Kings Sutton Primary Academy

Kings Sutton Primary Academy Richmond Street, Kings Sutton, Banbury, OX17 3RT

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected as an academy This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 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

 Effective leadership by the headteacher, other school leaders and governors has enabled the school to continually improve. Leaders have ensured good teaching and achievement across the school.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Pupils relish the opportunities they are given to express their views about how the school might be improved.  Pupils are well behaved in lessons and around the school. They look out for one another and help create a real ‘family feel’ throughout the school.  Pupils feel safe in school because school staff do all they can to ensure their safety.  Teaching is good and ensures pupils make good progress as they move through the school. They reach or exceed the levels expected in reading, writing and mathematics when they leave the school at the end of Year 6.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is good, and they make good use of it to develop most pupils’

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

learning well. Specialist teaching is rapidly raising the standards of the most-able Year 6 pupils in mathematics.  Early years provision is good; children make good progress in Reception and are well prepared for Year 1.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Middle ability pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop their reasoning skills, think things through for themselves or solve problems, particularly in mathematics.  Some key staff do not have the time or resources they need to carry out all of their responsibilities fully.  Leaders have not found ways to resolve the concerns of the small number of parents who are dissatisfied with aspects of the school’s work  The management of the school’s finances is sometimes hampered by inadequate equipment. This means that planned improvements in financial systems and procedures are not always implemented in a timely fashion.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed learning in 14 lessons, including all year groups, and in a range of subjects. Most observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.  The inspectors met with: the headteacher; the deputy headteacher; members of the governing body; subject leaders; parents and pupils; and the school’s improvement partner.  The inspectors looked at pupils’ work and heard a group of pupils read.  The inspectors considered documents about the school’s self-evaluation, plans for improvement and arrangements to ensure that pupils are safe.  The inspectors took account of the views expressed by parents in discussions and in 76 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. The inspectors also took account of 16 responses to the questionnaire returned by staff.

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Inspection team

Bob Greatrex, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Children in the Reception class attend full time. Each year group is taught in a separate class.  Most pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is well below the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are looked after by the local authority or known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is well below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  King’s Sutton Primary Academy converted to become an academy on 1 st September 2013. When its predecessor school, King’s Sutton Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted in July 2010, it was judged to

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Information about this school

be good.  King’s Sutton Primary Academy is one of three schools forming the South Northamptonshire Village Schools Multi Academy Trust, the others being Middleton Cheney Primary Academy and Chipping Warden Primary Academy. The headteacher, Chair of the Governing Body and vice chair of governors of each school form the directors of the trust. Most of the powers of the multi academy trust are delegated to the governing body of each individual school. The directors meet at least three times a year. They employ consultants to advise them in areas such as finance.  The South Northamptonshire Village Schools Multi Academy Trust joins with the South Northamptonshire Church Schools Multi Academy Trust and St Mary’s Catholic School to form the South Northamptonshire Local Collaborative Trust. The headteacher, Chair of governors and vice chair of governors of each school form the directors.  An independent pre-school operate on the school site and is inspected separately.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and accelerate pupils’ progress by making sure that:  pupils of middle ability have sufficient opportunities to use their reasoning skills to solve problems, particularly in mathematics, so that they deepen their understanding of the key concepts and techniques they are studying.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by making sure that:  all key staff have the time and resources they need to fulfil their responsibilities efficiently and effectively  the equipment used to support the management of the school’s finances is fit for purpose  planned improvements in financial systems and procedures are implemented in a timely fashion  ways are found to secure the support of all parents, including those who are not satisfied with aspects of the school’s work, and respond to their views.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders have incorporated pupils’ views of the sort of school they want into the school’s ‘ethos’ statement. As a result, pupils feel part of, and share responsibility for, its improvement. Pupils, teachers and leaders have together ensured that King’s Sutton is a place where pupils thrive because their behaviour and the teaching they receive are both good. Consequently, their achievement is good.

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The leadership and management are good

 Staff ensure there is no discrimination and that everyone is respected and treated equally. Pupils enjoy equal access to all the many learning opportunities the school offers. Pupils say school feels like a family.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teaching is good because school leaders manage teachers’ performance well. By conducting regular observations of teaching, leaders are able to link the high quality staff training they provide for individual members of staff directly to the main areas for improvement the school has identified. Both teachers and their assistants benefit as a result.

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The leadership and management are good

