Kingshill Church School

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Kingshill Church School is a good, and rapidly improving, school where the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and their academic progress are promoted equally successfully.  Leadership is outstanding. Inspired by the headteacher, leaders and managers at the school have worked very effectively to create a vibrant and successful learning community.  Leaders and managers at all levels, including governors, function as a highly effective team and have taken decisive action to establish good teaching and pupils’ learning across the school.  Pupils of all abilities achieve well from their differing starting points, with an increasing number making rapid progress in response to stimulating teaching.  Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics in all classes. Sharply focused additional teaching, particularly of phonics (the sounds that letters make) and of reading, is promoting even better progress.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. Pupils share excellent relationships with each other and with adults and enjoy coming to school.  The pupils’ much improved and now excellent attitudes to learning strongly support their quickening progress.  The school’s work in keeping pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Inspection evidence and the views of all parents who spoke to the inspector, or responded in the questionnaire, show that pupils are looked after extremely well at school.  Teaching is now typically good, with some that is outstanding. Teachers have high expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving and set high levels of challenge in tasks and activities. This is accelerating pupils’ progress, especially that of the most able.  The quality of early years provision is good. Children in the Reception class are taught well and make good progress as a result.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils are not always given enough guidance on how to respond to teachers’ marking and this limits the pace of their progress.  A few pupils, mostly the less able, have a limited vocabulary or have difficulty in recalling number facts quickly enough. These weaknesses restrict their ability to write more imaginatively and solve mathematical problems.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed pupils’ learning during 12 lessons. The inspector was accompanied by the headteacher for most of these observations. Teachers and teaching assistants were observed working with individual pupils and small groups. The inspector talked to pupils about their work and heard individual pupils from Years 1 and 2 read.  A meeting was held with pupil representatives on the school council. The inspector observed pupils and spoke with them during break times. He also observed two assemblies.  The inspector met with a group of governors representing the school and the academy trust.  Meetings were held with school staff, mainly senior and middle leaders.  The inspector took account of the views expressed in the 46 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, and informal meetings with parents at the school during the inspection. Questionnaires from 15 members of staff were analysed.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector examined the full range of the school’s work, including teaching, learning, safeguarding and leadership, and looked at a number of documents. These included the school’s own information about pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching and learning.  The inspector consulted records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance. He checked the school’s safeguarding policy, procedures and practice. He also looked at samples of pupils’ work across a range of subjects and classes.  The inspector considered the school’s primary sport funding action plan.  The inspector also examined the school’s work in updating procedures for checking pupils’ progress within the new National Curriculum.

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Inspection team

Alexander Baxter, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Kingshill Church School converted to become an academy school on 1 April 2013. When its predecessor school, Kingshill Church of England Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be a school causing concern and was placed in special measures.  The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils attending the school are of White British heritage.  Close to one in four of the pupils in the school is disabled or has special educational needs. This proportion is above average and is sometimes higher within the small year groups of pupils.  About one in three of the pupils in the school are supported by the pupil premium. This is additional government funding provided to give extra support to disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or those who are looked after. This proportion of disadvantaged pupils in the school is above average.  Children in the early years provision are admitted on a full-time basis and are accommodated in a

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Information about this school

combined Reception and Year 1 class. Other pupils in the school are also taught within mixed age classes.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The school is a member of the Bath and Wells Multi-Academy Trust. The academy trust contains in total nine primary schools.  The school has experienced changes in teaching and leadership staff since becoming an academy.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the overall quality of teaching to outstanding by:  strengthening the focus on extending pupils’ vocabulary to enrich their writing, and on developing pupils’ quick recall of number facts to raise their problem solving skills in mathematics, especially for the less able pupils  providing more guidance to pupils on to how respond to teachers’ marking.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher, very effectively supported by skilled leaders across the academy, has maintained an inspiring vision for improvement during a period of rapid change.  School leaders have been boosted by the headteacher’s empowering work in establishing a strong team approach to leadership. Consequently, the high level of staff morale, including leaders, which is evident in their eagerness and ability to explain their leadership roles, confirms their full commitment to the drive to raise standards.  The school’s leaders, including governors, have established clear responsibilities at all levels of leadership. Senior and middle leaders now understand what is required of them and that they will be held to account for how well the school is doing. They work exceptionally well together to improve all aspects of the school’s work. This has been a major tool for improvement within the school.  School and academy governors manage the performance of the headteacher very effectively. Governors

