Kanes Hill Primary School

Kanes Hill Primary School Fairfax Court, Hinkler Road, Thornhill, Southampton, Hampshire SO19 6FW

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Past weaknesses in senior leadership and governance, coupled with some significant staffing turbulence, have caused standards to decline.  The quality of teaching and assessment is not consistently good across the school.  Pupils’ progress information is not used sufficiently well to inform the next steps of their learning. Consequently, some pupils with low prior attainment can struggle to keep up, and the most able are not sufficiently challenged.  Some subject leaders are still developing the skills required to enable them to influence improvements in teaching and learning across the curriculum.  Despite recent improvements, teaching does not yet develop pupils’ writing skills consistently well across the school.  Systems to hold teachers to account for the progress that pupils make have not been sufficiently robust.  Teachers, particularly in key stage 1, do not make sufficient use of assessment to tailor

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

their teaching to meet the needs of the pupils. As a result, the pace of learning is variable.  Teaching assistants are not always given sufficiently precise guidance about what the pupils they are supporting need to learn. Consequently, their impact on assisting improvement is variable.  Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not make enough progress in reading, writing or mathematics.  Teachers’ planning in science and the humanities is weak. As a result, standards in these subjects are variable.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Kanes Hill offers a warm and nurturing environment. Children make a strong start in the early years and behaviour is good.  This term, the new executive principal and acting head of school have quickly forged strong relationships and gained the support of staff, parents and carers.  New local governors have been appointed and are keen to have an impact. Working with trustees from the Inspire Learning Partnership (ILP), they have quickly gained an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards of leadership and management by: – ensuring that the quality of strategic planning and the use of performance information is suitably detailed to enable governors to hold leaders at all levels to account for continued improvements – improving the quality of planning and level of challenge in science and the humanities.  Continue to improve teaching and learning so that they are consistently good across the school by: – ensuring that teachers make effective use of assessment information to pitch work at the right level, particularly for pupils of lower prior attainment and the most able, so that no time is wasted – improving adults’ assessment and questioning skills in line with the strongest examples in the school – ensuring that teachers have consistently strong subject knowledge and high expectations across the curriculum – making sure all teaching assistants have clear objectives for supporting and

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

challenging pupils, particularly during activities taking place outside the classroom.  Enhance pupils’ outcomes by: – ensuring that progress information is better used to evaluate the most effective methods of supporting disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND in order to reduce the gaps between them and their peers – continuing to improve the quality of writing – raising the level of challenge so that more pupils achieve the higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6 than has been the case in the past – ensuring that the curriculum sequentially develops pupils’ depth of knowledge and breadth of skills in science and the wider curriculum.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Standards declined in 2017 and 2018. Although progress in reading was strong, outcomes in mathematics, and particularly in writing, dipped. Disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND underperformed. During this time, there had been a period of staffing turbulence.  Following the school’s incorporation into the ILP in May 2018, there have been changes to the structure of leadership. The previous headteacher left in April 2019. The executive principal of the trust has swiftly restructured leadership and, working with the previous deputy headteacher in her new role as acting head of school, has bought much-needed clarity and vision.  Trustees and senior leaders have recently gained a much more accurate and improving depth of understanding of the strengths and the weaknesses of the school. They have a shared passion to improve standards and, working together, they have reinvigorated the staff. Working with an external consultant, senior leaders have swiftly identified the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

school’s shortcomings and are systematically reviewing and improving the school’s systems.  Until very recently, leaders’ and governors’ checks on the quality of teaching and learning have been ineffective. In the past, the school’s monitoring systems have not ensured that all teachers had sufficiently high expectations in English and mathematics. As a result, standards in both key stages declined. Assessment and tracking systems have not been sufficiently robust or accurate enough. Teachers have not responded quickly enough to make changes to their teaching to enable all groups of pupils to make good progress. This has been a barrier to school improvement.  Leaders’ inconsistent planning means that the curriculum lacks breadth and challenge in some areas. While there are some strengths in provision in some subjects of the wider curriculum, most notably music and physical education (PE), other areas, such as

