Kensington Primary School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Kensington Primary School Kensington Avenue, Manor Park, London E12 6NN

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Outcome

Kensington Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

At Kensington Primary School, leaders and staff create a secure environment in which pupils learn well and are very well prepared for the future. Staff have high aspirations of pupils. Leaders and staff have created the school’s ‘Curriculum K’. This combines pupils’ learning in all subjects, the development of their communication skills and the promotion of their physical and mental well-being.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, parents and carers appreciate being greeted daily by leaders. Pupils feel safe and enjoy coming to school. They are eager to tell visitors about their school and are enthusiastic that they ‘learn so many things’. Pupils said that teachers readily help them if they get stuck.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are taught to be independent in managing their behaviour and learn to regulate their emotions. They understand about different types of bullying. Pupils said that bullying does not happen in their school. Staff quickly deal with any unkindness between pupils and support them to restore their positive relationships.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ personal development is threaded throughout the curriculum. Pupils have opportunities to debate topical ideas in lessons. They are taught to be reflective of their feelings and the impact that these have on them and others. Pupils have access to a wide variety of before- and after-school activities, such as gymnastics, drones and technology, and investigators and inventors.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have a strong vision for the school: that it is a place where everyone loves to be. Staff and pupils are interested and excited by what is learned in class. Leaders have carefully considered the order in which important knowledge and skills are taught from the national curriculum. Staff have regular training. They work in teams to plan well- sequenced lessons in all subjects and to review and adapt their planning. Teachers use a range of strategies to help pupils remember and build on their prior learning. They check 1 and 2 December 2021

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systematically for any gaps in pupils’ understanding or misconceptions and adjust their plans accordingly. Pupils achieve highly.

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Pupils learn to communicate with their peers and with adults, to explain their thinking and what they understand. They develop their communication skills in a range of circumstances, for example, through drama, art or music. Pupils discuss their work sensibly and this helps them to express themselves clearly and develop new ideas. They also develop their communication and social skills at lunchtimes when they are very polite to each other and staff.

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Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They understand the expectations that staff have of them. With the principles of ‘safe, seen, soothed and secure’ as the foundation to the behaviour expectations, staff have a consistent approach across the school. This helps to support pupils to understand their responsibilities and how these affect others.

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Leaders and staff recognise the importance of pupils’ well-being and the impact that it can have on pupils’ learning. Pupils are encouraged to be active and to learn new skills. They are supported to reflect on the beliefs of themselves and others. They are taught to be respectful and curious about the way that other people live, their faiths and values. Pupils feel well prepared for secondary school.

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Pupils’ learning to read is a high priority right from the start. In Nursery, children begin learning about the sounds letters represent. Children in Reception are taught to read through a highly sequenced programme. Teachers carefully choose the books that children read, ensuring that these are closely matched to the sounds that children know. This develops children’s confidence in their reading. Throughout the school, pupils are able to discuss what they like about different stories and characters.

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Teachers’ enthusiasm for the books they share with pupils is infectious. Pupils want to read on and find out more about the stories. Teachers enable older pupils to develop a deep understanding of the texts. Pupils enjoy using the school library, reading books together and talking about their favourite authors and texts. Pupils become confident, fluent readers who demonstrate a real enjoyment of reading.

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Leaders and staff adapt teaching so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities can fully access the learning in the class. Pupils receive the support they need to overcome barriers to their learning. Many pupils join the school part way through the year. Often these pupils do not speak English at home or have recently moved to the country. Staff support pupils to quickly make friends. Pupils who speak English as an additional language swiftly develop the vocabulary necessary to be able to take part fully and engage with the curriculum.

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Staff enjoy coming to school. Leaders are considerate of staff’s welfare. Staff said that leaders have worked hard to minimise unnecessary tasks, with a mantra of ‘keep, tweak, ditch’. 1 and 2 December 2021

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know what they must do to keep pupils safe. Leaders have ensured that staff are well trained. Staff have regular updates to reflect on safeguarding issues throughout the year. Leaders have effective systems to monitor and track incidents to keep pupils safe. Staff know about potential risks to pupils’ welfare and are vigilant to spot where pupils may need help.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about keeping safe and can confidently discuss what they have been taught. They understand how to keep themselves safe online. The work that staff did during the COVID-19 lockdowns helped them to understand the importance of being safe online.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Kensington Primary School, to be outstanding in July 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 1 and 2 December 2021

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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. 1 and 2 December 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10209194 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Kensington Primary School converted to become an academy school in September 2017. When its predecessor school, Kensington Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall. The school is part of the Tapscott Learning Trust.  The school provides before- and after-school clubs and lunchtime activities for all its pupils.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and members of staff. Inspectors also met with members of the academy trust and the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, science, geography and personal, social, health and economic education, which included the school’s curriculum 1 and 2 December 2021

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for emotional health. For each of these subjects, inspectors held discussions with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with staff and pupils and looked at pupils’ work. Inspectors also considered the curriculum for other subjects.  Inspectors spoke with parents and considered the 103 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses from parents.  Inspectors spoke with pupils and staff about the school’s work to keep pupils safe. Inspectors also considered safeguarding records, documentation, and the school’s single central record of staff suitability checks.

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Inspection team

Adam Vincent, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Joy Barter Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 December 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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