Kingsbridge Community Primary School

Kingsbridge Community Primary School Belle Cross Road, Kingsbridge, Devon TQ7 1NL

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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 Requires improvement

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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

 Since joining the South Hams Federation in September 2018, leaders have not set out high enough expectations for teachers and pupils to follow.  Governors have not been provided with enough information to hold leaders to account for the quality of teaching and progress made by pupils. Governors’ monitoring is not precise enough to evaluate the impact of actions.  The quality of teaching is inconsistent, especially in key stage 1. Leaders have not provided teachers with enough guidance to help them to improve.  The impact of middle leaders is limited. Senior leaders are not supporting and challenging these colleagues effectively.  Leaders do not ensure that pupils are consistently taught a broad and balanced curriculum. Pupils do not develop their skills, knowledge and understanding sufficiently across a range of subjects.  Teachers do not use information about pupils’ progress well enough to plan learning activities.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

Consequently, the least able pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not achieve well.  Disadvantaged pupils’ absence and persistent absence rates are too high. The school has the following strengths

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The attainment of pupils at the end of key stage 2 has improved over the last two years. Leaders have a clear vision and have started to address the areas of improvement needed.  The teaching of phonics in the early years and key stage 1 is a strength. As a result, pupils make strong progress in learning to read and enjoy reading.  Children make a strong start to their schooling in the early years. Teachers have created a high-quality learning environment where children make good progress from their starting points.  Pupils are kept safe at school and feel safe. They say that they enjoy learning at school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by ensuring that: – governors support and challenge the school’s and federation’s leaders to bring about improvements quickly – leaders use precise monitoring to evaluate the school’s performance accurately – middle leaders are empowered to use their skills and expertise to support the drive for improvement – teachers raise their expectations so that pupils’ progress by the end of each key stage reflects their potential, building on the strong start made in the early years – the curriculum is broad, balanced and well taught, so that all pupils achieve well across a range of subjects – leaders develop systems to improve the attendance of a small group of disadvantaged pupils who are persistently absent from school, so that they attend more regularly.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that: – teachers routinely plan and adapt learning to meet the needs of all pupils,

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

especially the least able pupils and those with SEND – pupils have a clear understanding of how they can improve their work and do so – teaching develops pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills across the whole curriculum.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders have not successfully tackled the weaknesses in teaching, learning and assessment. Since joining the South Hams Federation leaders have begun to take more effective action but there remains too much variation in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.  Leaders’ monitoring of teaching lacks precision. As a result, teachers miss out on feedback to help them to improve. This contributes to the inconsistency in teaching, especially in lower key stage 2.  Leaders’ and teachers’ curriculum planning is too variable in quality. Teachers’ subject knowledge and confidence is poorer in some subjects. As a result, pupils are not acquiring the skills and knowledge to become successful learners across the curriculum, especially in physical education (PE) and geography.  Middle leadership is underdeveloped. Leaders’ knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses in their subject are limited. This means they are not supporting colleagues

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

to improve their teaching and then holding them to account for pupils’ progress.  Leaders have established a clear action plan for improving disadvantaged pupils’ progress. Leaders support and guide teachers as they develop plans for the pupils who are not making enough progress. Consequently, disadvantaged pupils are making better progress in English and mathematics. The additional funding for these pupils is used effectively.  Leaders have not ensured that all teaching assistants are trained to the standard needed to support pupils consistently well, especially the least able and those pupils with SEND.  Pupils do not have a clear understanding of the fundamental British values of the rule of law and democracy. However, pupils are empowered to take on leadership roles such as being school councillors, playground friends or acting as librarians. They enjoy these responsibilities.  Most parents are supportive of the school and recognise the care and attention given

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

to their children. They comment favourably on the improved communication and information provided by the school.  The sports premium is used effectively to strengthen teachers’ subject knowledge so that they can teach sport and PE effectively.

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Governance of the school

 Since joining the South Hams Federation in September 2018, the governance of the school has improved. However, it is not challenging the school in all areas. Governors regularly visit the school as part of a clear cycle of monitoring. However, they are overly reliant on weak information provided by school leaders. Consequently, governors have an overly generous view of the school’s performance and do not hold leaders to account for it well enough.  The chair of the governing body is an experienced national leader in governance who organises the work of the federated governing body to ensure equity across the five schools. She sets high expectations for her fellow governors. As a result, governors are well informed about their statutory duties and have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. However, they lack the information they need to carry them out effectively.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders have established an effective safeguarding culture and staff have an awareness of issues and priorities such as the ‘Prevent’ duty. All staff are aware of what to do if they have a concern about a pupil. These concerns are reported on an online system, which the designated leader for safeguarding reviews daily. However, record-keeping in safeguarding and personnel matters is not well organised and efficient.  All staff receive safeguarding training annually. The key staff such as leaders responsible for safeguarding have received essential updates, including on the safer recruitment of staff, and follow procedures correctly.  Most parents say that the school keeps the children safe and that they are well looked after. They recognise the improvements made to site security and the checking of visitors.  The school is a safe place where pupils show respect for each other. Pupils know how

