Kimpton Primary School

Inspection of Kimpton Primary School High Street, Kimpton, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG4 8RB

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Inspection dates: 20 and 21 October 2021

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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 Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 20 and 21 October 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Kimpton Primary have the ‘K factor’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school and love learning. Pupils behave well in lessons and throughout the school day. There is a respectful culture in the school. Pupils have positive relationships with each other and staff. Pupils show pride in their work. They are engaged in their learning because it is relevant and meaningful to them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils meet the high expectations staff have for them. Staff encourage pupils to take on responsibilities such as being members of the pupil parliament and the eco or fair-trade committees. Pupils are taught leadership skills, how to represent their class’s views and about what could make the world a better place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils report that bullying rarely happens and if it does adults deal with it quickly. Pupils feel safe and know whom to talk to if they are worried.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents recognise how well leaders have improved the school. Comments made that summarise what parents said include ‘The school continues to go above and beyond expectations’, and that the school ‘is an incredible asset to the local community’.

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better?

Leaders and staff have worked well together to improve the quality of education since the previous inspection. There is an ambitious, well-planned curriculum that is being delivered effectively in most subjects. Leaders make sure teachers adapt their planning to meet pupils’ needs. In a few subjects, such as art and geography, the implementation of the new plans is still at an early stage.

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better?

Pupils achieve well in most subjects. Teachers adapt the carefully designed plans to effectively meet the needs of pupils. Staff skilfully use assessment to check for any gaps in pupils’ learning. Pupils show they can use their prior learning before moving on to the next lesson. However, there are occasions where staff lack subject knowledge and confidence in how to deliver plans effectively. In these cases, pupils are not achieving as well as they could.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that younger pupils get off to a good start with their reading. Staff are well trained and able to use effective strategies to help pupils learn to read well. Pupils love reading, even the few pupils that find reading difficult. A clearly structured reading curriculum is in place. This begins in Nursery. When pupils enter the Reception class, they learn the sounds that link to letters. Staff choose books for pupils that are well suited to their stage of development. This supports pupils to become fluent readers. Leaders check closely to ensure pupils do not fall behind. If pupils do, they are swiftly supported to get back on track.

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better?

Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are able to successfully access the same ambitious curriculum as other pupils. Staff 20 and 21 October 2021

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identify needs accurately and the support given is specific to each pupil. Pupils with SEND remember their learning and use new knowledge, including vocabulary, well.

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All staff understand and apply the ‘K factor’ behaviour system. This, alongside the range of wider opportunities offered to develop pupils’ personal development, leads to a highly motivating and aspirational culture in the school. Pupils show kindness and consideration to others. Where a few pupils are particularly vulnerable, leaders have ensured effective strategies are in place so that pupils can continue to learn successfully. Through assemblies and time for reflection, pupils understand about healthy relationships, and the difference between right and wrong.

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Governors have supported leaders and hold leaders to account to ensure they have effectively addressed the areas for improvement from the last inspection. Governors have high expectations and challenge leaders if actions are not followed up promptly. Governors and the local authority ask challenging questions to hold leaders to account for the quality of education. This has successfully contributed to the improvements leaders have made.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils say that they feel safe in school. The thoroughly planned personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum ensures pupils learn about bullying, harassment, online safety and mental health. Pupils can talk about these aspects with confidence.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained and understand the risks and challenges pupils and families may face.

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Safeguarding

Leaders maintain detailed records. Leaders work closely with other agencies to keep vulnerable pupils safe. Leaders follow up concerns repeatedly until pupils and families receive the support they need. Leaders are in the process of combining information held on safeguarding, SEND and behaviour to make the accessing of information easier and even more precise.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have ensured that the ambitious curriculum is delivered well and adapted to meet pupils’ needs in most subjects. However, this is not the case in a few subjects, such as art and geography. Leaders need to ensure staff have the skills, knowledge and confidence to deliver the curriculum plans across all subjects so the quality of education is equally effective in ensuring pupils achieve well throughout the curriculum. 20 and 21 October 2021

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 20 and 21 October 2021

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Co-Chairs of governing body Josie Nicholson and Jane Murray

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 January 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher joined the school prior to the previous inspection. Since then, she has appointed a new leadership team. Four new teachers have joined the school in the last two years.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, subject leaders, eight members of the governing board, including the chair of governors, and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and art. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, 20 and 21 October 2021

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looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also spoke with the subject leaders for music and PSHE.  Inspectors visited the breakfast club and the wraparound care club and observed behaviour during playtimes and lunchtimes.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors checked the single central record of recruitment and vetting checks. They scrutinised pupils’ safeguarding files, behaviour logs, records of administering medication and attendance information held by the school.  Inspectors considered a wide range of information about the school, including leaders’ self-evaluation, minutes of the governing board meetings and the school’s website.  Inspectors considered 56 responses relating to this academic year to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, including 46 free-text responses submitted during the

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inspection. Inspectors also reviewed 21 responses to the staff questionnaire and 49 responses to the pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Isabel Davis, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Declan McCarthy Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 October 2021

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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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