Kings' Forest Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Kings’ Forest Primary School Station Road, Kingswood, Bristol BS15 4PQ

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Outcome

Kings’ Forest Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Kings’ Forest enjoy an education that enables them to be creative, curious and confident. They develop a strong sense of their place in the world as citizens of their school and the wider community. Pupils live out the school’s vision that each individual will ‘aspire, believe, explore and achieve’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents value the effort that staff make to develop their children’s learning. One parent said: ‘My child’s needs change often, yet every time the school manages to match what she needs and respond with fresh ideas to try.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a range of extra-curricular opportunities to enhance pupils’ experiences. These excite pupils and help them to develop their understanding and see new places. For example, the recent science week brought visitors into school to inspire a love of engineering. One pupil said he is now aiming to be an engineer so that he can ‘clean the water around the SS Great Britain in Bristol’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say this is an ‘anti-bullying school’. Their behaviour showcases the expectations of ‘respectful, responsible, kind and positive’. Pupils are polite, caring and support each other well. They have high levels of trust in the staff and feel safe and comfortable talking to adults if they need help.

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

Leaders have created a well-sequenced, exciting curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils. Learning is based around the school’s five curriculum ‘pillars’. These prepare pupils for the modern world and help them to think about global issues. The ‘pillar’ that develops pupils’ oracy skills results in them becoming confident speakers. Pupils are able to discuss their learning and suggest solutions to world problems.

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

Teachers are knowledgeable and passionate about the subjects they teach. In lessons, they ask pupils questions that require them to recall their prior learning. Staff explain key 22–23 March 2023

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concepts clearly and demonstrate what pupils should be able to do by using a ‘my turn, your turn’ approach. The use of strategies such as these helps pupils to make links in their learning and complete more difficult tasks. For example, in music, pupils can apply their skills of reading musical notation when playing a range of instruments.

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The work pupils are given to complete meets the aims of the curriculum. However, teachers do not always use assessment precisely enough to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge. As a result, learning is not always as well matched to pupils’ starting points as it could be. This restricts the depth of knowledge that pupils develop in some subjects.

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Leaders prioritise reading as a central ‘pillar’ of the curriculum. It is celebrated and enjoyed by all. Pupils across the school listen with enthusiasm to a wealth of literature. This helps them develop a knowledge of stories and language patterns. Teachers consistently make sure pupils secure the skills they need to read well. Books that pupils read help them become fluent and accurate readers. Pupils who find reading difficult make rapid progress because they are given timely, high-quality support.

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Staff have a deep understanding of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They routinely adapt teaching so that pupils with SEND are able to access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Pupils with complex needs are very well supported in specially created learning environments designed to meet their sensory needs. This means that they, too, thrive.

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From the time they start school, pupils are taught about democracy, tolerance, rules and respect. As they move through the school, their understanding of these values contributes strongly to their learning. In lessons, pupils listen respectfully and encourage each other to learn well. They value their education.

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Pupils talk eagerly about the opportunities they have to develop their personal interests and talents. They develop their confidence through acting and singing in polished performances, such as the recent Year 4 and Year 5 performance of ‘Revolting Rhymes’. Pupils are also keen athletes and know how exercise and diet help to keep them healthy. They love using the cookery room and have plans to give a cooking demonstration to others on how to make a salad.

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Staff have high morale and say they feel ‘very lucky’ to work at Kings’ Forest. Leaders have created a culture where staff feel well supported to achieve excellent outcomes for pupils in their care.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are highly skilled in relation to safeguarding. They keep detailed records and use these to make sure that safeguarding partners provide families with the right help at the earliest possible stage. This keeps pupils safe. 22–23 March 2023

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Governors make sure that recruitment checks are robust. They regularly check that safeguarding policies are reflected in practice.

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Parents say that their children are safe at school. This is because staff know how to identify pupils at potential risk of harm. Pupils feel safe. The curriculum supports them to understand how to manage risks appropriately, including at playtimes.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not use assessment precisely enough to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This means that learning is not always well matched to pupils’ starting points. Teachers need to use assessment with more precision to identify exactly what pupils know and adapt learning in light of this.

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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 school to be good on 15 and 16 November 2016.

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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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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. 22–23 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10206976 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Carol Warrant & Steve Riches

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 and 16 November 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Forest Hill federation of schools. The school is federated with Staple Hill Primary School.  Since the time of the last inspection, the headteacher has become the single executive leader of the federation who now works collaboratively with the headteacher at Kings’ Forest Primary School.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provision that provides mentoring services.

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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 have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the executive headteacher, headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, designated safeguarding leads, groups of staff, pupils, a representative from the local authority, and members of the governing body. 22–23 March 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector considered the documentation around safeguarding, including the safeguarding checks made on staff. They talked to governors, staff and pupils about how the school keeps everyone safe.  The inspector spoke with a range of staff to see how leaders support their workload and well-being.  The inspector reviewed responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. The inspector also spoke to parents at the school. The inspector took into account the responses from the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Steph Matthews, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 22–23 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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