Kingswood Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Kingswood Primary School Cayser Drive, Kingswood, Maidstone, Kent ME17 3QF

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Outcome

Kingswood Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well cared for at Kingswood Primary School. They appreciate how staff greet them every day and check in with them to make sure that they are ok. Relationships throughout the school are typically good humoured and mutually respectful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong sense of community. Staff, for example, help those who are interested to work in the school garden at breaktimes. Pupils readily take on responsibilities such as well-being or eco warriors. School is a purposeful, happy place of shared endeavour. Pupils have many opportunities to attend clubs or take part in performances such as the end-of-term play, ‘Robin Hood and the Hoodies’. These experiences build pupils’ confidence and, as they explain, ‘Help us to work as a team’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Expectations are high. Pupils say that the recently added school value, resilience, helps encourage them never to give up in striving for the very best. Pupils are motivated by the ‘character coins’ which they are awarded for demonstrating school values. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including online. They are taught how to recognise and report bullying, which they say is rare and quickly dealt with by staff.

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

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum which is well structured to meet the needs of all pupils at the school. Subject leaders drawn from across the federation help to ensure that the curriculum is implemented well. They provide staff with the training and support they need to build pupils’ knowledge effectively. In art, design technology and music, a revised curriculum was implemented at the beginning of the year. This has not yet been fully delivered or evaluated.

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

Reading sits at the heart of provision. Children learn to read quickly and well. The teaching of phonics is systematic and effective. Leaders have ensured that staff are well trained to deliver the phonics programme with consistency and skill. Regular assessment quickly identifies and provides for any pupils who need additional support. 19 July 2022

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Pupils enjoy reading. Those who are learning to read and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from books which are carefully selected to build their confidence. As pupils move through the school, their enthusiasm for books is nurtured by staff. Right from the start in early years, children are captivated by the stories read to them by their teachers. Pupils engage in animated discussion about plots, characters and popular authors. Often, they have several books on their tables in front of them and are keen to discuss their favourites. Pupils who staff the school library can recommend books to their peers.

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Mathematics is a popular subject with pupils. They are confident and competent mathematicians. The curriculum is well structured to build their knowledge of facts and methods. This helps them to solve problems of increasing complexity.

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Teachers regularly check that pupils are learning more and remembering more across the curriculum. This helps them to quickly spot any gaps or misconceptions, which are swiftly addressed. Pupils with SEND benefit from ambitious but suitably adapted work where necessary. This helps ensure that all pupils learn effectively.

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Pupils benefit from carefully planned experiences to enrich the curriculum. For example, they explained how visits to Leeds Castle and the ‘rivers trip’ had enhanced their learning. Pupils are interested in their lessons. In classes, they respond keenly and thoughtfully to questions, follow instructions and listen to each other. The inspection took place during unusually hot weather, but pupils remained attentive and well behaved nevertheless.

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Pupils’ personal development is strong. The curriculum helps to prepare them for life in modern Britain. Regular life-skills lessons help pupils to learn about themselves and others. Pupils across the school demonstrate positive attitudes. They are responsible and considerate.

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Governors have a good understanding of the needs of the school. They work effectively with leaders to help drive the school forward with purpose and a clear direction. For example, they have carefully considered how outdoor learning aligns to the curriculum. The majority of parents are supportive of the school. Some remain anxious around some decisions about how the school is run and the particular demands facing a small school. Leaders have created a parent/carer council to build communication together. Staff are positive about how being part of the federation spreads the responsibility of subject leadership across the schools. They say that this has had a positive impact on their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that although this is a small school, there is absolutely no complacency when dealing with matters of safeguarding. Staff are well trained, and benefit from regular updates to help them identify issues. A new online recording system has been put in place. Staff explain how this has helped to communicate information quickly and effectively. 19 July 2022

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Leaders are keenly aware of the central importance of online safety, and that this can be a changing landscape. They talk regularly to pupils and parent groups to help identify any needs and adapt the curriculum to respond to these.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The implementation of the curriculum in the creative arts it is still at an early stage. This means that subject leaders cannot yet have a clear understanding of these subjects and evaluate how effectively they build knowledge for pupils over time. Subject leaders in these subjects should continue to monitor and refine the curriculum as it embeds, so that pupils are supported to achieve the very best outcomes.

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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 school to be good in May 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.

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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 . 19 July 2022

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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. 19 July 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10227659 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Aspire federation group of schools.  The head of school took up post in 2019. She is supported by an Executive Headteacher who works across all four schools in the federation.  The governing body works across all four schools in the federation.  The school has fluctuated in size from between four and five classes. In September, it will expand from the current four classes back to five.  The school does not currently use 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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the lead inspector met regularly with school leaders. The lead inspector met with some members of the governing body and spoke to a representative from the local authority. 19 July 2022

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 The inspectors conducted deep dives into reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed curriculum planning with the subject leader, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to some pupils reading.  Records associated with safeguarding were reviewed, including the single central record and appointment procedures. The inspectors spoke to staff about their safeguarding training,  and spoke to pupils about the support they have in understanding how to keep safe.  The inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s parent, pupil and staff questionnaires. A letter was received and considered from parents.  The inspectors met with groups of staff to discuss their views about the school, including workload and well-being. The inspectors met with several groups of pupils, as

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well as speaking to pupils during lessons and around the school.

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Inspection team

Deborah Gordon, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Cathy Reid Ofsted Inspector 19 July 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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