Kemble Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Kemble Primary School School Road, Kemble, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 6AG

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong sense of belonging to the school community. Staff ensure that there are lots of opportunities for older and younger pupils to learn together during whole school workshops and through the ‘pupil buddy’ system. Pupils enjoy school and attend well. Everyone is included. Pupils get along with one another well. They say that if bullying happens, it is sorted out straight away.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are woven into the school’s curriculum. This encourages pupils to debate big ideas and reflect on how human actions affect the world. Pupils like learning practical life skills in the wooded area. This gives pupils confidence and develops teamwork.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn a range of subjects. Leaders’ expectations of what pupils should learn are rising swiftly. However, staff’s expectations of what pupils can achieve vary. As a result, pupils do not learn as much as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are a range of extra-curricular clubs on offer, including sports, sewing and singing. Pupils benefit from visitors to the school and going on excursions to support their learning. For example, they recently visited a public glasshouse to explore living rainforests.

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

The headteacher is skilful and determined. She is working transparently with governors and the trust. For example, she ensures that governors have an acute understanding of leaders’ current work to improve the mathematics and reading curriculums further and to raise staff’s expectations of what pupils know and can do. 25 May 2022

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Leaders are working methodically to address weaknesses they have identified in the school’s work. For example, they have improved the identification of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Nonetheless, leaders are only part way through their work to improve the curriculum, including in the early years.

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Parents and carers are positive about the school. They are fully behind leaders in the decisions they make. For example, parents recognise the improvements that have already happened and continue to take place. Some staff changes have been unsettling.

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Leaders consider staff’s workload when making decisions. They ensure that staff have the teaching resources they need to deliver the curriculum. Staff appreciate this. At the same time, leaders are ensuring that the content and sequencing of the curriculum are increasingly well thought out. However, in some subjects, staff are not implementing the essential subject content in the curriculum in line with leaders’ expectations. Leaders do not have sufficient oversight of this. Therefore, they do not identify when sequences of work miss out important information or do not move pupils on in their learning. This means that pupils learn more in some units of work, subjects and phases than others.

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Leaders have improved staff’s subject knowledge in mathematics. Pupils enjoy mathematics, and many pupils learn a lot. However, there remain some inconsistencies in the delivery of the mathematics curriculum, including in the early years. Teaching does not build on what pupils already know consistently well. Some pupils do not have enough opportunity to consolidate or deepen their understanding of key mathematical concepts.

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Leaders ensure there is a consistent approach for teaching phonics from Reception onwards. All staff have received training in the new phonics programme. Pupils who need to catch up receive some extra teaching. However, these pupils do not benefit from enough practice to apply their phonics knowledge securely and this hinders their accuracy and fluency in reading. The school’s approach to developing pupils’ understanding of what they read is suitably ambitious. It is beginning to pay off. As a result, some pupils are learning much more.

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Leaders have clear oversight of the individual targets that are set for pupils with SEND. These pupils receive kind and caring support. This helps pupils’ social and emotional development well. However, at times, pupils with SEND do not get the support they need to learn well across the curriculum, including in the early years.

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The curriculum ensures that pupils develop well personally, understand right and wrong and gain an understanding of the rule of law. Pupils learn about how to keep physically and mentally healthy. There is a strong focus on equality and understanding diversity.

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In discussion with the headteacher, the inspectors agreed that reviewing the effectiveness of the implementation of the curriculum in all subjects and phases and teachers’ use of assessment may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 25 May 2022

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Leaders make sure that all staff understand that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. This has created a strong safeguarding culture. Leaders and governors ensure that staff’s recruitment checks are in line with current legislation. Leaders keep staff up to date with safeguarding guidance. Staff apply their training well by identifying and reporting concerns promptly. Record-keeping is detailed. Pupils know how to keep safe, including online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders are only part way through their work to address previously identified weaknesses in the implementation of the curriculum, including in the early years. There is an inconsistency between subjects and phases in how well pupils learn the curriculum. Leaders need to ensure that all staff understand the knowledge that pupils need to know and remember and implement the school’s curriculum consistently well.  Teaching does not build on what pupils already know well enough, including in the early years. Some sequences of work miss out important knowledge or do not demand enough of pupils over time. Some pupils, including those with SEND or those who need to catch up, do not get the precise support they need. Leaders must ensure that teaching builds on what pupils already know and that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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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 second section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Kemble Primary School, to be good in February 2013.

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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. 25 May 2022

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The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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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. 25 May 2022

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up the post in September 2020.  This is a small school with four classes. There is one class for early years. There are mixed-age classes for Years 1/2, Years 3/4 and Years 5/6.  The school is part of Corinium Education Trust. This is a multi-academy trust of four schools. There is one secondary school and three primary schools in the trust.

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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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, staff, members of the local governing body and the chief executive officer. An inspector held a telephone conversation with a trustee.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and science. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work. An inspector listened to pupils read. 25 May 2022

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 Inspectors considered how well the school protects pupils and keeps them safe.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, along with the additional free-text comments. They also considered responses to the pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Julie Carrington, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Paula Marsh Ofsted Inspector 25 May 2022

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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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