenge the most able pupils well, as shown by increasing numbers working at higher levels. In a Year 5 lesson, for example, the teacher focused attention on a group of more-able pupils, drawing out their ideas and challenging them to think. Their writing became more adventurous and complex as a result. However, this is not consistently the case. At times work is too easy. Their learning also slows when teachers do not make their expectations clear for how pupils can more their learning on when working by themselves or in groups.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school has made considerable progress in improving the teaching of writing. Teachers show the quality of writing they want pupils to imitate and emulate. Pupils practise each section of their work, building it up over time towards an extended piece of writing. They use feedback from teachers and each other to edit and improve their writing. Through this a class of Year 6 pupils made good progress in their understanding of the structure of Tanka poems. As the lesson progressed their poems became increasingly creative through rehearsing their work with each other and responding to their suggestions for improvement.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Well-planned teaching in the Nursery and Reception classes supports the children’s good learning. By assessing the progress of each child carefully, teachers provide teaching and work that is pitched well to meet their individual needs. Adults interact well with the children. They guide their learning by listening to them and asking questions to make them stop and think. However, they do not always pay sufficient attention to developing reading and writing skills. For example, children do not routinely read books for enjoyment or practise writing when working by themselves.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The pupils’ good progress in mathematics is based on regular and frequent opportunities to apply their skills to solving problems and undertaking investigations. This helps to deepen their mathematical understanding and consolidate their skills well. Marking does not always fulfil the headteacher’s aims that teachers clearly indicate the pupils’ next steps to meet their targets.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Expectations of behaviour are high and most pupils accept these as the norm. Pupils play together harmoniously at both break and lunchtimes. Some parents feel that behaviour is not typically good. However, this is not borne out by the pupils’ views and evidence gathered on the inspection.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils of all ages work constructively together, cooperating to complete tasks, supporting each other where necessary and negotiating roles in group situations. The suggestions they give each other when assessing their writing contribute considerably to their good progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils apply for and undertake a wide range of jobs and responsibilities. This prepares them well for skills needed in later life. ‘Learning leaders’ teach short parts of lessons, as seen when two Year 6 pupils led a starter activity in mathematics to the upper ability group. Other roles include organising play activities at lunchtime and helping newcomers settle into their new surroundings.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Governors ensure that staff give the highest priority to safeguarding procedures. Pupils report that they feel safe and that adults care for them well. Pupils learn how to deal with risks and keep themselves safe through training in road safety, cycling proficiency and e-safety.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils take responsibility for sorting out disagreements when friends fall out. They know how to spot bullying but say incidents are rare and dealt with swiftly. Not all parents agree. However, their views are not supported by inspection evidence.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher demonstrates her ambitions for the school and the pupils through the challenging targets she sets and the action taken to ensure they are achieved. She is supported by strong senior leaders and a team of well-trained subject leaders, all of whom contribute significantly to the school’s improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is continually seeking to improve teaching. Individual training for teachers is based on rigorously checking the performance of each teacher and setting targets for their improvement. Through this, teachers improve their practice and new teachers quickly become effective. The individual targets set for teachers only lead to pay rises and promotion if the progress of pupils in their class is at least good.

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The leadership and management are good

 The senior leaders’ careful analysis of assessment data enables them to provide support for pupils who need it to reach their targets. This analysis does not always extend to evaluating the progress of all groups of pupils regularly to spot any emerging patterns. Nursery and Reception data is not analysed sufficiently during the year and leaders are not able to react swiftly if needed and change the emphasis of teachers’ work.

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The leadership and management are good

 Weekly cross-curricular days start with a ‘wow’ lesson which stimulates and motivates the pupils. For example, Year 1 pupils went on a ‘flight’ to introduce their study of Australia. Topics also provide regular opportunities for pupils to develop their writing. Many stimulating visits, visitors and workshops bring learning to life. This includes an ‘Astronomy Roadshow’ for Year 3 pupils to support their topic on ‘The World and beyond’.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils are provided with a wide range of experiences which encourage them to reflect on life, such as when Year 2 considered, ‘How did Francis Drake feel on his long journey?’ Year 6 pupils challenge and justify ideas such as when discussing street art to the question, ‘Is Banksy an artist or a criminal?’

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The leadership and management are good

 The school uses the national primary school sports funding well to increase pupils’ participation in sporting activities, to provide quality physical education lessons and extend the expertise of teachers. Pupils participate successfully in sports competitions and try hard to adopt healthy lifestyles.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body has become more effective and challenging in its work since the school opened as an academy. The governors undertake regular training, including in understanding assessment data. This and their regular visits to school to check on the progress of the improvement plan enable them to ask searching questions of the headteacher. This has included the action being taken to improve writing. Governors are very much aware of the school’s performance, including the quality of teaching and the headteacher’s action to secure its improvement. They are vigilant in ensuring that only good classroom performance is rewarded by salary increases. Governors generally keep a watchful eye on financial matters and plan carefully for the school’s development.

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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 138735 Local authority Thurrock Inspection number 444317

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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 Academy converter Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 416 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sarah Sayers Headteacher Jo Sawtell Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01708 865663 Fax number 01708 869376 Email address admin@kenningtons.thurrock.sch.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 and 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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