Kensington Avenue Primary School

Kensington Avenue Primary School Kensington Avenue, Thornton Heath, CR7 8BT

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Require improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Early years provision Good 2

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

 Leaders and governors have taken some effective action to make sure that teaching is improving. However, inconsistencies remain preventing all pupils from making good progress over time in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teachers’ expectations of pupils are sometimes not high enough. Not all teachers regularly challenge poor presentation or promote positive behaviours for learning.  Teachers do not always make good use of information about what pupils know and can do to plan work that is challenging enough, especially for the most able.  The guidance teachers give pupils is not always helpful. Where it is, pupils do not always respond regularly.  Disadvantaged pupils who are entitled to extra government funding do not make good enough progress.  Where teaching does not meet pupils’ needs, they lose focus and their behaviour deteriorates.  Leaders’ self-evaluation is not accurate in all areas and they do not always check that their plans are

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

consistently implemented.  A very small minority of staff are unclear about how a few aspects of child protection procedures would pan out in practice, but all know which other staff to turn to if they need advice.

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The school has the following strengths

 Early years provision has improved and is now good. Children make a typically positive start to their education.  Pupils make good progress in the specialist unit, which is calm and conducive to learning.  The premises are safe and secure. Staff make very careful checks on any adults visiting the school.  Teaching standards are starting to improve as a result of the new headteacher’s more regular checks on performance.  The primary sports funding has been used well to improve fitness levels and motivate pupils.  The school is an inclusive community where everyone is valued.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well.  The curriculum is broad and balanced. Topics engage and interest pupils, deepening their understanding and knowledge.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 33 lessons or parts of lessons both in the school and the specialist unit. They listened to pupils reading and looked carefully at the pupils’ work in lessons as well as work completed in books.  Inspectors took account of the 10 responses to the online questionnaire ‘Parent View’ as well as the views of parents spoken to before school on both days of the inspection. They also looked at 34 questionnaires completed by staff.  Inspectors held meetings with pupils, staff, four members of the governing body, including the Chair and a representative from the local authority.  The inspection team looked at a range of documents. These included those relating to safeguarding, child protection and behaviour, attendance figures, and information about pupils’ academic performance. Inspectors also looked at the school’s own checks on the quality of teaching and the school’s self- evaluation and development planning.

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Inspection team

Jeanie Jovanova, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Kensington Avenue Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils eligible for free school meals or who are looked after) is higher than national average. The school serves a diverse community and most pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds, with 16 different groups represented in varying proportions.  A far higher proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language than is the case in most schools. A number of these start school at the very early stages of learning English.  Far more pupils join the school at times other than the beginning of the Reception Year than is usual.  The early years provision consists of three reception classes, which children attend full-time, and one

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Information about this school

nursery class, which children attend part-time.  There is a specialist unit attached to the school for pupils with autistic spectrum disorders. There are currently 13 pupils on roll.  The school shares a site with a children’s centre, which is managed by the school’s governing body.  There have been considerable changes to staffing since the previous inspection. The headteacher was appointed in September 2014. The two deputy headteacher roles and the assistant headteacher role are currently being covered by members of staff on a temporary basis. There are seven teachers in the first year of their careers who all joined the school in September 2014. There have also been significant changes in the governing body.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, 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 the quality of teaching in order to raise pupils’ achievement and promote positive behaviours for learning by ensuring that:  teachers have high expectations of what all pupils can achieve  lessons are based on information about what pupils already know and can do so that they provide challenge for pupils from all starting points, especially the most able  pupils are given accurate guidance as to how to improve their work, which they respond to regularly.  Improve leadership and management by ensuring that:  self-evaluation is rigorous and produces effective plans that are consistently implemented  governors provide a good level of challenge to school leaders to support them to make rapid improvements to the quality of teaching  leaders at all levels systematically monitor the impact of their actions on teaching, achievement, behaviour and safety as well as on the use of the pupil premium funding

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 ensure that the very small proportion of staff who are not entirely clear about aspects of child protection are given further guidance.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Leadership and management requires improvement

 Actions taken by leaders and managers, including governors, since the previous inspection have not been effective in consistently improving teaching and achievement. There have been some improvements, however, since the previous inspection, notably in the early years provision. This has not yet resulted in pupils making consistently good progress in all year groups,  The more regular checks which senior and middle leaders have recently made on teaching and learning are not embedded sufficiently enough to bring about rapid improvement. For example, leaders have looked at the quality of marking and given teachers feedback, yet not all teachers are following the policy, and marking does not promote consistently good progress in all classes.  The new headteacher has introduced a far more rigorous procedure for managing teachers’ performance. She has linked her system to national standards and has set demanding targets based on improving

