Kilkhampton Junior and Infant School

Inspection of Kilkhampton Junior and Infant School Kilkhampton, Bude, Cornwall EX23 9QU

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2023

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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 Previous inspection grade Good 13 and 14 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), flourish at this inclusive, community-oriented school. They contribute to the friendly, family atmosphere. Pupils say that bullying does not happen. They recognise that staff look after them and sort issues out quickly. Pupils say they feel safe. Parents are positive about their children’s experiences. They also believe that their children are well looked after. Pupils, like staff, strive to live by the school’s motto of ‘be the best you can be’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy lessons. They respond positively to what their teachers ask them to do. Pupils are attentive and look to do their best, although, sometimes, teachers could ask them to work harder. Pupils enjoy the range of subjects they are taught and recognise that they are well prepared for the next stage of their education. They also know that there are a few subjects where they do not learn as well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. High expectations are widely shared by all. There is a strong link between the school’s motto and the policies followed to promote positive behaviour. This is effective. Leaders ensure that staff focus on developing pupils’ characters in a range of ways. As a result, pupils’ well-being is promoted particularly well. This helps pupils to feel valued, listened to and happy.

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better?

Leaders have worked with determination to create an engaging curriculum for pupils. They prioritise broadening pupils’ experiences, including how they learn about the wider world and have the key knowledge needed to succeed. Pupils learn together harmoniously, including those with SEND, who learn alongside their peers. Many elements of the curriculum are very well planned and delivered consistently. For example, pupils achieve well in English, mathematics, science and physical education (PE). This helps to ensure that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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better?

Leaders ensure that all subjects hold their place in the overall curriculum. Subject leaders are increasingly taking responsibility to ensure that their subjects are deliberately designed and planned. However, subject planning and teachers’ subject knowledge are more secure in some subjects than others. Where it is better, such as in PE and science, teachers utilise planning and their understanding to explain new ideas to pupils with precision. This helps pupils to learn well. On the other hand, leaders know that in some subjects, such as in history, curriculum planning is less well developed. In these subjects, lessons draw less carefully on what pupils already know and can do. This means that pupils’ understanding of the past and what it means to be a historian can be confused.

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better?

Leaders, including governors, are rightly proud of their community-oriented school. There is strong collaboration between staff and leaders, who want the best for 13 and 14 September 2023

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pupils. Staff recognise that their well-being is protected and appreciate the team ethos that has been secured. Leaders use several methods to check that what they are doing is effective. However, sometimes, there is an overreliance on aspects of evidence they review, such as the use of data. This means that, occasionally, leaders are not clear about the impact of their decisions on pupils’ learning because they do not check carefully enough what pupils know and can do.

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Provision in the early years is effective. Staff are skilled and ambitious for all, including those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND. Staff work to realise their ambition with confidence and enthusiasm. For example, they are expert in teaching early reading and mathematics and showing children with SEND how to interact and communicate. Children are encouraged to make the most of every learning moment through play and when learning from their teachers.

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Pupils become keen readers. Leaders have established an effective early reading curriculum. Pupils benefit from a well-resourced library, as well as large selections of high-quality texts in their classrooms. Teachers diligently and consistently follow the school’s approach to teaching reading. Occasionally, expectations could be higher. For example, some pupils are ready to move through the phonics programme more quickly than others, but they are hindered by the way the programme is delivered. Pupils take home books that match the sounds they have learned. They speak confidently about stories they have read, had read to them and learned to enjoy.

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Pupils’ wider development is promoted very well. Pupils learn to be active citizens within the school community and beyond. Staff prioritise pupils’ mental and physical well-being. For example, pupils speak positively about their ‘wellbeing buddies’, their learning in PE and how staff promote mental health. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well and in a number of ways. For example, pupils experience music and art from different cultures and learn about diversity. Through this, pupils learn to embrace and see value in being modern British citizens.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders’ work on the curriculum has resulted in many successes. However, subject leadership, planning and pupils’ learning need more time to embed in some subjects, like history. Leaders should build on and strengthen the role of subject leaders so that curriculum planning is coherent, ambitious and well sequenced in all subjects. This will help to ensure that the delivery of the curriculum by teachers is strong across all subjects and that pupils’ outcomes improve further. 13 and 14 September 2023

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 Monitoring of the curriculum by leaders and governors is not as sharp as it needs to be. Sometimes, leaders rely too much on data or by observing lessons. Leaders should do more to check how well pupils remember key knowledge when evaluating the effectiveness of the curriculum and the impact of leaders’ and teachers’ work.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.kilkhampton.cornwall.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Kilkhampton Infant and Junior School has nearly double the number of pupils on role compared to the last time it was inspected.  The school does not use 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.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with leaders, including the headteacher, the early years lead, who is also the special educational needs coordinator, and the lead for reading. They also spoke to a range of staff. 13 and 14 September 2023

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 Inspectors met with the school improvement partner, who provides external support and challenge to the school. They met with three representatives from the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history and PE. 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 looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also heard a selection of pupils read.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors: checked the single central record of recruitment checks; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors took into account the responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire,

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including the free-text responses. They also reviewed responses to the staff survey.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including the leaders’ evaluations, documents relating to school improvement, reports provided by external consultants and information about the school’s curriculum.

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Inspection team

Matthew Barnes, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kelly Olive His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 September 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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