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The leadership and management are outstanding

also support the headteacher in ensuring that other teachers’ progression along pay scales is rigorously focused on improving pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching.  The impact of outstanding leadership is clearly evident in the way all staff work with a common aim to sustain a culture where pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are promoted with equal success alongside their academic progress. Leaders are highly proficient in checking how teaching impacts on pupils’ learning. This has brought rapid improvement in the quality of teaching and in pupils’ contributions to learning. These aspects, now enriched by strengthened links with parents and raised expectations of what pupils can and should achieve, are quickening pupils’ progress. As a result, the school demonstrates a secure capacity to improve into the future.  Leaders ensure that safeguarding of pupils is given the highest priority and fully meets statutory

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The leadership and management are outstanding

requirements. Staff checks are completed in an exemplary manner. All adults manage pupils’ behaviour skilfully and nurture very supportive relationships with the pupils.  All staff work diligently to sustain equal opportunity for all pupils and to ensure pupils’ freedom from discrimination. All pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, also benefit from equally high levels of adult care and attention.  Additional funding is used effectively to raise the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. They make good progress, similar to their classmates, because of the extra adult help they are given to improve basic literacy, numeracy and reading skills.  The school uses the new sport funding very effectively to provide a wider range of activities for pupils and to raise their skills, health and well-being. Specialist coaches are employed to raise teachers’ skills and to enrich the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning, for example in rugby and gymnastics. A notable impact

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The leadership and management are outstanding

has been the increased opportunities now offered to the pupils in competitive sports. As a result, more pupils are taking part in sports; for example, the number of pupils participating in after-school clubs has increased from 30% to 49% over the past year.  The school’s curriculum is well planned, broad and balanced. It places a strong emphasis on extending the pupils’ reading, literacy and numeracy skills. Staff encourage learning across a range of carefully-chosen topics that promote the pupils’ moral and social development very effectively. For example, pupils investigate the ancient civilisations of Greece and Rome and contrast them with life now in Nailsea.  Harmonious singing in assemblies, which often include thought provoking themes, such as The Holocaust, strongly develop the pupils’ spiritual and cultural understanding. There is a strong emphasis on British values which results in pupils developing tolerance and respect for different faiths and cultures. Displays of

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The leadership and management are outstanding

world faiths and a close link with a school located in a culturally diverse community in Bristol further extend pupils’ awareness and readiness for life in modern Britain.  The governance of the school:  The governing body, strengthened by representatives from the academy trust and by new members, challenges and supports the headteacher extremely well. Governors operate as a team and organise their work efficiently to make full use of the increased expertise available across the academy trust. They are sharply focused on bringing about improvement, share a strong sense of direction and rigorously hold staff leaders to account. In recent years governors have also enriched their skills by taking part in training and this helps them to fully meet their statutory obligations. As a result, for example, procedures for safeguarding pupils are of the highest quality. Governors receive detailed up- to-date information about school performance from senior and middle leaders alike. Governors also visit