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

science, the humanities and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, are weak. Currently, pupils do not achieve consistently well across all year groups and in different areas of the curriculum. New leaders are aware that better planning is required to sequence the key knowledge, vocabulary and skills pupils need across the wider curriculum.  The trust ensures that teachers have access to training and support, and the school seeks guidance from external consultants through its work with other local schools. This has supported the development of pockets of strong teaching and learning, most notably in upper key stage 2. However, it is too soon for new leaders to have rooted consistently good teaching, learning and assessment across the school.  Currently, middle leaders have a shared responsibility for the curriculum, working together in small groups. Senior leaders are currently reviewing the structure of middle

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

leadership to ensure clearer lines of accountability. Subject leaders and the special educational needs coordinator know that changes are required and are enthusiastic to do their jobs well.  Over time, teachers’ assessments have been largely accurate in relation to achievement by the end of the key stages. However, assessment and monitoring systems have not been refined enough to have had a significant impact on raising standards and ensuring consistency across the school. Current pupils’ books evidence that in-school assessments and tracking systems are not yet accurate enough to track reliably the ongoing progress of different groups of pupils.  Leaders ensure that funding is used to provide a range of useful individual support for those identified with SEND. However, there are variations in the quality of teaching and assessment and the deployment of teaching assistants. Consequently, these pupils do

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

not make sufficiently strong progress over time, particularly in the younger year groups.  Leaders work hard to ensure that aspects of the pupil premium funding are used effectively. For example, funding allocated for improving family liaison and pupils’ language skills has been used positively to impact on some pupils’ attendance, self- esteem and communication skills. However, weaknesses in teaching for disadvantaged pupils mean that they do not achieve as well as they should.  Kanes Hill offers a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere which is valued by parents and pupils. Most parents reported that they are happy with the levels of communication from staff and feel that their children are well supported by the school.

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Governance of the school

 Prior to joining the ILP, the school was governed by trustees of its previous multi- academy trust without a separate body overseeing local governance. While these previous trustees checked the progress of pupils regularly, limitations in the depth and rigour of senior leaders’ improvement planning hindered the level of challenge they provided to leaders, and standards declined. Under the leadership of the ILP, this has changed.  A new academy council with responsibility for key aspects of local governance was established at the beginning of this academic year. The ILP has worked to recruit appropriately skilled academy councillors and is supporting them with access to appropriate training and resources. However, the academy council does not have access to sufficiently detailed progress information, limiting its effectiveness in challenging leaders at all levels. The trust and executive principal recognise this and

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Governance of the school

have plans in place to improve self-evaluation and provide more detailed improvement planning.  Academy councillors are ambitious for the school and are increasingly capable of delivering the changes that children deserve. They visit the school regularly to support reviews of the school’s priorities, and to check systems such as safeguarding arrangements.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Although some aspects of record- keeping could be refined, the school’s systems for safeguarding are robust. Staff ensure that they work with external agencies where appropriate to support vulnerable pupils and their families. An effective team approach involving teachers, leaders and office staff ensures that all pupils are kept safe.  Most parents and staff who responded to Ofsted’s surveys, and those who spoke with inspectors, stated clearly that the school is safe and that pupils are happy here. Pupils feel confident that staff can resolve any concerns that they may have.  During the inspection, a range of teaching and support staff confirmed that they receive regular and thorough safeguarding training. They are knowledgeable about the school’s procedures for raising any welfare or child protection concerns.  Leaders and trustees ensure that the school’s employment checks are in place, in line

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 When consistent messages have been shared and effective training provided, staff have made improvements. However, the quality of teaching across the school is inconsistent, particularly in key stage 1, and not as strong as it tends to be in Year 6. Sometimes, teachers do not offer sufficient challenge, and pupils of different abilities complete the same work. This means that some, especially the most able, complete tasks which are too easy, while others can struggle to complete the tasks set.  Although there have been improvements, teachers’ assessment and questioning skills are not used consistently well enough to inform their planning of appropriately challenging work in writing and mathematics. Some teachers are not careful enough in checking what pupils can do, and do not plan work that is either matched to pupils’ learning needs or which builds on their prior learning. This leads to some pupils finding