 Staff form an effective team. They are very supportive of one another, keen to share ideas and ready to learn from each other. As a result, there is an open, honest and frank climate throughout the school that is wholly focused on raising pupils’ achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leadership is good. In mathematics, for example, the subject leader checks what pupils do in books to see they are making good progress, and to recommend changes if they are not. She has identified reasoning and problem-solving as areas for improvement. Other subject leaders lead their subjects equally well.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leadership of special educational needs is good. The work set for individuals and groups is well matched to pupils’ needs. However, she is not always allocated sufficient time to check that tasks have succeeded in helping pupils make the progress intended, and to alter them if necessary.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s self-evaluation is accurate and identifies the areas needing improvement. Subject leaders particularly take these forward by drawing up and implementing clear, accurate and detailed plans for action in their areas of responsibility.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils experience a good range of learning opportunities. Staff make sensible and relevant links between subjects so that pupils understand how different topics are related. The school makes good use of visits to extend and enhance learning. Music, too, is a strength. However, while some teachers are beginning to develop activities that challenge pupils to use their reasoning skills to think problems through for themselves, these opportunities are not yet sufficiently in place across the school as a whole.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. In particular, pupils are involved fully in the day to day life of the school. Their views are regularly sought so their personal development is good. They learn successfully the rights and responsibilities of citizens in modern British society and develop a good understanding of the values that underpin it. This prepares them well for life in modern Britain.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school uses the pupil premium funding effectively. It has provided extra teaching to support disadvantaged pupils and this is helping to improve their academic progress. Funding is also used to ensure they are able to take part in all the additional visits and activities hosted by the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Primary school sports funding makes a positive contribution to pupils’ physical development and well- being. More pupils are now involved in energetic activities than has been the case in the past. They understand the importance of exercise to health. The specialist coaching the school has arranged has helped improve pupils’ skills and techniques, as well as giving staff guidance for their own teaching.

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The leadership and management are good

 Most parents are positive about the school, with approximately four in every five responding to the online survey by saying they would recommend the school to another parent. However, the school has been unable to find ways to forge positive working relationships with, and instil confidence in, a small proportion of parents, who have concerns about elements of the school’s work.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school benefits from working closely with other schools in the multi academy trust and the local collaborative trust. Teaching has improved because staff work together, sharing ideas and expertise.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils are good; statutory requirements and all procedures are applied consistently by all adults. As a result, pupils feel safe in school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The management of the school’s finances has been hindered by inadequate equipment which makes it difficult for managers to plan and monitor expenditure efficiently. Consequently, improvements in the use of finances do not always happen as quickly as planned. The school is working with other trust schools to resolve this. Plans exist to put in place the recommendations of the most recent audit.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governance is effective; governors use their individual skills and talents, whether in safeguarding, finance or health and safety, to the benefit of the school.  Governors place a heavy emphasis on the need for high quality training. Governors check that their own and staff training is up to date and records, particularly regarding pupil safeguarding, are thorough and complete.  They are very knowledgeable about the work of the school because they regularly view it first hand, and share their thoughts with one another. Governors carefully analyse the information they receive about pupils’ achievement carefully, triangulate this with their own thoughts, and ask searching questions of school leaders.  While governors monitor parents’ satisfaction levels annually, they do not use this information to seek ways to reach the small proportion of parents who register some level of dissatisfaction.

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The leadership and management are good

 Governors have a clear understanding of how staff are managed so that good teaching is rewarded and underperformance tackled. They have a good understanding of the quality of teaching.  Governors monitor finances very carefully and have a good understanding of the positive impact that the spending of additional funds, such as pupil premium and primary schools sports funding, are having on pupils’ achievement.  Governors have a clear vision for the school and are taking the actions necessary to bring that about and secure its long term future. They contribute fully to school development.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They are polite and friendly to each other and to adults. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. Exclusions are rare and correct procedures followed on the very rare occasions when this has been necessary. The vast majority of parents responding to the online survey agreed that behaviour is good.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are keen to learn and particularly enthusiastic when activities interest and challenge them. The most-able Year 6 mathematicians, for example, respond very positively to the harder work they receive.

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Behaviour

 Pupils willingly take on extra responsibilities, such as the opportunity to stand as elected school councillors or to help the youngest children. They take any position given very seriously and do their best. They are proud of the way the school encourages them to make suggestions that lead to meaningful improvements.

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Behaviour

 Pupils enjoy a good range of experiences, such as residential visits for older year groups, which make a valuable contribution to pupils’ academic and personal development. The school works effectively to ensure pupils have a good understanding of their community and their rights and responsibilities within it.

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Behaviour

 Attendance is above average and punctuality good. Pupils arrive in school with a good work ethic and see the importance of education to their future lives.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Staff are meticulous in making sure that pupils are safe while in their care. Nine in every ten parents responding to the online survey agree their children are well looked after at King’s Sutton.

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Safety

 Arrangements to ensure that all adults are thoroughly checked are applied vigorously. Consequently, pupils say they feel safe and secure, and the vast majority of parents agree.

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Safety

 Staff place great importance on pupils’ well-being and on ensuring that they feel happy at school. Staff are very clear that this level of care is essential for pupils to thrive and achieve academically.

