Kennet Valley Primary School

Inspection of Kennet Valley Primary School Carters Rise, Calcot, Reading, Berkshire RG31 7YT

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good 20–21 November 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy in this school and enjoy learning. Teachers make lessons interesting and help pupils to do well. Pupils described the school as ‘awesome’ and ‘tremendous’. Pupils feel safe and most parents and carers agree.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers encourage pupils to aim high and expect much from pupils in their learning and their broader development. As one parent explained, ‘The teachers have been fantastic in helping my son grow in confidence academically and personally.’ Leaders have high expectations for pupils across the curriculum. Pupils are extending their knowledge and understanding because leaders have planned a curriculum that deepens pupils’ thinking in most subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well at all times of the day and in different parts of the school. They receive good support to help them manage their own feelings and behaviour. Pupils say that bullying is rare. If there are any incidents of bullying, staff deal with them well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told us that they are helped to learn how to be responsible and thoughtful young people. For example, pupils develop good leadership skills when taking on the role of a sports leader. They said they know that they must act out the school’s values, such as respect and care.

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better?

In the past, the curriculum and teaching did not enable pupils to achieve well and gain a good grounding in a range of subjects. Staff now work effectively to deliver the ambitious curriculum that leaders have designed. Teachers provide the right balance of support and challenge for all pupils in different subjects. As a result, pupils learn subject content well. There is some very minor variation in the implementation of the curriculum, but this is improving quickly.

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better?

Pupils do well in reading, writing and mathematics. They deepen their knowledge and understanding in a range of subjects because leaders have planned the curriculum systematically. This builds pupils’ knowledge and skills well and prepares them for secondary school, filling any gaps they may have. These have arisen from historic weaknesses in teaching, which are now being addressed effectively. Pupils’ writing is adventurous, using interesting vocabulary to make it exciting. In mathematics, pupils justify their thinking clearly. They apply their knowledge to solve complex mathematical problems.

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better?

The teaching of reading is effective and begins at the start of Reception. Teachers make thorough checks on the sounds that children know. They use this information to plan carefully what to teach next. Children in the early years use their phonics skills to read unfamiliar words accurately. They can remember ‘tricky’ words. The books pupils read match the letters and sounds that they have learned. 20–21 November 2019

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Consequently, pupils quickly gain the knowledge and skills that they need to become fluent readers. Older pupils answer difficult questions accurately about what they have read. They find and use information from the text to explain their thinking clearly.

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Pupils use their time wisely in lessons. If a pupil loses concentration, a quick reminder is all that is needed to get them back on track. This is because relationships between staff and pupils are very strong.

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Pupils’ personal development is planned well. Pupils like, and take seriously, the responsibilities that they undertake. Their personal qualities are strengthened through the subjects that they learn, including the personal, health, social and emotional curriculum. Pupils learn about healthy eating and the importance of exercise. They communicate well with one another in lessons. Pupils are encouraged to not be put off by mistakes but to learn from them.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) skilfully plans their learning. Staff make sure that pupils’ needs from different groups, including those who are disadvantaged, are fully met. Pupils with SEND learn in ways that help them to use and remember a lot of what they have been taught. For example, teaching assistants frequently remind pupils of learning from previous lessons. This helps pupils to remember more of what they have been taught.

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Children in the Reception class are inquisitive and interested in the tasks planned. The leader has developed the curriculum so that it is sequenced to build children’s knowledge and understanding well. Consequently, children can count, write and solve problems accurately.

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The school is led and managed effectively. Staff are very positive about working at the school. One member of staff said, ‘I love it.’ Leaders and governors consider staff workload carefully. They reduce unnecessary tasks and provide time for staff to complete work linked to their leadership roles.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils’ safety is central to all leaders’ decisions and actions. Leaders have ensured that all staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the latest safeguarding guidance and procedures. Staff identify and report concerns quickly and appropriately when they arise. Leaders are quick to support families requiring help. They work well with external agencies to ensure that vulnerable pupils and their families get the right sort of help. Governors make sure that school leaders have the required training and that they maintain detailed records on all adults who work in the school. 20–21 November 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have made significant and important changes to what teachers teach, including how the curriculum is structured. Leaders know that there is more work needed in how teachers implement some aspects of the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that the essential knowledge for every subject is taught carefully and comprehensively.

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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.

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How can I feed back my views?

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

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How can I feed back my views?

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

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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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. 20–21 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111228 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.kennetvalley.w-berks.sch.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19–20 April 2016

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Information about this school

 The school has experienced some exceptionally challenging circumstances since the last inspection.  The school has undergone some significant staff changes with nearly three quarters of staff being new to the school in the last two years.  The deputy headteacher took up his post in September 2017.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 We met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, members of the governing body including the chair of governors and teaching and non-teaching staff.  A telephone call was also held with a representative from the local authority.  The views of parents were sought face-to-face at the end of the school day on the first day of the inspection and through the opinions expressed in Ofsted’s parent survey.  We met with the SENCo and the early years leader. 20–21 November 2019

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 We examined a range of documents, including curriculum plans, safeguarding records, policies, and attendance and behaviour logs.  Senior and subject leaders accompanied us on visits to lessons and examined pupils’ work and planning documents alongside us.  We held formal and informal meetings with groups of pupils and observed pupils’ behaviour and conduct during lunchtimes and breaktimes.  We did deep dives in reading, mathematics, physical education and history. This involved talking with subject leaders and teaching staff, talking with pupils and looking at pupils’ work. We also visited lessons and listened to pupils’ reading.

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Inspection team

Richard Blackmore, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Harry Ingham Her Majesty’s Inspector 20–21 November 2019

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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.

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