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

the work either too easy or too hard, and does not help pupils, especially the most able, to make strong progress.  While there is coverage of the national curriculum, there are significant variations in the quality of teaching in different subjects. Teachers do not consistently sequence lessons in ways that help pupils to build on their prior knowledge. As a result, pupils make variable progress across different subject areas.  The effect of the work of teaching assistants on pupils’ learning is variable in different classrooms. Where activities are well planned by teachers, additional adults in the class have a greater impact on the progress pupils make.  Phonics and reading skills are taught well throughout the school. Staff select rich and interesting texts which engage and interest pupils. Consequently, pupils gain confidence to tackle increasingly challenging texts with enjoyment, and demonstrate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

high-level reading skills.  Teachers’ efforts to raise standards in writing are starting to have an impact. Inspectors’ reviews of work in pupils’ books showed evidence of increasing challenge in the tasks set by many teachers, and more opportunities for pupils to write at length independently. However, teachers’ expectations of pupils’ written work are still inconsistent. In some classes, pupils do not apply their grammar, spelling and punctuation knowledge effectively. Consequently, pupils, particularly in key stage 1, do not make the strong progress they need in order to meet age-related expectations and, for the most able, the higher standards.  Learning in mathematics is not consistently effective because not all teachers provide sufficient stretch and challenge. Sometimes, the most able pupils complete their work quickly and then wait, either for the others to catch up, or for adults to provide more

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

work. Too often, pupils do not respond to feedback from their teachers to improve their work. Pupils’ books show that, although pupils are making progress in mathematics, pupils’ problem-solving and reasoning skills are not being developed effectively across the school in line with the best practice.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils say that they feel safe and secure in school, and they are.  Pupils enjoy their assemblies and come together to share their achievements and celebrate their successes. Music is a strength of the school and pupils in all year groups sing with passion and enjoy the opportunity to perform collectively. There is a sense of community and belonging which helps pupils to take pride and feel welcome in Kanes Hill Primary School.  Pupils show respect for one another and for adults in the school. They are aware of the need for rules and consequences. Pupils say that there is very little teasing or bullying of any kind, and that they are confident that adults will always listen and intervene to put a stop to any unkind behaviour.  The school works particularly well to support the local community. Leaders work with the school’s home-school liaison officer and school counsellor to offer a range of very

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Personal development and welfare

effective bespoke support for vulnerable pupils and their families.  Pupils learn about democracy and vote on key aspects of school life. Pupils are well prepared to become responsible, kind and productive citizens.  Good use is made of the sport premium to improve pupils’ engagement and participation in sporting activities. The school invests in a specialist PE coordinator to deliver lessons as well as offer guidance for staff. Through the curriculum and various clubs, Kanes Hill provides opportunities for pupils to engage in a range of sports, gymnastics and competitions. As a result, pupils develop a sense of teamwork and learn how to keep themselves fit and healthy.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. The school promotes and celebrates positive behaviour through its aims of ‘be safe, be respectful, be ready’. Throughout the school pupils know what is expected of them and behave well in lessons and around school. They are polite, respectful and display good manners.  Most pupils and their parents are positive about behaviour at the school and agree that it is typically good.  Pupils socialise well together, look after each other and are proud of their school. Typically, there is little disruption to learning in lessons, although at times pupils lose attentiveness when the work is not suitable for their needs. When this happens, the pace of learning can slow.  Leaders ensure that strong relationships promote the value of good attendance. Overall attendance and that of different groups are in line with, or above, the national averages.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 In 2018, by the end of key stage 2, pupils’ rates of progress in reading and mathematics were in line with national averages. However, progress in writing was weak.  Teaching does not consistently challenge pupils to stretch themselves academically. As a result, lower than average proportions of pupils attain at a higher standard in writing and mathematics.  In 2018, key stage 1 pupils’ attainment was broadly in line with the national average in reading and mathematics, but writing attainment was below average.  Better planning has started to raise expectations and improve standards in writing. Visits to lessons, pupils’ work and assessment information provide evidence that the best teaching is helping pupils to make progress. In some classes, pupils are making up lost ground, but this is not consistently so across the school.  Results for the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 have significantly

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

improved and last year were above the national average. Pupils are appropriately equipped to develop good early reading skills.  Disadvantaged pupils do not make consistently strong progress. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who attain at the expected standard is below that of other pupils nationally and in the school.  In some subjects, pupils make strong progress. For example, Year 5 pupils quickly developed increased confidence using a new technique, enabling many to self-correct their timing, during a collaborative performance using Bamboo Tamboos. Nevertheless, subjects such as science, geography and history are taught too inconsistently. As a result, pupils make very variable progress in these subjects.  In the past, pupils with SEND have underperformed, particularly in writing. Leaders ensure appropriate identification and support for these pupils, and a range of interventions and support is offered to help improve their outcomes. However, due to

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

the variable quality of teaching and deployment of teaching assistants, pupils with SEND cannot always access and undertake the same tasks as their peers. Books show that their progress is still variable. Leaders are aware that more detailed progress information is needed to fully evaluate the impact of the different interventions on offer.

