Kirk Fenton Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Kirk Fenton Church of England Primary School Main Street, Church Fenton, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire LS24 9RF

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where every pupil is encouraged to ‘let their light shine’. Pupils feel safe. They know that adults are there to help them. They trust that if there is a problem, it will be sorted out. Pupils have a strong understanding of how to make the world a better place and how to treat each other well. As one pupil said, ‘We treat each other how we would like to be treated.’ Pupils regularly look for opportunities to be of service to each other. Small acts like holding open doors and smiling are commonplace.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are taught to recognise what bullying is and what it is not. Bullying does sometimes happen, but leaders take this seriously and deal with it promptly. Pupils have confidence in leaders and staff to deal with these issues. There is trust between pupils and staff in school. Pupils behave well in lessons. They begin their work quickly and with enthusiasm. Strong routines are established. These routines help pupils become independent and resourceful learners. Staff have positive and respectful relationships with pupils. This makes the environment purposeful and positive.

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

Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum. They have given thought to the order in which concepts and themes are taught. Pupils are encouraged to see how each subject links to an understanding of the world beyond the village in which they live. In some foundation subjects, the precise knowledge leaders wish for pupils to know is not as clear as it could be. In most subjects, there are clear systems in place for checking what pupils know and can remember. In some areas of the curriculum, this assessment information is not used as well as it could be so as to identify pupils who may be in danger of falling behind.

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

Children in early years get a strong start to their education. They are quickly introduced to routines which develop their independence. Staff interact skilfully to support with learning. Activities in the classroom are well chosen to help children learn. Staff are beginning to use assessment information connected to the early years curriculum in 8 and 9 November 2022

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order to identify children who are in danger of falling behind their peers. This information is not always used as precisely as it could be in order to target help to children who may be falling behind.

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There is a clear focus on teaching pupils to read. Leaders recently introduced a new phonics curriculum. This is becoming embedded. Staff understand the importance of early reading. They have received training to help them to teach pupils to read. Phonics teaching starts in Reception. There is a clear approach to identifying pupils who need more help with reading. Pupils who do receive this targeted catch-up provision benefit from it. Around school, the love of reading is clear. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about story times and how they access inviting book corners in their classrooms.

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Pupils’ wider development is enhanced by a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Leaders ensure that pupils have a variety of clubs and experiences to choose from. Leaders track the participation in these clubs and make sure that disadvantaged pupils have ‘first access’ to these when they become available. Pupils have leadership opportunities in school, such as eco council, school council and play leaders. They talk with enthusiasm about these opportunities. Pupils make choices about which charities they support in their classes. Pupils know that they are making a difference to society. Their broader development is furthered by well-planned assemblies, which teach them about world events and British values.

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There is clear ambition for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). There are clear approaches for identifying pupils with SEND. The support these pupils receive matches closely to the areas in their learning they are finding more challenging. Teachers and leaders are firm in their belief that pupils with SEND should access the same curriculum as their peers. Teachers do not ‘water down’ the curriculum for pupils with SEND. Instead, they have carefully targeted support in class to help them to be successful.

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Staff at all levels feel very well supported by leaders. They feel listened to and that their voice matters. There are frequent opportunities for leaders at all levels to engage with staff. Leaders listen to feedback from staff on new policies and initiatives. These policies are then refined based on feedback. There is a clear sense, from leaders at all levels, of the care they have for the people they lead. Leaders know that caring for staff supports the quality of experiences pupils receive in the curriculum.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have put in place robust systems for recording safeguarding concerns. Staff are well trained to understand risks for pupils and families and who to report them to. Leaders ensure that staff receive training to keep them up to date with recent safeguarding information. Leaders show tenacity when working with external agencies. There is a sense of community in school which combines with the clear systems in place to create a culture of safeguarding. Pupils are taught what they need to know to help to 8 and 9 November 2022

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keep themselves safe. They have a strong understanding of healthy and unhealthy relationships, consent and online safety.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some curriculum areas, assessment information does not give teachers or leaders enough detail to identify pupils who have gaps in learning or may be falling behind their peers. As a result, additional provision and support for these pupils is not put in place as promptly as it could be and is not evaluated carefully enough to ensure that it is supporting these pupils to keep up with peers. Leaders should ensure that assessment information is used to identify pupils who need more focused support to keep up or catch up with their peers and that this provision is then evaluated and refined as necessary.  In some foundation subjects, the knowledge leaders wish for pupils to know is not clearly enough defined. As a result, in some subjects, pupils do not always have the opportunities to build on previously taught knowledge or develop this over time. Leaders should ensure that the precise knowledge they wish pupils to learn is clearly

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

defined. They should support teachers to create learning tasks and experiences that support pupils to retain these in their long-term memory.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Kirk Fenton Parochial Church of England School, to be good in January 2015.

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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. 8 and 9 November 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. 8 and 9 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241355 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

 The school is part of the STAR Multi Academy Trust. The school joined the trust in July 2018.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school is a Church of England School. The last Section 48 inspection for the school was 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke to senior leaders, including the chief executive officer, members of the board of trustees and members of the local governing body.  The inspector spoke to representatives from the Diocese of York.  The inspector carried out deep dives in mathematics, early reading and history. For each deep dive, the inspector 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 pupils’ work. The inspector listened to pupils read. 8 and 9 November 2022

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 The inspector evaluated responses from parents to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. They spoke with some parents dropping their children off at school. The inspector also evaluated the responses that staff and pupils made to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Liam Colclough, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 8 and 9 November 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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