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Safety

 Pupils say they are confident staff would quickly resolve the rare instances of bullying. Pupils have a good understanding of the potential dangers of the internet. They understand road safety and know how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. Pupils like being in school, know they are safe and are confident that they can try to answer difficult questions in class without being belittled.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan their teaching, thoroughly, and make clear the steps pupils will need to follow to reach the lesson’s overall objective. Teachers are skilled at recognising when pupils are ready to move on quickly, and when they need a bit more time to practise the skills they are learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading is taught well. Staff have undertaken good training and all use the same methods throughout the school. Consequently, pupils are thoroughly familiar with the techniques teachers use to promote reading skills as they move from year to year.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of writing, including punctuation is effective and improving. As with reading, throughout the school, teachers use identical methods so pupils know what to expect, whoever teaches them. Teachers ensure they know what their pupils have learnt in the previous year and what they need to teach them in preparation for the next. This ensures progress is rapid.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of basic mathematics’ skills is good. It has improved because staff have been given significant amounts of training that they have implemented successfully in their lessons. Teachers’ good subject knowledge now allows them to teach with clarity so pupils’ understanding of key mathematical ideas and techniques is good. However, teachers plan too few opportunities for middle ability pupils to use their reasoning skills to solve problems and extend their understanding of the key ideas and techniques they are using.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Additional adults, such as teaching assistants, make an effective contribution to pupils’ learning. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs benefit significantly from this extra help. Disadvantaged pupils have made more rapid progress since being provided with extra teaching, as have the oldest, most-able mathematicians in Year 6.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers check pupils’ progress regularly and make changes to their planned teaching if any pupils are falling behind. Teachers work closely with other schools in the trust to make sure their assessments are accurate.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ marking is good. It shows pupils what they have done well, where they still need to improve, and helps pupils understand how to bring these improvements about. Pupils say their learning benefits because teachers’ marking is so clear and informative.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils like the new approach to homework, and find the work they are set interesting. They are pleased that they have some choice in what they do and how they present their results. Teachers encourage them to make presentations to other class members, and this promotes their speaking and listening skills well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Across the school, the progress of the vast majority of pupils is good, as shown by the school’s accurate and regular assessments and the evidence gleaned by inspectors in the course of this inspection.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The results of the Year 1 national screening check of phonics (the understanding and application of the sounds made by letters and words) compare favourably with those found nationally. In 2014, nine in every ten pupils reached or exceeded the expected level, which was well above the national figure. This year, school information suggests this proportion will be higher still. Inspection evidence confirms this.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, Year 2 pupils’ results were broadly average. The proportion reaching a higher level improved in writing and mathematics particularly. Leaders’ accurate analysis of the results revealed that boys’ reading comprehension skills were relatively weak. As a result, they made changes to the way reading is taught, and the content of lessons, and boys now achieve as well as girls.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, Year 6 pupils who had been on roll for the last two years or longer, reached levels above the national average. In reading and mathematics, they were about half a term ahead of their peers nationally, and in writing about two terms. Even so, standards in mathematics were lower than they should have been. In addition, standards in grammar, punctuation and spelling were lower than those of their peers nationally. This was because these skills had not, in the past, been developed as methodically throughout the school as they are now. School information and inspection evidence suggests that, this year, standards of spelling, grammar and punctuation are likely to be above average, and match those achieved in reading and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils make good progress. In Year 6, these pupils benefit from extra mathematics lessons with a highly-skilled teacher. School information and inspection evidence suggests a relatively high proportion will reach two levels above the level expected at this age. In the past, the most-able pupils have made slower progress in reading. This year, standards are on track to be above average and progress good.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, the small number of disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 were at broadly similar levels to their peers in school in reading, about half a term behind in mathematics, but three terms behind in writing. When compared with all pupils nationally, they were half a term behind in reading and mathematics, and a term behind in writing. Currently, they make at least the expected rate of progress in all subjects, and a good proportion make better than expected progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The small proportion of disabled pupils, and those with special educational needs, generally do well from their very varied starting points. The extra help they receive is effective; for example, teachers show pupils ways to cope if they are feeling upset, and provide interesting activities so that these pupils quickly learn key skills.

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The early years provision is good

 Children enter the Reception class with knowledge, skills and understanding that are broadly typical for their age. They make good progress and as a result are well prepared for Year 1.

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The early years provision is good

 This year, school information and inspection findings suggest about four in every five children are expected to reach a good level of development. This is because staffing levels are higher and all staff are successfully implementing the insights they have gained from the good quality training the school has provided.

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The early years provision is good

 Staff get to know their children well because transition arrangements and links to home are very effective. As a result, staff are able to ensure that activities are tailored closely to the needs of different groups of children. Those who struggle to make friends are given specific lessons to help them learn and practise these skills. Adults make sure that the most-able children are given harder tasks, and that disabled children and those who have special educational needs receive the extra help they need to catch up.

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The early years provision is good

 Leadership and management are good. There are good levels of staffing and all adults are deployed effectively. Teachers’ assessments are accurate and used effectively to plan future activities so progress is good.

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The early years provision is good

 The children are kept safe at all times. For example, the outside area is thoroughly checked before use each day.

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The early years provision is good

 Behaviour is good. The children are respectful of adults, other children and the school. They quickly learn to play together constructively and readily co-operate with each other in shared activities.

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The early years provision is good

 Teaching is good. Teachers plan a good range of imaginative and interesting activities, and ensure there is a good balance between those they direct and activities children pursue for themselves. This means children are enthusiastic and interested in their work and want to take part in all activities. Provision in the outside area is attractive and supports children’s learning well.

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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 139857 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 450371

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 170 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Michael MacDonald Headteacher Nick Peters Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01295 811289 Fax number 01295 811289 Email address bursar@kingssutton.northants-ecl.gov.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . 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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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