Kislingbury Primary School

Inspection of Kislingbury Primary School High Street, Kislingbury, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN7 4AQ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 7 and 8 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to attend this caring school. They say that everyone is friendly and that they get along well together. Leaders have put the school’s Christian ethos at the centre of its work. Leaders encourage pupils to ‘follow your path using the values for life’. Pupils and staff live these values out. For example, courage, kindness, forgiveness and friendship.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils use their ‘eagle eyes’ in lessons. Teachers insist that pupils are active participants in their learning. Classrooms are calm. This means that pupils can do their best. Pupils’ positive behaviour continues at playtime and lunchtime. Everyone agrees that poor behaviour or bullying is not tolerated. Pupils feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils learn about a wide range of cultures and faiths. They are clear that everyone is equal. Each pupil is a member of a school house named after an inspirational person: Mandela, Nightingale, Hawkins and Greta. Pupils have opportunities to be leaders in school. The school council is actively involved in decisions that are made to improve the school, including a recent playground project.

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better?

The trust has provided leaders with a well-constructed and ambitious curriculum. Detailed plans set out the key knowledge that pupils need to know and remember. Leaders adapt these curriculum plans to meet the needs of pupils at Kislingbury. They have thought carefully about how to deliver a well-sequenced curriculum in mixed-age classes.

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better?

Teachers are skilled. They have good subject knowledge. They stick closely to the approach that leaders expect. Many lessons begin with a ‘flashback’ opportunity for pupils to recall prior learning. Teachers model new learning well. Pupils work in a pair or group to rehearse new learning before moving on to independent work. As a result of this well-considered approach, pupils remember key knowledge well. In geography, Year 4 and Year 5 pupils name important rivers in Europe and explain the stages of a river from the ‘source’ to the ‘mouth’. Year 2 pupils identify the difference between human and physical geographical features.

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better?

Leaders have recently introduced a new system to assess how well pupils remember the intended learning in subjects other than English and mathematics. However, they have not used this information to identify where the content or order of the curriculum may need to be adjusted. In addition, foundation subject curriculum leaders have not checked that teachers deliver the curriculum as it is intended. They have not assured themselves that pupils know and remember more of the curriculum over time. 7 and 8 March 2023

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Pupils are enthusiastic learners. Right from the start of school, they develop positive attitudes. Children in the early years acquire the communication and mathematical skills they need, to be ready for Year 1. They use their skills at play. For example, they develop their own ‘made-up’ game that requires them to count and take turns.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the support they need to succeed. Teachers adapt the delivery of the curriculum so they can access new content. They provide the right balance between support for pupils with SEND and stepping back when appropriate so that these pupils can work independently.

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Leaders are ambitious that every pupil will learn to read well. This journey starts promptly in the early years where children learn to hear the sounds in words and blend them together to read. In key stage 1, pupils continue to develop their phonic knowledge. They read from books that are closely matched to the sounds they know. They learn to read with ever-increasing confidence and fluency.

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Leaders promote a love of reading. There is a commitment that pupils will read for at least 20 minutes every day. Teachers read to pupils from a wide range of authors and genre. Pupils are positive about reading. They enjoy the daily story time and express genuine disappointment when their teacher stops reading on a ‘cliff-hanger’.

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Pupils have many meaningful opportunities to develop their interests and talents. These include sports, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and the arts. There is a wide range of clubs on offer. The girls’ football club and chess club are run at the request of pupils. Pupils learn how to look after their physical and mental health.

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Staff appreciate the consideration that leaders give to their workload and well-being. They are proud of the school. One member of staff said, ‘we are lucky to work here.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive appropriate training to identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. They show high levels of interest in pupils’ well-being. They pass their concerns on without delay. Records of concerns kept are thorough. Safeguarding leaders respond promptly when they are worried about a pupil. They take the right actions to keep pupils safe. Leaders seek the support of external agencies when needed.

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Safeguarding

Pupils say they feel safe and protected in school. They know there are trusted adults they can speak to. They learn about how to keep themselves safe as part of the school’s curriculum. 7 and 8 March 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have introduced a new approach to assessment in foundation subjects. However, they are not using the information provided by these assessments to adjust the curriculum where it may be needed. Leaders should ensure that the information assessment provides is used to improve the curriculum in order to maximise what pupils know and remember.  Some curriculum leaders of foundation subjects have not monitored the subjects they lead. They have not fully evaluated the implementation or impact of the planned curriculum. Leaders should ensure that foundation subject curriculum leaders have opportunities to check how well the curriculum is delivered and that pupils are remembering the intended learning.

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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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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. 7 and 8 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10254867 Type of school Primary

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Head of school

Rebecca Osborne Jordan Icke Website www.kislingburyschool.co.uk

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Head of school

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school joined Peterborough Diocese Education Trust in September 2018. When its predecessor school, also known as Kislingbury Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted in November 2013, it was judged to be good overall.  The executive headteacher was appointed across three schools in the academy trust in September 2022, including Kislingbury Primary School. A head of school supports the work of the executive headteacher, who was appointed in February 2023.  The school is a Church of England primary school within the Diocese of Peterborough. It was last inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in March 2017. The next inspection will be within eight years of the previous inspection.  Leaders do not make use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 7 and 8 March 2023

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 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 held meetings with the executive headteacher, head of school, the school’s special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and leader with responsibility for the early years foundation stage. The lead inspector spoke to three representatives from the trust, including the chief executive officer, and held a separate remote meeting with the chair of the academy governance committee.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography, and art and design. For each deep dive, they discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils about the lessons visited and looked at samples of pupils’ work. An inspector also reviewed

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curriculum plans for science and history and listened to pupils reading to a member of staff.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors spoke with leaders, staff and pupils about the school’s arrangements for keeping children safe. The lead inspector examined safeguarding records and documentation, including the single central record.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, at lunchtime and around the school. They spoke to staff and pupils so that they could give their views of the school.  Inspectors reviewed parental responses to Ofsted’s online survey and spoke to parents at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Caroline Poole, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

John Craig Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 March 2023

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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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