Kingswood Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Miss Emma Hickling Executive Headteacher Kingswood Primary School Cayser Drive Kingswood Maidstone Kent ME17 3QF

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Short inspection of Kingswood Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 16 March 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in May 2013.

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Short inspection of Kingswood Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Much has changed since the last inspection. You now provide successful executive leadership across a collaboration with two other primary schools. Your three schools formally federate on 1 April 2017. At Kingswood you are well supported by the head of school whose presence in the school and relationships with pupils and families are valued.

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Short inspection of Kingswood Primary School

You have both improved outcomes for pupils beyond this school, while maintaining the strengths identified at Kingswood during the last inspection. In 2013, inspectors identified improving outcomes at the end of key stage 1 and key stage 2. Standards at the end of key stage 2 rose in 2014 and 2015 in all subjects. In 2016, Year 6 pupils made similar progress to other pupils nationally from their end of Year 2 starting points in reading, writing and mathematics. For the last three years, pupils have achieved well at the end of Year 2.

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Short inspection of Kingswood Primary School

Kingswood is a peaceful and nurturing school. Almost all pupils behave well. Lunchtimes and breaktimes are calm and purposeful. Pupils take great pride in their work and their school environment.

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Short inspection of Kingswood Primary School

At the time of the last inspection you were asked to ensure that the pupils who need to catch up make good progress. You have done this. In 2016, the pupils with the lowest key stage 1 starting points made good progress in reading and mathematics and very good progress in their writing at the end of key stage 2.

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Short inspection of Kingswood Primary School

You and the head of school have a very clear understanding of what the school does well and what could be even better. You have identified that pupils require even more opportunities to develop their problem-solving and reasoning skills in mathematics.

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Short inspection of Kingswood Primary School

The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Staff record any concerns they have about pupils’ well-being effectively. Leaders log their actions and communication with outside agencies diligently. Leaders identify and assess risk meticulously, including when working with pupils who cannot and do not always control their own behaviours.

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Short inspection of Kingswood Primary School

Senior leaders and governors have invested in improving the security of the school site. Governors monitor the systems intended to keep pupils safe. Pupils say they feel safe and that they have trusted adults in school. Almost all parents and staff feel that pupils are safe.

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Inspection findings

 During this inspection I looked at: how well you support the personal development and welfare of vulnerable pupils; pupils’ attendance; the progress that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make in key stage 1 and key stage 2; and the progress that the most able children make in the early years.  Leaders have created an inclusive school. Leaders also have a clear and unwavering commitment to the well-being of staff and all pupils. Rates of fixed- term exclusions and incidents of serious, poor behaviour are declining. Pupils say that most pupils behave very well and that adults deal effectively with unwanted behaviour.  Vulnerable pupils receive a wide range of effective support. Staff know pupils very well and work closely with families. Leaders work effectively with a wide range of external agencies.  At the time of the last inspection leaders were asked to reduce the number of

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Inspection findings

unnecessary pupil absences. Leaders have done this. The attendance level of all pupils improved in 2016. This improvement has been sustained and built on this year. Leaders have significantly reduced the amount of holidays that families take during term time. Recent initiatives have led to more Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities coming to school regularly. However, not enough disadvantaged pupils come to school regularly.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those who are working at significantly lower levels than their peers, make good progress. Individual plans have small steps of progress clearly identified and draw effectively on the specialist advice that others provide. Staff provide pupils with good strategies to manage the things they can find difficult. For example, breaking activities down into a clear sequence of logical steps that pupils can

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Inspection findings

refer to, or visual prompts for when routines will change. In key stage 1 mathematics, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities do not get enough opportunities to develop their mathematical reasoning.  The most able children in the early years make good progress. Parents are overwhelming supportive of the start that their children get at Kingswood. As one parent stated: ‘My daughter started in September 2016. I am amazed at her development in such a short space of time.’  Reception children access a broad, balanced and rich curriculum. Children are given meaningful ways to use and apply what they have been taught, such as in the role play areas. Adults have developed in children a ‘can-do’ approach to writing. As a result, the most able children make brave and successful attempts to tackle long and complex words within their sentences. Adults’ planned mathematical experiences do not always give children good problem-solving

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 a greater proportion of disadvantaged pupils come to school more regularly  pupils in key stage 1 and the early years are given greater opportunities to solve mathematical problems and develop their reasoning skills.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Kent. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

I met with you, senior leaders and governors to review your evaluation of the school’s effectiveness. I accompanied senior leaders to classes in all three key stages. We evaluated a range of work in pupils’ books. I met a representative of the local authority. I spoke extensively to pupils around the school, including at breaktime and lunchtime. I looked at 99 pupil questionnaires. I looked at 30 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and 18 staff survey returns. I checked the effectiveness of your safeguarding arrangements, including those related to recruitment.

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