Kingsbridge Community Primary School

Inspection of Kingsbridge Community Primary School Belle Cross Road, Kingsbridge, Devon TQ7 1NL

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 27 and 28 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Kingsbridge Community Primary School is a nurturing and inclusive place to learn. Pupils understand the values of community, aspiration, respect and equity. They are kind to each other. Pupils are polite and respectful to adults. Most parents acknowledge the caring ethos that leaders in school provide. They say that the school is like a big family.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years work well together and enjoy learning. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the help they need to learn well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have recently made some improvements to the curriculum. However, the quality of education is not consistently strong across the curriculum. In some subjects, the curriculum is too new to have an impact on learning. Teachers do not have strong subject knowledge. As a result, pupils do not always learn well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are high expectations for behaviour. Pupils feel safe. Bullying is rare, but pupils are confident that if it did happen, it would be dealt with quickly. Pupils behave well in lessons and there is little low-level disruption.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are strong relationships between pupils and staff. Pupils feel happy and enjoy coming to school.

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better?

For too long, pupils have not received a good quality of education. Leaders, including those responsible for governance, have been aware of these weaknesses. However, those responsible for governance have not acted quickly enough. Recently, governors have asked leaders from another trust for help with school improvement. This work has been effective. However, there is still a lot to do.

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better?

Leaders have begun to improve the curriculum. In mathematics, leaders have provided training to improve teachers’ subject knowledge. Teaching helps pupils to practise mathematical skills effectively. This helps pupils to know more, do more and remember more over time. As a result, pupils’ mathematical learning is strong. However, in other subjects, improvements are at an early stage. Many subject leaders are new to their roles. The curriculum has only just been introduced and teachers do not have secure subject knowledge. As a result, pupils do not learn well.

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better?

Leaders expect pupils with SEND to learn the same curriculum as their peers. Staff know pupils and their individual needs well. They successfully adapt the curriculum and give pupils the right support, including in the early years. As a result, pupils with SEND learn well. Leaders are relentless in their work with external agencies to support pupils with SEND and their families. 27 and 28 June 2023

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Leaders have prioritised reading. They ensure that there is a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics. Pupils begin to learn to read as soon as they enter Reception Year. Leaders promote a love of reading, and most pupils talk positively about reading for pleasure. However, assessment is not used well. When pupils struggle to read, staff do not always identify the gaps that pupils have in their sounds. These pupils continue to make errors. As a result, some pupils do not read their books fluently. They do not catch up as quickly as they should.

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Children in the early years learn well with each other and start to become independent. Children quickly learn to follow routines. Staff have high expectations of the youngest children. This provides a strong foundation.

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Behaviour is positive. There is a calm and respectful atmosphere around the school. Teachers have high expectations. Pupils are positive and show responsible attitudes towards adults and each other.

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Pupils understand the importance of democracy, tolerance and respect. Pupils talk about different cultures and religions. They passionately believe that everyone should be treated equally, regardless of difference. They are developing into kind and caring citizens. Pupils enjoy taking part in clubs, such as the choir. However, the range of opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests, or to enhance their understanding of life in modern Britain, is not yet fully developed.

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Parents told us that staff are friendly and approachable. Staff feel well supported in their roles. They say that leaders consider their workload and well-being. Staff are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including governors, ensure that pupils are safe. All staff, including governors, receive regular training to keep their knowledge up to date. Consequently, they know how to notice and report any safeguarding concerns. Leaders work well with different agencies to support the most vulnerable pupils and families. Recruitment checks to ensure that adults are suitable to work in school are thorough.

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Safeguarding

Pupils have a good awareness of how to keep safe, including online safety. They know the importance of reporting any concerns to adults.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 For those pupils who are struggling to read, staff do not identify gaps in pupils’ understanding of phonics. Therefore, misconceptions continue. As a result, those children do not learn to read as well, and they do not catch up quickly enough. 27 and 28 June 2023

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Leaders need to ensure that staff are trained well to deliver and assess the early reading curriculum effectively.  Leaders’ work to improve the curriculum in some subjects is relatively new. Staff do not have the subject knowledge to implement the curriculum effectively. As a result, pupils do not develop the detailed knowledge and skills they need in every subject. Leaders need to make sure that staff’s subject knowledge and understanding improve so that they can implement the curriculum effectively.  Although some improvements have been made by leaders in school, those responsible for governance have been slow to act to improve the school. As a result, the quality of education is still not good enough. Governors need to ensure that they act swiftly to bring about school improvement.

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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. 27 and 28 June 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 May 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the South Hams Federation, a group of five schools in south west Devon. One governing board oversees all five schools.  The leadership in the school is a head of school. There is an executive headteacher across the South Hams Federation.  The school does not use alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the second routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held discussions with the head of school, the executive headteacher, governors, senior leaders and staff. 27 and 28 June 2023

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 The lead inspector held a phone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors reviewed documentation and spoke with leaders, staff and pupils to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding. Inspectors checked the single central record of adults working in the school and looked at safeguarding records. Inspectors reviewed attendance records.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, physical education and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and considered samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with the special educational needs coordinator to consider the quality of provision for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors observed the behaviour of pupils in classrooms and around school.  Inspectors gathered parents’ views by considering the responses to Ofsted Parent

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View, including free-text comments from parents.  Inspectors gathered the views of a range of pupils through discussions with pupils.  Inspectors held discussions with staff and considered responses to the Ofsted survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Sarah Ryder, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Craig Hayes Ofsted Inspector 27 and 28 June 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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