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The leadership and management are outstanding

the school regularly to see and check the work of the school for themselves. As a result, they gather an accurate view of how the quality of teaching promotes pupils’ progress. This enables governors to identify accurately the right priorities for improvement. They know, for example, that pupils’ achievements increasingly compare well with those of pupils in similar schools nationally. Governors work closely with the headteacher to make sure that any underperformance by staff and underachievement by pupils are quickly tackled and rectified. They ensure that additional funds, such as the pupil premium and the primary sport funding, are used effectively to raise pupils’ achievements.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. They have exceptionally positive attitudes to learning and take great pride in their work.  Pupils’ eager contributions and respect for each other’s views in lessons reflect their great enjoyment of school and underpin their good, and rapidly improving, progress.  Pupils show consideration to other pupils, to adults who work in the school and to visitors. They say, ‘Our school is an amazing, friendly community where everyone knows and cares about each other.’ As a result, pupils love school and attendance is above average.  The parents who spoke to the inspector and most who responded in the questionnaire expressed very positive views about pupils’ behaviour. Pupils on the school council also agreed that behaviour is very good. Pupils say that there is no bullying and, as one pupil commented, ‘We have lots of friends.’  Older pupils also make very supportive contributions to each other’s well-being and fun during break times

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Behaviour

and breakfast and after-school clubs. For example, sport and play leaders organise activities at lunch time and older pupils skilfully teach younger pupils how to create objects during the Loom Band Club.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  All staff implement the school’s safeguarding policies very effectively. They share them with pupils to develop their understanding and enable them to make safe choices.  Pupils say they feel very safe at school. A member of the school council stated, ‘We are safe because we follow clear rules and can always be close to or be seen by adults who work hard to keep us safe.’  School records show very few incidents of poor behaviour and none involving racism or bullying. In discussions with pupils, parents and carers, all agreed that if an incident did occur then the teachers would ‘act quickly to sort it out’, showing total confidence in the school’s clear systems and procedures.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good because it promotes pupils’ consistently good progress through the school.  The quality of teaching has improved at an impressive rate since the school became an academy and reflects the rigour of leadership in raising expectations of what pupils should and can achieve. Teachers now set challenging tasks for pupils and this is having a very positive impact on pupils’ progress.  The additional and skilled adult support given to disadvantaged pupils, as well as to disabled pupils and those with special educational needs contributes well to the pupils’ rapidly increasing progress.  Some aspects of teaching are outstanding, especially the way teachers are setting challenges and empowering pupils to find things out for themselves and help each other to learn. As a result, most pupils are confident learners and appreciate the way all adults establish good relationships with them.  Pupils readily respond to teachers’ questions and express their ideas openly to the class or with their

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The quality of teaching is good

partners in the knowledge that their ideas will be valued. For example, during a mathematics lesson in Years 5 and 6, pupils spontaneously applauded a pupil’s hypothesis for locating coordinates.  Teachers and teaching assistants cooperate effectively. They share observations about how well pupils are doing in lessons, making adjustments when necessary to sustain pupils’ interest. For example, the teachers in Years 1 and 2 responded to the pupils’ enthusiasm during a previous Ribbon Dancing Assembly and used this effectively as a topic to stimulate their writing.  Effective teaching of reading skills, especially of phonics, ensures that pupils make at least good progress. Teachers extend pupils’ knowledge of the meanings of technical terms when questioning pupils or leading discussions during English and mathematics lessons. This is helping to raise the quality of pupils’ writing and their ability to solve mathematical problems.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good learning arises from pupils having to think about the range of challenges and investigations presented to them by the teachers. For example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 sustained good concentration and learned well by working out how to place pictures of major historical events in chronological order.  Encouraged by adults, pupils develop their speaking skills and depth of understanding well by explaining their ideas to the class and to each other. This is having a positive effect in bridging gaps in previous learning. However, a few of the less able pupils still lack the wider vocabulary needed to write more imaginatively and the secure knowledge of number facts required for problem solving. Staff are now beginning to tackle this issue by setting work specifically to build these skills.  Homework makes a positive contribution to pupils’ achievement. Pupils and their parents particularly appreciate the tasks that are focused on class topics and build on the learning that takes place in lessons.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is effective and adds to their good progress. Teachers correct pupils’ work accurately and give them regular oral and written guidance about where improvement is needed. However, at times, pupils are not given enough information about how to respond and make this improvement and this limits their ability to make even faster progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement is good because pupils make at least good progress from their differing starting points. A rapidly increasing number of pupils demonstrate impressive levels of skill for their age in reading, writing and mathematics.  Standards in national and school assessments at the end of Years 2 and 6 show that pupils make at least good progress. Recent school checks of pupils’ developing skills and observations of pupils’ responses in lessons and work in books reflect rapid improvement in their progress.  In particular, an increasing number of the most able pupils are making accelerated progress. This is because they are enthused by the teachers’ raised expectations and challenge. For example, during a mathematics lesson in Years 5 and 6, the most able pupils showed high levels of skill in locating positive and negative coordinates on a grid.  A few of the less able pupils struggle at times in expressing their ideas fully in their writing and when

