Robert Kett Primary School

Inspection of Robert Kett Primary School Hewitts Lane, Wymondham, Norfolk NR18 0LS

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 8 and 9 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and parents talk with great enthusiasm about Robert Kett Primary School. One parent said, ‘Children feel part of a community and are happy to come to school.’ Pupils say that all of their teachers are ‘really nice’ and that the headteacher listens ‘properly’ to them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well around the school and in lessons. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere because pupils want to learn. Pupils feel safe in school. They say bullying is rare and if it occurs it is rapidly sorted out. Pupils find nurture and talking to the emotional literacy support assistants really helpful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils do not achieve as well as they should. This is because the curriculum is not fully developed in several subjects. This prevents pupils learning and remembering important knowledge across the full range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years are safe and happy, but the curriculum does not prepare them well enough for Year 1.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a wide range of clubs and additional curriculum activities that promote their personal development. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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better?

There has been considerable turbulence in leadership and staffing since the last inspection. The current headteacher arrived just before the first national lockdown. Leaders quickly provided remote education. This was greatly valued by parents. Most pupils attended daily, and this helped reduce gaps in their learning.

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better?

The headteacher has provided support and guidance that has quickly established an effective senior leadership team and is developing effective curriculum leaders. Staff morale has dramatically improved. They share leaders’ vision and aspirations for pupils. Staff say workload is not a concern and appreciate the useful training they receive.

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better?

Leaders have rightly focused on securing a strong reading curriculum for pupils. The effective teaching of phonics means that most children learn to read simple books before they leave Reception. By the end of Year 2, most pupils are able to read longer books and understand what they are reading. The reading curriculum is well developed in key stage 2. Pupils read a wide range of books with understanding, enthusiasm and enjoyment.

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better?

However, curriculum planning in other subjects is too variable, especially where subject leaders are starting from scratch. In some subjects, such as mathematics and music, leaders have identified the important knowledge that pupils should learn. They ensure this is taught in a logical order that builds on what pupils have learned previously. Teachers have had the training and guidance needed to teach these 8 and 9 March 2022

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subjects effectively. This is not the case in some other subjects. Some subject leaders are new to their roles. They have not had time to construct a suitable curriculum in their subjects. They have not identified the important knowledge that pupils should learn. In these subjects, teachers do not teach subject knowledge in an order that helps pupils to remember and understand it. Pupils do not achieve as well as they should in all the subjects they study.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well to access the full curriculum. The special educational needs coordinator ensures pupils’ needs are accurately identified and met. She works effectively with external specialists so that pupils get the right help.

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Leaders lack a clear understanding of how best to plan and teach the early years curriculum. They have not precisely identified some of the knowledge children need to learn so they are well prepared for Year 1. Children behave well in early years. Parents appreciate the information they receive about their children’s learning.

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Pupils collaborate well in lessons and have positive attitudes to learning. Leaders promote pupils’ personal development well. Pupils participate in residential and cultural visits. All pupils have opportunities to develop confidence and teamwork skills. Pupils learn about relationships in line with the latest published guidance. There is strong provision to support pupils’ mental health.

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Governors provide effective challenge and support to school leaders. Governors know the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They check regularly on the effectiveness of leaders’ actions to improve the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Keeping pupils safe is of the highest priority. During the national lockdowns, staff supported the most vulnerable families effectively. At the school’s request, the local authority stringently audits leaders’ systems and procedures to keep pupils safe. Any recommendations are rapidly actioned. The safeguarding governor regularly checks that systems are working effectively and that pupils are safe.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained in all aspects of safeguarding. There are regular safeguarding updates, and all staff are confident to spot and report concerns. Leaders act promptly to keep pupils safe from harm. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online and in the local community. 8 and 9 March 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Curriculum plans in some subjects, such as English, mathematics and music, are well designed and sequenced. However, in some other subjects, this is not the case. Important subject knowledge is not identified and organised in a way that builds upon what pupils have previously learned. Pupils do not learn as well as they should. Senior leaders should ensure that curriculum design is ambitious and effective in all subjects.  Curriculum plans for early reading are well designed and sequenced in the early years. However, this is not the case for the other areas of learning. This means that children are not well prepared for some aspects of learning in Year 1. Leaders should ensure that they design a suitably ambitious curriculum in all the early years areas of learning and ensure that this is implemented effectively.

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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. 8 and 9 March 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 16 and 17 May 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, there has been considerable staff and organisational turbulence. The headteacher and chair of governors resigned, and the local authority took an active role in supporting the leadership team through the appointment of a lead officer working three days a week.  The local authority took control of the school’s budget and strengthened governance through the appointment of two experienced local authority governors.  The governors decided to explore federation and the possibility of becoming an academy. This was a slow process and did not go ahead. Consequently, the governors recruited and appointed a new substantive headteacher, who started at the school in April 2020, when the first COVID-19 lockdown happened.  The school is considerably larger than most primary schools. Most pupils are White British. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is lower than the national average, as is the proportion of pupils with SEND. However, the proportions of

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Information about this school

disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND are increasing.  There is a breakfast- and after-school club run by the school. 8 and 9 March 2022

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the school’s senior leaders. Inspectors met with a group of governors and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, history, mathematics, physical education, art and design, computing and music.  For each deep dive, inspectors 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 spoke to parents dropping off their children at school. There were 192 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors considered

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Information about this inspection

168 responses to the pupil survey and 77 responses to the staff survey. Inspectors considered two concerns from one parent about safeguarding. School leaders were able to show how they had managed these matters effectively.  Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils to gather their views when visiting lessons, at a formal meeting and on the playground.

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Inspection team

Julie Winyard, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lynsey Holzer Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 March 2022

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