Knollmead Primary School

Inspection of Knollmead Primary School Knollmead, Tolworth, Surbiton, Surrey KT5 9QP

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement 9–10 October 2019

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this school. All pupils feel welcomed and cared for. Pupils know that their teachers expect them to work hard and do well. They also know that teachers do not mind if they make a mistake so long as they have had a go. Pupils, parents, carers and staff are proud to be part of the school.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a calm and orderly school. Pupils understand how to behave without the need for elaborate systems for rewards and sanctions. They rarely misbehave. Pupils said that bullying hardly ever happens. If it does, teachers deal with it.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff want pupils to show fairness and respect. Pupils are kind and considerate in turn. They told us that everyone is treated the same. One pupil said, ‘We are not the same, but we are equal. It’s not a bad thing to be different.’

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attending the specialist provisions are fully included in the life of the school. Pupils with different learning needs work and play alongside one another. One pupil summed up the ethos beautifully: ‘Some children get help to do extra work so they can do what we all can do. It always feels like the teachers want to see us improve.’

p.2

better?

Leaders want pupils to be fluent and effective readers, writers and mathematicians. They make these aspirations a reality through the quality of the curriculum.

p.2

better?

Pupils learn many subjects, including some taught by specialists from the trust. Pupils in Year 3 play the ukulele and those in Year 4 play the djembe as part of their music studies. All pupils have summer term swimming lessons in the school’s outdoor pool.

p.2

better?

Teachers help pupils develop their knowledge and skills over time and help them to remember what they learned in previous lessons. Pupils in Year 6 discussed different periods of history with inspectors. They knew which civilisations pre-dated others. They explored deeper questions, such as why the Mayans and the Romans believed in so many different gods. Pupils in Year 4 explained how they calculate problems using four-digit numbers. Planning for some subjects, such as geography and design and technology, is not at the same stage of development.

p.2

better?

Pupils learn to love reading. Teachers read to pupils every day, either in lessons or during story-time. In the early years, staff plan interesting activities that help children to learn the sounds that letters make. Children in the early years and pupils in Years 1 and 2 take books home to read so that they can practise new words and sounds. Weaker readers sometimes need more help when choosing books. Leaders invest in suitable books for older pupils who need to practise their phonics skills.

p.2

better?

Pupils learn many new words and how to use them in context. For example, pupils in Year 2 learned ‘wonderful’ and ‘powerful’. They read the words, spoke them aloud 9–10 October 2019

p.2

3

and practised using them in writing. This deepened their understanding. Pupils in Year 4 learned about ‘flock’ as a noun and a verb. They discussed the use of ‘flocked’ and ‘flocking’ in real-life contexts. This helped pupils to remember these words and use them in their own conversations.

p.3

3

Strong leadership ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn and improve across all subjects. Equally strong leadership in the early years helps children to settle, to explore and try out new activities in a calm and well-organised space. In the specialist provision, lessons are planned to help all pupils learn new skills and practise old ones. Throughout the school, pupils with SEND receive the help they need to learn well alongside their peers.

p.3

3

Pupils enjoy attending after-school clubs. Pupils learn about children who do not live lives as safe and comfortable as their own. Leaders’ plans include further opportunities to promote pupils’ understanding of other cultures.

p.3

3

Parents and staff praise the headteacher and his leadership team. They told inspectors about how well their children are welcomed into the school and how quickly they settle in the early years. Staff appreciate that leaders have taken practical steps to reduce their workload. Staff also appreciate the quality of training they receive.

p.3

3

Governors and trustees support and challenge leaders to focus on the quality of education. Governors understand the school community well. Trustees support the school to improve. For example, they provide training and formal professional qualifications through their teaching school.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

All staff know what they must do to keep children safe. Leaders make sure that staff are well trained and that their knowledge is regularly updated. Adults are vigilant. Leaders work well with external agencies and families to support pupils who need help.

p.3

Safeguarding

Pupils learn ways to keep themselves safe when online. They also know about risks such as road and rail safety due to the school’s proximity to a busy road and railway line. Leaders work closely with the police to teach pupils about risks and how to keep themselves safe from harm. 9–10 October 2019

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders should make sure that there is coherent planning and sequencing of knowledge in all subjects. This is so that the content of all plans matches the quality of that in reading, writing, mathematics, science and history.  Transitional statements have been applied because the curriculum plans for some subjects are not as complete as in other subjects. Leaders have a detailed action plan. They have begun to implement these arrangements, including further planned opportunities for cultural development.  Leaders have successfully developed a reading curriculum but should provide closer guidance for pupils who are beginning to choose books independently.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

Further information

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. 9–10 October 2019

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10110360 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 22–23 February and 17 May 2017

p.5

Information about this school

 The proportion of pupils with SEND is well above average. The school has two specialist resource provisions. One is for pupils with hearing impairment. The other is for pupils with social communication needs, including autism.  The school has a Nursery class which at the time of the inspection included two- year-olds as part of a short-term arrangement with the local authority.

p.5

Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, we met with the headteacher and the leadership team. We met with the executive headteacher and deputy executive headteacher from the trust. We met with five members of the governing body and the chair and vice chair of the trustees. We also met with a representative from the local authority.  The inspection focused deeply on reading, mathematics, science and history. Inspectors met with leaders, teachers, pupils and other members of staff. We visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work. We considered information about other subjects.  We met with the designated safeguarding lead to discuss safeguarding 9–10 October 2019

p.5

6

arrangements. We reviewed the school’s single central record and other relevant information about safeguarding and health and safety.

p.6

Inspection team

Jane Moon, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Lando Du Plooy Ofsted Inspector 9–10 October 2019

p.6

7

regulates and inspects to 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.

p.7

7

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 .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7