Kinsale Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Kinsale Infant School Kinsale Avenue, Hellesdon, Norwich, Norfolk NR6 5SG

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Outcome

Kinsale Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Everyone is proud of their school. Parents said that the staff really care for the pupils. Pupils described it as ‘amazing’, ‘brilliant’ and ‘the best school ever’. Pupils enjoy learning because staff provide exciting and interesting activities for them such as learning outdoors in a woodland environment. Pupils said that they felt safe. Bullying is rare because adults deal with any issues pupils have. Pupils are well supervised. They make friends and play well together. Pupils behave well because staff have consistently high expectations. Pupils like their rewards for good behaviour, such as sitting at the ‘Golden’ top table and the ‘Hot Chocolate Friday’. Children in Reception learn to share and take turns quickly in different activities, for example searching for toys in the sand tray, working together to build a spaceship from wooden bricks or reading a book. Pupils work hard because staff expect a lot of them. Pupils enjoy the additional

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What is it like to attend this school?

opportunities that staff provide, for example singing for the elderly at a local care home, playing different sports, or visiting the theatre to watch a play. They really enjoy breakfast club and the ‘Your Time’ nurture group. Both help them grow in confidence.

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better?

Leaders have created an ambitious new curriculum which develops pupils’ character. There is a strong focus on English and mathematics. However, planning in some subjects, such as geography, is still being developed. In these subjects, Reception teachers are not identifying key learning points from Year 1 to prepare children for 22–23 January 2020

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learning in Year 1. This means that teachers do not use pupils’ knowledge effectively to tackle more complex ideas. Children develop a love of stories and rhymes when they enter Reception. Staff read to pupils and act quickly if any pupil falls behind. Leaders make sure staff are skilled in teaching phonics. Pupils learn to read well. They read books which match the sounds they are learning. Pupils greatly enjoy using the well-stocked library. Pupils in Year 2 read confidently, building on their phonic skills in Year 1. Parents believe their children have come on tremendously well with their reading. In most subjects, the curriculum is well planned and sequenced. Teachers use leaders’ plans effectively to build pupils’ learning. This ensures that they make good progress in deepening their understanding. For example, in mathematics, pupils used their knowledge of different operations to perform a range of calculations. However, some

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teachers do not systematically check that pupils understand the key words they use in their learning. This is because the important words pupils need to remember are not always identified in the planned curriculum. Teachers and teaching assistants work closely together to provide good support for disadvantaged pupils and those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) by adapting their teaching in lessons. Children in Reception settle in well and learn safely. They enjoy positive relationships with adults and with each other. Parents greatly appreciate the care children receive when they join the school. Staff emphasise children’s development of communication and language skills. Children learn about numbers and shapes. Staff provide stimulating spaces for pupils to play, explore and learn. Children are well prepared for their next stage of education. Pupils know everyone is different. In lessons and assemblies, they learn about

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different faiths and cultural traditions. Pupils celebrate different festivals, such as Chinese New Year, Eid and Christmas. They behave well in class and at playtimes by working cooperatively and sharing their games. Pupils undertake different roles and responsibilities to help develop their sense of the school community such as members of the school council. Staff are also very positive about the school. They said that governors and senior leaders are mindful of their workload. Leaders have staff well-being at the heart. For example, they have changed the system of assessment so that staff use their time effectively for preparing for lessons.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 22–23 January 2020

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There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders’ records show that adults in the school are suitable to work with children. Governors check that these are recorded accurately. Leaders act quickly on any information given to them. They work with the local authority and other agencies to ensure that pupils receive the help they need. Staff have appropriate training in signs of abuse or neglect. Pupils said that they learn how to keep safe. For example, they said that it is not safe to send your personal details online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, such as geography, the curriculum is not sufficiently sequenced. Leaders’ plans in early years miss some opportunities to teach skills that will prepare children for the Year 1 curriculum. This means that teachers do not plan activities that develop pupils’ learning from what they already know. Leaders should ensure that all subject plans identify the key learning points from Reception and this knowledge is used when planning the sequence of learning from early years to Year 1.  In some subjects, leaders’ plans do not identify the key vocabulary pupils need to remember. Teachers do not check that all pupils understand the words they use in their learning, especially when tackling new ideas. This means that in these subjects, pupils’ learning is not secure. Leaders should ensure that subject plans identify the key vocabulary pupils need to know and that teachers check that pupils

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

understand how to apply these terms in their work.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged Kinsale Infant School to be good in March 2011. 22–23 January 2020

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How can I feed back my views?

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 are the school and you are 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. 22–23 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121501 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Mrs Penny Steward

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School details

Website www.kinsaleinfant.norfolk.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 June 2016

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Information about this school

 Children attend the Reception classes full time.  The school does not have a nursery. An independent pre-school is located on the school site. The majority of children attending the pre-school join the Reception classes.  The substantive headteacher is on maternity leave. The deputy headteacher is currently acting headteacher.  The school has a breakfast club, which invites pupils from the junior school and children from the pre-school to attend.

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Information about this inspection

 I observed teaching and learning in all year groups.  I examined a range of documents including: self-evaluation information and improvement plans, curriculum planning, staff training records and information about pupils’ attendance.  I checked the school’s single central record and the safeguarding policies and procedures. 22–23 January 2020

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 I met with leaders, staff, pupils and governors to check how effective safeguarding is.  I looked at the school’s own survey of parents and considered 45 parents’ responses to Parent View. I also reviewed 39 free-text responses. I considered 24 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.  I spoke to a representative of the local authority.  I met with five governors including the chair of governors.  I talked to pupils informally at playtimes, in the breakfast club and in the dining hall. I observed pupils’ movement around the school. I also held formal meetings with groups of pupils.  I held meetings with the acting headteacher, middle leaders, subject leaders, teachers and teaching assistants.  Early reading, mathematics and geography were considered closely to evaluate the quality of education. In each of these subjects, I carried out lesson visits; discussions with staff and pupils; meetings with subject leaders and a detailed scrutiny of pupils’

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Inspection team

Declan McCarthy, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 22–23 January 2020

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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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