Kentisbeare Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Kentisbeare Church of England Primary School Fore Street, Cullompton, Devon, EX15 2AD

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Outcome

Kentisbeare Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff are ambitious for pupils. The well-planned curriculum supports the school’s aims to ‘Inspire, Believe, Achieve’. Staff have high expectations for pupils’ learning. Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. They value the breadth of wider opportunities, including educational visits, that are on offer to them. The many after- school clubs, such as gardening and multi-skills sports, help to develop pupils’ talents and interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are confident, polite and well behaved. They are kind and caring and show each other and adults respect. They say please and thank you without being prompted. Pupils hold doors open for adults. They work well together in class, taking turns and listening to their friends. Pupils say staff encourage them to be the best they can be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers describe the school as being like a family. One comment typical of many was, ‘staff go above and beyond to ensure each child is happy and safe’. Pupils say they have lots of friends. They understand the difference between bullying and falling out. Pupils say that bullying does not happen. If pupils have worries, they are confident that staff, including the ‘school listener’, will help them.

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

Leaders, including governors, have a thorough knowledge of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They prioritise the right training to ensure that the school’s curriculum and staff subject knowledge are continuously developing. This supports teachers to think carefully about how to help each individual pupil achieve their potential.

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

The school’s curriculum is clearly sequenced to build pupils’ knowledge and skills over time. This begins in the early years. Subject leaders identified the curriculum content not covered during the national lockdowns. They rightly changed the order in which the curriculum is taught to ensure pupils do not miss important knowledge. Teachers continue to check for gaps in pupils’ knowledge. They quickly put extra support in place to close 9 December 2021

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these gaps. They also encourage pupils to use their existing knowledge if they find a piece of new work tricky. For example, in mathematics pupils know how to use equipment correctly or check previous calculation methods.

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The teaching of phonics is effective. A consistent approach helps teachers to check and spot who needs extra practice. The books pupils read match the letters and sounds that they know. This helps pupils to develop their reading speed and accuracy well. Staff nurture pupils’ love of reading. Staff regularly read high-quality texts to pupils. Pupils use the school library. Staff guide them to select books carefully to take home and share with their parents. Pupils enjoy reading.

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Across wider curriculum subjects, pupils are securing a range of knowledge and skills well. For example, pupils’ art and design work uses different techniques and media effectively. They produce artwork to a high standard. They know about different artists and styles. However, pupils are not able to make connections between the artists studied, the art they study and their own work. The essential knowledge pupils must know and remember is not clearly identified across some subject curriculums. Therefore, teachers cannot emphasise this key knowledge to help pupils make connections between their learning and deepen their subject knowledge further.

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Leaders of special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) work closely with staff and external agencies to correctly identify pupils’ additional needs. This begins in the early years. Staff know the pupils and their individual needs well. They set ambitious targets for each pupil’s learning. Staff use resources effectively to make appropriate adaptations to the curriculum. Pupils with SEND are supported well.

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Pupils learn how to be physically and mentally healthy. Leaders ensure that any pupils who need extra help to manage their emotions and improve their well-being get the targeted support they need.

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Governors possess the knowledge and skills to support and challenge leaders in equal measure. They actively seek appropriate training and support to further improve their knowledge. Leaders, including governors, support staff well-being. Staff appreciate this support. They are proud to work at this school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders complete appropriate safer recruitment checks before staff begin work at the school. Staff and governors attend safeguarding training and receive regular updates. Governors check that staff follow the school’s safeguarding policies.

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Safeguarding

Staff know how to report concerns about pupils’ welfare. They know that their concerns are taken seriously. Referrals to external agencies are made in a timely manner. Leaders inform staff of the actions taken.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. This includes when they are online. 9 December 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils do not always make connections between knowledge taught over time. This makes it difficult for them to consistently apply their skills across a range of learning and deepen their knowledge further. Leaders need to identify the key knowledge they want pupils to know by the time they leave the school in different subjects.

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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 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 school to be good in October 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.

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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. 9 December 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10210980 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Headteacher

Website www.kentisbeare-primary.devon.sch.uk

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Headteacher

Date of previous inspection 12–13 October 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Kentisbeare Church of England Primary School is part of a federation with two other schools.  It is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Exeter.  There are currently two co-chairs of the governing body to aid the transition between the outgoing and incoming chair of governors.  The executive headteacher for the federation was appointed in September 2021.  The head of school was appointed in September 2019.

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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. 9 December 2021

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 The inspectors met with the executive headteacher, head of school, special educational needs coordinator, staff, pupils, governors, including the co-chairs of the governing body, and a school improvement adviser from Devon County Council.  The lead inspector listened to pupils from Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 read to a member of staff.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, 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 reviewed the school’s safeguarding documentation, including records of safeguarding checks carried out on staff working at the school. They considered how well the designated safeguarding lead acts on concerns about pupils’ safety and welfare. The inspectors spoke to pupils, staff and governors about safeguarding

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practices.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration the responses to the surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Marie Thomas, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephen McShane Her Majesty’s Inspector 9 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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