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Leadership and management requires improvement

pupils’ progress and attainment. This has had a positive impact on teaching standards, which are improving more quickly. The new leadership team is well aware of remaining inconsistencies. Teachers’ performance is effectively linked to levels of pay.  Middle leaders lead their subjects well, for example, making sure that there are strong links across the curriculum through stronger teamwork. However, they do not always effectively analyse the impact of their actions on pupils’ achievement. The school, however, supports new teachers very well, giving them confidence to plan and teach successfully.  The pupil premium is not used as effectively as it could be. Consequently, the achievement of eligible pupils mirrors that of others in school in that it is not consistently good enough.  Safeguarding procedures meet statutory requirements and most elements are effective. Leaders have made sure that the site is secure and that a high number of staff hold relevant first aid qualifications. The

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Leadership and management requires improvement

system for checking staff and visitors’ suitability for being in contact with children is robust. Teachers have all had training on safeguarding and child protection. A very small minority of staff have not fully understood what this means in practice. However, because they are very clear who to turn to for advice and guidance pupils’ safety is not compromised  There is a highly inclusive ethos in the school. Everyone is valued, no matter what their background, and differences are celebrated in an atmosphere of tolerance and respect. This helps to foster positive relationships and tackle discrimination. Pupils expressed these views very clearly in discussions with inspectors.  The school’s commitment to equal opportunities is reflected in many ways, including the innovative use of bilingual pupils to support and welcome those joining the school with little or no English.  The curriculum is broad and varied, with strong links across a full range of subjects including music,

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Leadership and management requires improvement

humanities and the arts alongside mathematics, science, computing and English. These links deepen pupils’ understanding of key themes and ensure they have purposeful reasons to practise key skills.  British values are carefully threaded throughout the curriculum. The school council is elected, which gives pupils a good idea of democracy in practice. Pupils learn about what it takes to be a good citizen. There is a strong focus on celebrating diversity. All this prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.  The sports funding is being used well to improve the quality of teaching of physical education and ensure all pupils access activities on a regular basis. The impact of this work is carefully measured. The staff responsible therefore know that there is greater participation of pupils across the school and the unit and physical well-being is improving.  Leaders have been successful in improving attendance and early years provision since the previous

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Leadership and management requires improvement

inspection. They have also made judicious decisions about where to deploy key staff. The new head of early years is an exceptional practitioner who continues to strengthen provision in the reception and nursery classes. The previous head of early years moved to Year 1, which is rapidly improving all elements of practice there. This has ensured that children are getting a very positive start to their schooling.  The leadership and management of the specialist unit and of the early years provision are good because leaders have clear expectations and ensure provision is consistently good so pupils achieve well.  The local authority is supporting the new headteacher well because they understand that the school requires improvement. The advisor linked to the school conducted a review of teaching and learning at the beginning of September. This provided school leaders with useful recommendations which they have

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Leadership and management requires improvement

begun to act upon. As a result, standards are rising.  The governance of the school:  The new governors have valuable skills to offer the school and are benefitting from useful training from the local authority. However, they are at the early stages of developing the knowledge and understanding needed to ensure improvement. The Chair of the Governing Body is very clear that the school requires improvement. He understands that the quality of teaching is not good enough to ensure pupils make consistently good progress across the school and has commissioned support for the new leadership team in order to begin to tackle this. However, over time, governance has not been effective in holding leaders to account for improving achievement or the quality of teaching. The new governing body know that leaders are now setting much more stringent targets for teachers to meet so that standards are improving but do not challenge the school to justify these appropriately. For instance,

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Leadership and management requires improvement

governors are aware that teachers’ pay rises are dependent on meeting those targets but do not question teaching standards rigorously.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  On occasion, the behaviour of a small minority of pupils in lessons is not conducive to learning. Where teaching fails to engage their interests, these few begin to lose concentration. This slows their progress.  Most pupils show positive attitudes to learning. However, there is a small minority who do not always do so. This is reflected in the poor presentation of work in their books, which is not consistently drawn to their attention by teachers.  Procedures for recording minor incidents are not systematic. Leaders are not able to analyse incidents effectively enough to identify any trends or patterns and plan for improvement.  A few parents expressed concerns about behaviour, some of which were borne out by evidence gathered by inspectors. For example, these parents were concerned about playtimes, and pupils said that play was occasionally too boisterous.

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Behaviour

 The great majority of pupils, however, behave well in and around the school and are courteous and respectful.  Pupils are very positive about the ethos of the school and say children all respect each other and staff look after them well. They speak highly of the way older pupils look after younger ones by, for example, ensuring they all have someone to play with.  The school’s work to help pupils who have particular behaviour needs is effective. This has helped ensure the number of exclusions remains low.  Leaders have been successful in improving attendance so that it is close to the national average.  Behaviour in the unit and the early years provision is good because expectations are high, routines are well established and rules are clear.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure requires improvement because, despite regular training, a very small number of staff are not completely clear about how to deal with child protection issues without having to refer to the guidance. However, they are aware of which staff to turn to for support. .  Parents who spoke with inspectors are happy with the school, and almost all those who completed the online survey agreed that their children feel safe in school.  The majority of pupils say that there is no bullying in school because everyone gets on very well. They have a clear understanding of what constitutes bullying, including that it can happen on the internet and with mobile phones.  The premises are kept safe and secure. All visitors are carefully vetted before being allowed into the school and the system for recording the relevant checks on staff’s backgrounds is exceptionally robust.