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is too variable across the school and especially in key stage 1. Some teaching is not planned well enough to ensure that pupils make good progress, especially the least able and pupils with SEND. Time spent in some lessons does not sustain pupils’ interest and engagement. Consequently, pupils do not make the progress that they should.  The quality of support given to pupils by teaching assistants varies too much. Some are not trained well enough to have the confidence to deliver the teaching that is expected of them. As a result, at times the least able and pupils with SEND are not sufficiently supported or challenged in lessons.  The plans created for pupils with SEND lack focus. Pupils’ targets are not precise enough and appropriate teaching strategies are not clearly set out. Consequently, pupils with SEND do not make the progress that they should.  Teachers do not apply the school’s policy on marking and feedback consistently. As a

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

result, pupils continue to make the same mistakes.  The teaching of phonics in the early years and key stage 1 is effective. Teachers and other adults have been trained to deliver lessons that enable pupils to meet age-related expectations. Pupils are increasingly able to decode words using their phonics knowledge. In key stage 2, not all pupils acquire a wide range of vocabulary and the skills they need to infer and deduce when reading. As a result, pupils get off to a positive start in reading, but this is not built upon well enough as pupils move up through the school.  Since the previous inspection, leaders have placed an emphasis on the teaching of core skills in reading, writing and mathematics. There is some variation in how well these key skills are taught and some teaching lacks challenge, especially for the most able.  The teaching of writing does not ensure that all pupils use their key skills in spelling,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

grammar and punctuation accurately, especially the least able and pupils with SEND. The teaching of writing is improving but this is not yet consistent across the school.  Pupils write widely across the curriculum. For example, in Year 6 pupils write about an imaginary species that lives in the rainforest. They use information sources and reference materials to support their ideas. As a result, pupils are beginning to understand how writing can help them learn about the wider world.  The teaching of mathematics is improving due to the training teachers have received. Pupils are taught how to reason, and solve problems well. Sometimes, teaching does not challenge the most-able pupils quickly enough when they have mastered a concept.  Classroom environments are conducive to learning. Leaders have set clear expectations of teachers and most adhere to these. As a result, classrooms are well organised and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

reflect the school’s planned curriculum.  Teachers do not follow up on pupils who miss learning due to, for example, absence. As a result, gaps in learning are created for these pupils.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Most parents say that their children are kept safe at the school, and pupils questioned by inspectors agreed with this. Pupils are taught about online safety in the first two weeks of each school year. They can talk about this with confidence.  Pupils enjoy coming to school and are fully engaged in their learning. Due to stimulating teaching, pupils’ attendance has started to improve. They enjoy their residential trips, including the Year 6 trip to Brixham. They have favourite subjects like mathematics, English and design and technology. They are less keen on PE.  New pupils are welcomed and looked after during their first few weeks at the school. Many parents who responded to the online survey agreed that the school welcomes all pupils in an inclusive and supportive way.  Pupils display positive attitudes to learning. However, some teaching does not

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Personal development and welfare

capitalise on pupils’ enthusiasm, and, as a result, pupils’ engagement falters.  Pupils’ understanding of some aspects of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is underdeveloped. They sometimes struggle to explain what they have learned in these areas.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  The behaviour of pupils in lessons and their conduct around the school is positive. Teachers have established clear class routines and expectations. Pupils have a good understanding of right and wrong. They are quick to remind other pupils about appropriate conduct. Pupils are respectful and polite and they welcome visitors into their lessons and are keen to share their learning.  Breaktimes and lunchtimes are well organised, and this results in pupils enjoying their free time. They are well supervised on the playground. The older pupils act as playground friends for the younger pupils. This ensures that no one is left out of games or without a friend.  No derogatory language was heard by any inspector. Pupils say that bullying is rare and if incidents occur they are promptly dealt with by staff.  Attendance is broadly in line with the national average. However, the monitoring of