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Early years provision Good

 Children make a happy and successful start to school and they make strong progress from their starting points. Children have good relationships with adults, as well as with each other. By the end of the year, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development is in line with the national average. As a result, children are well prepared for their next move to Year 1.  The classrooms and outdoor areas are bright, exciting and interesting. Staff are friendly and provide a warm welcome for children and their parents. This helps children to settle in well. Parents spoke highly of the staff and the work they do to support their children in the early years.  Leadership in the early years is strong. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the early years provision. Training for staff and support from the multi-academy trust have been used to good effect to improve provision. As a

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Early years provision Good

result, outcomes for children in the early years have improved.  Adults ensure that children use equipment properly when learning to do things independently and cooperatively. A wide range of activities promote early reading, writing and number skills effectively and there is a strong focus on improving communication skills. Leaders deploy teaching assistants well to support individual children, and offer a more directed approach if necessary when children are playing. Strong relationships, coupled with adults’ improving assessment skills, ensure that children are motivated and engaged in the activities on offer.  Children’s behaviour is good, both in the classroom and in the outside area. Learning from the classroom is continued outside, whenever possible. Children listen attentively to adults and to each other. Children collaborate well with their peers and make choices about the activities that they want to do.

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Early years provision Good

 Effective measures are in place to make sure that children are safe in the early years and that their personal development and welfare needs are met.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Kanes Hill Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school and has provision for children from age 4 to 11.  Most pupils are of White British heritage and speak English as their first language.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium is well above the national average.  Kanes Hill’s predecessor school, also called Kanes Hill Primary, was last inspected in 2008 and graded outstanding. After this time, the school converted to become an academy and later formed the Hinkler Academy Trust (HAT). In May 2018, the HAT joined with another multi-academy trust to form the Inspire Learning Partnership (ILP).  The trustees of the ILP have responsibility for the governance of the school. In September 2018, they established the academy council, which is responsible for some aspects of local governance of the school.

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Information about this school

 The past two years has been a period of staffing changes. The previous headteacher left at the end of last term and has not yet been replaced. In the interim, there has been some restructuring of senior leadership, and the executive principal of the trust has taken over leadership of the school, supported by the deputy headteacher taking the role of acting head of school.  The school is being supported by the ILP to boost teaching, learning and assessment, early years provision, and leadership and management.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out as a result of Ofsted’s risk assessment procedures for exempt schools. This process identified that standards since the previous inspection had declined, so the school was selected for inspection under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was subsequently deemed to be a section 5 inspection under the same Act by Her Majesty’s Inspector, and a full section 5 inspection was then carried out.  A wide range of school documentation was scrutinised, including that relating to policies, self-evaluation, improvement planning, safeguarding, and pupils’ achievement, behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors reviewed the record of leaders’ vetting and checks on the suitability of adults to work with pupils, and spoke to staff and governors about safeguarding procedures in the school.  Inspectors visited lessons in all year groups to gather evidence to contribute to the

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Information about this inspection

evaluation of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Most of these observations were conducted jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors also talked to pupils about their learning and looked at their work across a range of subjects. They spoke to pupils on the playground and during lessons. Inspectors met with two groups of pupils to gather their views.  Meetings were held with the executive principal, acting head of school, senior and middle leaders and members of the academy council. The lead inspector held telephone conversations with the chair of the trustees and with an external consultant who has worked with the school.  The views of 36 parents who replied to the online questionnaire, Parent View, were considered. In addition, conversations were held with several parents at the beginning of the second day of the inspection to gather their views.

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Inspection team

Matthew Newberry, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Debra Anderson Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-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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Inspection team

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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