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Safety

 The vast majority of pupils say they feel safe in school. All the pupils who spoke with inspectors say that the school helps them to know how to stay safe. They know, for example, not to speak to strangers and never to give out personal details online.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is not consistently good enough to ensure pupils achieve well in all year groups. Some teachers’ expectations are too low. For example, they do not always correct spelling errors and accept work that is poorly presented.  Teachers do not always effectively use information about what pupils know and can do to plan work that sufficiently challenges pupils from different starting points, especially the most able. This means tasks in lessons are sometimes too easy so pupils’ progress slows and their attention wanders.  The quality of the marking of pupils’ work is variable. While teachers do give guidance, for example in the form of comments in books, they do not always follow it through to ensure it has the desired effect of helping pupils improve their work.  Pupils have positive attitudes to reading and appreciate the range of new books they have access to. They are confident with the strategies they use when tackling unknown words but do not always choose books

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

that challenge them.  The most experienced, effective teachers are increasingly supporting those less confident and those new to the profession to develop their practice.  Pupils are confident with using technical vocabulary because teachers introduce and explain new words clearly, for example, words such as ‘ratio’ and ‘proportion’ in mathematics. The school identifies bilingual pupils so that they can help any new arrivals who speak the same language as them. This really supports children new to English.  Strong links across the curriculum mean that pupils can use what they have learnt in one subject to practise skills in another. For example, Year 6 are currently writing reports about natural disasters. Their reports are accurate and highly detailed because they have studied the causes and effects of floods, earthquakes and volcanoes in great detail in their topic lessons.

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requires improvement

 Pupils do not make sufficiently good progress in every year group in reading, writing and mathematics to raise standards quickly throughout the whole school. In some groups there is good progress, but this is inconsistent across the school.  The achievement of those for whom the school receives the pupil premium requires improvement. This is because their progress is not consistently good. Despite some evidence of improvement, gaps are not being closed quickly enough. At the end of 2014, there was a gap of nearly two terms between them and other pupils in school in mathematics, and just over a term and a half in reading. The gap in writing was much wider at over three terms. When measured against other pupils nationally, the gap in mathematics in 2014 was two terms and in reading and writing was two and a half.  The achievement of the most able is variable. The proportion of pupils reaching the highest levels in

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requires improvement

national tests at the end of Key Stage 1 fell in all subjects in 2014. In Key Stage 2 tests, the proportion reaching the higher Level 5 in mathematics rose by over 10% but in reading has been below the national average for two years.  The achievement of different groups is inconsistent. Pupils in some groups achieve well to reach higher- than-average standards each year but the attainment and progress of other groups vary from year to year. Pupils, however, achieved very well in the national end of year 6 grammar tests in 2014, showing great improvements on the previous year at all levels.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language achieve well. Those who arrive at an early stage of learning English make rapid progress because their language needs are well met by a specialist teacher and because vocabulary is a key focus in class.  Pupils in the specialist unit achieve well because staff clearly understand what they need in order to make

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requires improvement

progress in their learning. Work is carefully planned to meet individual needs which ensures that pupils are engaged with their learning and behave well in lessons.  Children achieve well in the early years provision and Year 1 staff are now building securely on this good start.

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is good

 Many children join the early years provision with limited skills in communication, language, reading and writing. Children make good progress because staff provide excellent resources and activities to meet their needs.  Teaching is good so increasing proportions of children leave the early years provision with the skills they need to access learning in Year 1 and beyond.  All staff have high expectations. They encourage children to communicate clearly and expect children from all starting points to develop the ability to hold a pencil properly and begin to form letters correctly from very early on.  Staff are alert to any children who show signs of falling behind and quickly put measures in place to give whatever extra support will help them catch up with their peers.  Behaviour is good. Children are able to follow routines well because adults make their high expectations absolutely clear and messages are consistently reinforced. They show high levels of engagement in their

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is good

learning and concentrate well on tasks.  Children are kept exceptionally safe in the early years because staff conduct rigorous risk assessments to ensure that all aspects of the provision are fit for purpose. Children are taught about risks and how to minimise them. They listen carefully and follow staff’s instructions, making good progress in the physical and social skills needed to keep everyone safe in an educational setting.  Leadership and management of the early years provision are good. Leaders make sure that all staff consistently reinforce expectations and that routines are adhered to across all classes. Staff work well together as a team to share ideas and resources, which ensures they meet the needs of children from all starting points equally well.  Parents speak very highly of the early years provision. Communication with parents is effective and home and school work closely together to provide the best possible opportunities for children to develop their

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is good

skills and interests as well as positive attitudes to learning.  The early years provision is not outstanding because, despite notable improvements in their rate of progress this year, more able children are not yet making the same rapid progress as their peers from other starting points over time.

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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 134475 Local authority Croydon Inspection number 448868

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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 650 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kevin Smith Headteacher Clare Cranham Date of previous school inspection 15–16 July 2010 Telephone number 020 8764 2923 Fax number 020 8679 4880 Email address office@kaps.croydon.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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