Setting

Katherine Coates Headteacher Kingsfield Primary School Burnsfield Street Chatteris Cambridgeshire PE16 6ET

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Kingsfield Primary School

Following my remote inspection with Steve Mellors, Her Majesty's Inspector (HMI), of your school on 4 March 2021, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken to provide education to all pupils during the current circumstances.

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Kingsfield Primary School

This monitoring inspection was conducted under section 8 (2) of the Education Act 2005 (as amended) and in accordance with Ofsted's published procedures for visiting schools while routine inspections remain temporarily suspended. It was additional to the usual monitoring process for schools that are judged to require special measures.

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Kingsfield Primary School

This monitoring inspection was carried out remotely. As such, the range of evidence available to inspectors was narrower than would normally be the case during an on- site inspection. As a result, this letter provides a more limited level of assurance than our usual monitoring reports.

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Kingsfield Primary School

The inspection took place because the school was judged to require special measures at its previous section 5 inspection. The school’s most recent section 5 inspection took place in November 2019.

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Kingsfield Primary School

Having considered all the evidence and taking into account the impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on the school, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

to provide education in the current circumstances. Ofsted

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted Leaders and those responsible for governance should take further action to:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 develop the role of subject leaders so that they support teachers to teach the new curriculum plans effectively across the school

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 embed the new approaches to reading and phonics and develop pupils’ love of reading, so that pupils’ outcomes in reading continue to improve

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 support teachers to adapt curriculum plans to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) so that these pupils achieve well in all subjects.

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Context

 You were appointed as headteacher in September 2020. One of your assistant headteachers joined the school as the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) in April 2020.

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Context

 Following the previous inspection, the trust set up an interim executive board (IEB) to provide governance to the school. The chair of the IEB is also the trust’s chief executive officer (CEO).

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Context

 During the autumn term 2020, approximately 16% of pupils experienced periods of remote education because of COVID-19. Pupils were typically absent from school for two to three days.

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Context

 At the time of the inspection, approximately 35% of all pupils were being educated on site. Around 72% of all identified vulnerable pupils and 50% of pupils with education, health and care plans were being taught in school.

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Main findings

 You and your senior leaders acted quickly to provide remote education when the school closed to most pupils in January 2021. Pupils learning on site and at home study the same curriculum. Pupils are expected to complete work in English, mathematics and one other subject every day. Almost all pupils participate in lessons and submit their work online for their teachers to check. Staff give additional support to those pupils who struggle to engage in their learning from home. Some practical lessons that require specific resources, such as physical education and art, have been moved to later in the term. You plan for pupils to be taught any missed subject content by the summer term 2021.

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Main findings

 Since your appointment, leaders have redesigned the school’s curriculum. The new plans identify the important knowledge and skills to be taught in every subject. Your senior leaders are training subject leaders to be able to check how their subjects are being planned and taught across all year groups. However, this work is at an early stage. The intended curriculum is not yet being taught consistently throughout the school.

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Main findings

 Leaders know pupils and their families well. Staff check on pupils’ well-being and make sure they have the equipment and resources to access remote education. If pupils are unable to access lessons online, staff deliver paper- based activities and collect pupils’ completed work, so this can be checked by teachers and further help provided. Pupils with newly identified vulnerabilities are being taught in school so they can be given additional support with their learning.

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Main findings

 You have focused on improving the teaching of reading throughout the school, including the teaching of phonics in early years and key stage 1. Teachers’ training is enabling them to deliver effective phonics sessions and to provide pupils with reading books that match their phonics knowledge. Some pupils are using their phonics knowledge to read more successfully than in the past. Pupils have access to high-quality texts to increase their vocabulary and knowledge across subjects. However, the reading curriculum is not effective enough to ensure that pupils in every year group achieve well. Leaders and teachers do not promote reading for pleasure to support pupils to read widely and develop an enthusiasm for reading.

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Main findings

 The SENCo has improved systems for identifying the needs of pupils with SEND pupils’ needs and ensuring that they receive appropriate support. Training is enabling staff to deliver individualised support programmes for pupils, tailored to their individual needs. Pupils with SEND receive additional help whether they are learning on site or at home. However, teachers do not adapt their teaching well enough in all subjects so that pupils with SEND can consistently follow the planned curriculum and learn successfully.

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Main findings

 The IEB members have a diverse range of relevant expertise and experience. This enables the IEB to challenge leaders well. It has supported you to put actions in place quickly. Members scrutinise the information they receive from you and your leaders. They are keen to resume their on-site visits to the school so they can be assured that leaders’ actions are having the intended effect. The IEB has a strong grasp of how leaders have adapted the curriculum to ensure that pupils can continue to learn remotely.

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Main findings

 The trust realises that, in the past, it has not held leaders to account stringently enough for the quality of education the school provides. The trust provides both practical and strategic support for many aspects of the school’s work during the current circumstances. For example, the trust’s practical help with premises and administrative matters is enabling you to focus on the quality of education you and your staff provide. Subject leaders and teachers have received training provided by the trust and a local teaching school. This is beginning to strengthen the curriculum and has supported staff to deliver online learning. Additionally, you and your staff have taken up opportunities to work with other schools in the trust, developing and sharing effective practice.

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Evidence

This inspection was conducted remotely. We spoke with you, your assistant headteachers, one of whom is the SENCo, subject leaders, teachers, the CEO and the director of school improvement for the trust. Discussions focused on leaders’ actions to provide education to all pupils during a national lockdown. Additionally, we observed pupils reading to staff and spoke with a group of pupils about their learning.

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Evidence

We also scrutinised curriculum planning documents, the school’s website, online teaching resources, pupils’ work and minutes of the interim executive board meetings. We looked at the 49 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 37 free-text responses, and reviewed the 44 responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire.

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Evidence

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees and the chief executive officer of the Active Learning Trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Cambridgeshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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