Kingsley Primary School

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

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Ms Susan Lane Headteacher Kingsley Primary School Wallace Road Northampton Northamptonshire NN2 7EE

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Short inspection of Kingsley Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 10 October 2018, 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 October 2013.

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Short inspection of Kingsley Primary School

Based on the evidence gathered during this short inspection, I have identified some priorities for improvement which I advise the school to address. In light of these priorities, the school’s next inspection will be a full section 5 inspection. There is

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Since the last inspection the school has grown to become a two-form entry school and there has been a substantial increase in staffing. During this time, attainment in the early years and key stage 1 has risen. Pupils’ attainment at these key stages is consistently at least in line with national averages, and sometimes above. At key stage 2, provisional information suggests that in 2018 pupils’ attainment was close to or in line with the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. However, this does not represent good progress from these pupils’ starting points at the end of key stage 1. Teachers have not used information about pupils’ starting points to plan learning well enough. Leaders have not tracked the progress of pupils in key stage 2 carefully enough. They have not intervened to ensure that pupils made secure progress in key stage 2.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

At the last inspection, leaders were asked to improve the attendance of pupils. You now monitor attendance closely and there are clear procedures that are followed when a pupil is absent from school. The family support worker works closely to support the parents of vulnerable pupils so that parents fully understand their role in ensuring that their children attend school each day. As a result, attendance has risen. The proportion of pupils who are persistently absent from school is below the national average. You were also asked to increase the proportion of the most able pupils reaching higher standards of attainment by the end of key stage 2. Provisional information suggests that the proportion of pupils who attain the higher standards at the end of key stage 2 remains below that seen nationally. Too few pupils who achieved well at the end of key stage 1 continue to do so through key stage 2.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Parents I spoke with are strongly supportive of the school. They praise the leadership of the school and the care that is evident for their children. They are pleased with the way in which teachers communicate with them. They appreciate the broad range of experiences available, such as the development of the outdoor environment. Leaders have listened to the views of parents. For example, they are currently clarifying the school’s expectations for homework, following concerns raised by parents. Parents appreciate the opportunity to support their children through creative homework projects, such as the construction of models of Anderson shelters.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Pupils enjoy their lessons. They speak with enthusiasm about the art work they do and the topics they study in science which stimulate their curiosity. They sometimes feel challenged by their work, particularly in mathematics, but feel that there are times when staff could expect more of them. Leaders take pupils’ views into account when planning the curriculum, for example pupils ask questions they would like answered when learning about a particular topic. Each year group makes ‘pledges’ about aspects of the wider curriculum that the pupils would like to achieve or experience. Some of these pledges are to help others, such as by cooking meals for members of the community. Others describe new experiences that pupils would like to encounter, such as stargazing or a visit to the theatre. These pledges enable pupils to broaden their outlook, contribute positively to the local community and develop their independence through fundraising. Pupils enjoy the challenges the

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

pledges provide. The vibrant learning environment celebrates the wide range of educational experiences on offer.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Governors monitor the work of the school, including how well leaders are using the pupil premium funding to raise standards for eligible pupils. However, governors have not challenged leaders effectively about the progress pupils make, particularly disadvantaged pupils and pupils in key stage 2. Governors are over-reliant on the information given to them by leaders and do not challenge leadership with sufficient rigour. They have not held leaders closely to account for the impact of the pupil premium funding in raising the achievement of disadvantaged pupils.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

The school has a strong focus on keeping pupils safe. Information about who staff and children can talk to if they have a concern is clearly displayed. Leaders systematically follow up concerns with other agencies to ensure that these are acted on. Together with the family support worker, leaders have built strong links with the local community and are effective in supporting families of vulnerable pupils.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

You have ensured that the curriculum teaches pupils how to keep themselves safe. Pupils can explain what is meant by cyber bullying and what they should do if someone says something unkind to them online. They can explain how to keep themselves safe when playing computer games at home. Pupils feel safe at school. They say that although pupils do fall out sometimes, there is always a member of staff who helps them to sort it out. Records show that leaders monitor these incidents to ensure that they are fully resolved.

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Inspection findings

 In the early years and key stage 1, pupils’ attainment is in line with that seen nationally. Teachers carefully plan learning that builds up pupils’ language skills, for example in expanding sentences to tell a story in greater detail. Pupils learn how to blend sounds effectively and use this knowledge to help them to read. Pupils use these strategies in their written work. They learn to solve problems effectively in mathematics. They are happy to share their ideas and work together well.  The proportions of pupils in key stage 1 who achieve the expected standard, and greater depth, are at least in line with national averages.  Too few pupils make the progress they are capable of in key stage 2. Progress in reading and mathematics was in the bottom 20% of all schools in 2017. Provisional information suggests that in 2018 too few pupils of middle prior attainment achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics,

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Inspection findings

and too few of the most able pupils achieved the higher standards.  Leaders have not monitored carefully enough the progress that pupils make from their starting points at the end of key stage 1. Teachers do not routinely use this information to ensure that learning is sufficiently challenging in key stage 2. As a result, pupils do not always successfully build on what they already know. Too few pupils make the progress required for them to attain the higher standards by the end of key stage 2.  Strategies to improve pupils’ vocabulary are working successfully, which can be seen in pupils’ descriptive writing. However, not all teachers in key stage 2 routinely insist that pupils use correct spelling, grammar and punctuation in their work. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to think more deeply about the books they read.  In mathematics there are some examples of teachers challenging pupils, such as

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Inspection findings

by working out the place value of digits within larger numbers or by explaining the most effective method to solve a problem. However, this is not consistent and sometimes the most able pupils in key stage 2 complete work that they can already do.  Leaders have not monitored the progress of disadvantaged pupils closely enough. They have not ensured that the support for disadvantaged pupils focuses on their individual needs and have not checked carefully that initiatives, such as the smaller teaching groups, are having an impact in raising these pupils’ achievement. They cannot report to governors accurately on the impact of the pupil premium funding.

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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

 they monitor the progress of pupils in key stage 2 more closely, so that they can intervene quickly when pupils do not make the progress they are capable of  teachers routinely use information about pupils’ starting points to plan learning that is sufficiently challenging for pupils in key stage 2 and enables them to make good progress  leaders evaluate more carefully the impact of actions to raise the achievement of disadvantaged pupils, so that they are able to report to governors accurately on the impact of the pupil premium funding  governors challenge leaders to ensure that the pupil premium funding is used effectively to improve the achievement of disadvantaged pupils.

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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 Northamptonshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

I met with you and other leaders in the school. I spoke with the chair of the governing body and a representative from the local authority. I spoke with the school’s leaders for mathematics and English and the school’s coordinator for special educational needs and/or disabilities. I met with a group of six pupils and considered the responses to pupil surveys.

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Information about the inspection

I observed learning jointly with you in the early years and key stage 1 classes, and jointly with senior leaders in key stage 2 classes. I scrutinised a selection of pupils’ workbooks. I examined a range of the school’s documentation, including its self- evaluation document, development plan and documents related to safeguarding. I observed behaviour on the playground at playtime.

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Information about the inspection

I considered the views of parents by speaking with them before school. I analysed the 38 responses on Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey.

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