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Behaviour

attendance by school leaders is not rigorous enough. Consequently, some disadvantaged pupils are absent from school too often.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 The attainment of pupils at the end of key stage 2 has improved over the last two years. Pupils’ progress from their starting points, however, is variable. While some pupils make strong progress, others do not, particularly the least able pupils and those with SEND. Where pupils were working at age-related expectations as they left the early years this has not been maintained for all pupils in key stage 1.  There have been improvements in the progress made by disadvantaged pupils. While provisional results in 2019 demonstrate improved attainment by the end of key stage 2, this is not yet consistent across the school.  Pupils attain well in the phonics screening check. The proportion of pupils who reach the standard expected in the phonics screening check by the end of Years 1 and 2 has been consistently above average.  Pupils get off to a good start in reading due to the strong teaching of phonics that they

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

are receiving. Pupils are confident, fluent and expressive readers. In key stage 1, pupils move systematically through the school’s reading programme until they are fluent readers. Staff ensure that books are well matched to the reading ability of pupils.  Current pupils’ work shows that progress in writing is inconsistent. The children in the early years’ experience an environment rich in language and strong teaching. As a result, they make strong progress from their starting points. This progress stalls as they enter key stage 1.  Pupils are confident with the knowledge and skills to reason and problem solve in mathematics. While pupils develop a sound understanding of key mathematical concepts, they have too few high-quality opportunities to apply this knowledge across a range of subjects.  Most pupils reach the age-related expectations in handwriting by Year 4. Presentation in books is strong: pupils take pride in their work.

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Early years provision Good

 Children make a strong start in the early years. For the last two years, most of the pupils reached the expected standard at the end of the Reception Year and a significant number exceeded this.  Children arrive in the early years from a variety of pre-school settings. Staff are supporting the children with a range of personal, social, emotional, speech and language difficulties. To combat this, teachers have created a language-rich environment. They have created opportunities to develop improved skills in speaking, communication and the recall of vocabulary. As a result, the children’s speech and language skills improve so that they can read and write at the expected standard by the end of the Reception Year.  The early years leader is very experienced and sets a high standard for her staff and children. Her passion and clear vision ensure that the teaching is of a high standard. Children make strong progress during the Reception Year from their starting points,

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Early years provision Good

including those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND.  Teaching does not consistently challenge the most able by using effective questioning in order to probe the children’s understanding.  Teachers have developed a rich and stimulating learning environment both inside and out to promote learning. Children are encouraged to take safe risks when, for example, sawing, hammering and joining pieces of wood together with nails. Children have a secure understanding of the safety requirements in such a task.  Children move freely between the inside and outside learning spaces. Pupils choose to write in most activities with increasing accuracy.  The teaching of phonics, early reading skills and writing are highly effective in the early years. Children are taught to work out words using their knowledge of sounds. The children do this well and have a good knowledge of digraphs, trigraphs and split digraphs. They can use the technical terms when explaining these.

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Early years provision Good

 Although there are many opportunities for pupils to explore and experience number, shape, space and measures across the curriculum, these are less structured than in reading and writing. As a result, the children are not as well prepared for the expectations of the Year 1 mathematics curriculum as they are in reading and writing.  Regular and accurate assessment enables staff to observe and document learning well. They can identify the children in need of support and provide it where necessary. Staff record assessments using a system that parents have access to. Parents value this up- to-date information about their children’s progress. Many parents support their children with their learning targets at home.  The behaviour of the children in adult-led sessions and when they are learning through play is good. Staff have clear expectations, and these are made clear to the children. Strong foundations are laid both academically and socially for the transition into Year 1.

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Early years provision Good

 Safeguarding is effective in the early years.

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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

Appropriate authority The federated governing body

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School details

Headteacher Sue Jezard (Executive Headteacher), Gareth Howells (Head of School) Telephone number 01548 852009

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School details

Email address admin@kingsbridge-pri.devon.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20–21 April 2017

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Information about this school

 The school has joined the South Hams Federation since the last inspection. This federation is made up of five primary schools. Including Kingsbridge these are: Loadiswell, Malborough CE with South Huist, Modbury and Stokesham primary schools.  There have been changes in leadership since the previous inspection, with the appointment of a new head of school, who works with the federation executive headteacher.  This school is larger than the average primary school. The early years consists of two Reception classes.  Most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average and the proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is small.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is about average.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed learning in lessons and looked at work in a range of books. Meetings were held with different groups of pupils to discuss their views about the school and to listen to 12 pupils with a range of abilities read.  Inspectors held discussions with senior leaders, middle leaders and three governors, including the chair.  The lead inspector had a telephone call with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors viewed a range of documents, including information on pupils’ achievement, the school’s current assessment information, self-evaluation report, sport premium information and a pupil premium strategy plan. They also looked at the school’s improvement plan, documents relating to safeguarding and records of behaviour and attendance.  The inspectors took account of the 140 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, 22 responses to the staff questionnaire and 28 responses to the pupil

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Inspection team

Mark Lees, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Iain Freeland Her Majesty’s 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

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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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