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The achievement of pupils is good

tackling problem solving in mathematics. Although improving, their vocabulary and ability to confidently recall basic number facts are not sufficiently developed.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make consistently good progress. Their understanding of what is being taught is checked at an early stage and enables teachers to provide the right extra support in and outside of lessons.  Disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium funding benefit from well-organised and effective additional adult support. Consequently, they make as much progress as other pupils. The gaps between their attainment and that of other pupils are closing rapidly.  School checks of the attainment of disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 show that they are attaining at a similar level to their classmates in reading, writing and mathematics. When compared to non-disadvantaged pupils nationally, they are a term behind in writing and mathematics, but are reaching similar standards in

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The achievement of pupils is good

reading. This represents a substantial improvement in comparison with Year 6 national test results in 2014 when the gaps were four times greater than they are now.  Pupils read enthusiastically and regularly at school and increasingly at home. Pupils enjoy books, talk confidently about story characters and make good use of the school library and computers to read for pleasure and to investigate topics.

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is good

 Early years provision for children in the combined Reception and Year 1 class is well led. Senior school leaders ensure that stimulating learning resources are used effectively to sustain children’s good achievement.  All staff implement the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures highly effectively. As a result, the children are kept very safe and secure and are extremely well cared for.  Children begin their Reception year with skills that are close to those typical for their age, but speaking and listening skills are usually weaker than other areas of learning. They settle quickly and respond well to the teacher’s high expectations of good behaviour and considerate relationships.  The adults’ effective management of the children’s behaviour, for example during phonics sessions, sustains their attention and significantly improves their readiness and ability to learn well.  Teaching and the additional support provided by the teaching assistant are of good quality and ensure

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is good

that children make at least good progress across the areas of learning. As a result, by the time children leave Reception and move on into Year 1 almost three quarters of the children achieve a good level of development. This is above the national average and shows that children are well prepared for their future education in Key Stage 1.  Adults provide an effective balance of adult-led and supported learning experiences alongside a range of captivating opportunities for children to choose activities for themselves. For example, children play and learn meaningfully in the ‘Dinosaur Jungle’ and develop their speaking, listening and social skills well by sharing their ideas.  Adult-led learning is also equally stimulating, for example during ‘Funky Fingers’ activities. Children were observed joyfully threading beads on spaghetti strips and clipping elastic bands over cones to help develop the skills needed to hold a pencil correctly when writing.

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is good

 The characteristics of effective learning are well established. Children are encouraged to think about their work and to record their ideas on clipboards, for example when using construction toys outdoors.  Children respond well to adult questioning and become deeply focused on their learning, for example when creating patterns and counting shapes. Discussions between adults and children and between the children themselves also help children to appreciate each other’s ideas and to become self-confident learners.  Adults observe and support children effectively in their learning. They keep detailed records of the children’s progress and share ideas about what children need to do to extend their learning.  The early years provision is not outstanding because staff do not record frequently enough the next steps that children need to take in order to make excellent progress. As a result, staff and parents do not always

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is good

have clear enough information about how to help children make more rapid progress.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 139205 Local authority North Somerset Inspection number 449904

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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 sponsor-led Age range of pupils 4 − 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 126 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrew Owen Headteacher Jan Thomson Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01275852720 Email address office@kingshillbwmat.org 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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