Kenn Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Kenn Church of England Primary School Kennford, Exeter, Devon EX6 7TX

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is a happy place. Pupils enjoy being part of a warm, caring, inclusive community where everyone matters. Pupils strive to live up to the high expectations of staff. This encourages them to be respectful, confident and kind.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in community activities, for example completing a beach clean-up. Many also take on leadership positions, such as being school council members and club leaders. Through these opportunities, pupils grow in confidence and learn the value of helping others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders know pupils and their families well. They ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have the knowledge and skills they need to be successful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Lessons and playtimes are calm and orderly. Behaviour that is unkind is rare. Pupils know what bullying is and report it immediately. If it does happen, pupils are clear that staff are quick to act and stop it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers who shared their views are positive about the school. They value the individual care and attention their children receive.

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

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. They have organised learning so pupils can build on what they already know from the early years to Year 6. This helps children get off to a good start and prepares them well for their next steps.

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

In subjects such as reading and mathematics, the curriculum is organised in a clear and coherent way. Leaders have identified the key knowledge pupils must learn. This helps pupils to learn and remember the most important information over time. In other subjects, the essential knowledge and important concepts that pupils need to know are 26 April 2023

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not as clearly identified. Consequently, pupils do not always have secure knowledge on which to build future learning. Leaders are continuing to review the curriculum to address this. In lessons, teachers check to ensure pupils understand the curriculum content. When pupils need extra support, they receive it quickly. This helps pupils to keep up with their learning.

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Leaders have a strong focus on helping pupils to read. Staff receive regular, well- structured training. As a result, they support pupils effectively no matter what stage of reading they are at. Phonics begins in the first week of the early years. The books that pupils read match the sounds they learn in class. Staff check on pupils’ progress in reading frequently. Leaders use this information to provide well-considered support to those pupils who need extra help. This means that pupils gain the phonic knowledge they need to become confident readers. Pupils read every day in all classes. Teachers also read to pupils regularly, choosing books that broaden pupils’ appreciation of different genres.

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Pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. Leaders plan the personal development curriculum well. Pupils learn about different relationships and the importance of having respect for other people. Well-considered trips and residential visits provide opportunities for pupils to experience different cultures and participate in challenging activities. This helps build pupils’ understanding of the wider community as well as their confidence and resilience. Leaders also place a high priority on supporting pupils’ mental well-being. In addition to staff being available to support pupils with concerns, pupils in Year 6 can train to be mental health ambassadors. These pupils provide a listening ear for other pupils who want to talk about things that worry them.

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In lessons and at social times, pupils behave well. They are polite and follow well- established routines with enthusiasm. Learning is not disrupted by poor behaviour. Children in the early years listen attentively and follow adults’ instructions.

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Pupils with SEND receive the support they need to learn well. Leaders make regular checks on the progress pupils with SEND make towards their targets. They help teachers to adapt learning so that all pupils follow the same curriculum. Leaders help pupils with SEND to develop independence and confidence. This prepares pupils well for the next stage in their education.

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Governors and leaders from the trust provide effective support and challenge. Staff are proud to work at the school and appreciate leaders’ efforts to keep their workload reasonable. Staff say that leaders are understanding, supportive and approachable.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that everyone understands their responsibility for keeping children safe. They make suitable safeguarding checks during recruitment to ensure that staff are safe to work with children. Regular training enables staff to quickly spot pupils who are at risk. Leaders work well with other professionals to help vulnerable pupils and their families. 26 April 2023

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Pupils learn how to keep safe through the curriculum and the assembly programme. In addition, the school has suitable policies in place to raise awareness among staff and parents about the dangers of sexual harassment, online sexual abuse and sexual violence.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some areas of the curriculum, the key knowledge pupils need to learn is not detailed enough or supported by appropriate examples to help pupils remember it. As a result, pupils do not learn knowledge securely and can find future learning more difficult. Leaders should ensure that all subject areas have a curriculum where the knowledge pupils need to learn is clearly identified and well sequenced.

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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, Kenn Church of England Primary School, to be good in November 2018.

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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. 26 April 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268583 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 executive headteacher and head of school were appointed in January 2022.  The executive headteacher is also the executive headteacher of Kenton Primary School and Cockwood Primary School.  The school joined the Ivy Education Trust in June 2022.  The school is a Church of England school. The last section 48 inspection was in June 2019. The next inspection is due next year.  The school converted to become an academy school in June 2019. When its predecessor school, Kenn Church of England Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school does not use any alternative education providers.

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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. 26 April 2023

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 Inspectors held discussions with the executive headteacher, head of school, the designated safeguarding lead, senior leaders from the trust and three members of the local governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum 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.  Inspectors made checks on the school’s records for safeguarding and staff recruitment and spoke to staff about the school’s procedures for safeguarding pupils.  Inspectors took account of the views of parents through the responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey. This included free-text responses. Inspectors also considered the outcomes of the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Mark Burgess, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jane Dhillon Ofsted Inspector 26 April 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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