Kilmington Primary School

Inspection of Kilmington Primary School Whitford Road, Kilmington, Axminster, Devon EX13 7RG

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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 Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 11 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 12 and 13 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at Kilmington Primary school. There are warm and respectful relationships between staff and pupils. Staff set high expectations for pupils’ conduct. Pupils live up to these expectations. This starts in the early years, where children learn school rules and routines. Pupils behave well and have positive attitudes towards their learning. They enjoy school and attend well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has made improvements that reflect its ambition for pupils, for example, in early reading and mathematics. However, other changes are in their early stages. The wider curriculum does not yet support pupils to build their knowledge well enough across all subjects. In these areas pupils do not achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take on positions of responsibility that help improve the school. For example, the school council has introduced systems for recycling and it raises awareness around road safety. Pupils appreciate the range of trips and visits on offer, such as residential visits which develop their independence and build character.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents would recommend the school to others. They appreciate how the school makes the best use of resources it has. Many commented on the dedicated staff, family feel and high-quality pastoral care their children receive.

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better?

Since the school joined the Devon Moors Federation in 2021, there has been a strong focus on English and mathematics. This has meant that pupils achieve well in these areas. However, across the wider curriculum, the school, and those responsible for governance, has not checked the impact of developments in the wider curriculum. As a result, the school has not identified where the curriculum is less effective. This means pupils do not learn as well and have gaps in their learning.

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better?

The mathematics curriculum is well designed and sequenced to meet the needs of mixed-aged classes. It provides pupils with the opportunity to develop their fluency in number. This starts in the early years, where children in Nursery learn about numbers by counting spots on dominoes. They learn to recognise numbers quickly. Older pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), use this knowledge to solve problems and apply what they have learned. The school identifies pupils with SEND quickly. Staff work with many specialist partners, as well as parents and carers, to make sure that most pupils get the tailored support that they need.

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better?

Across the wider curriculum the school has not considered how content builds progressively on what pupils already know. The school has not identified the small steps of knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn. It is not clear what pupils must remember over time. This often means that pupils are not ready for the next part of their learning in these areas. 12 and 13 March 2024

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Reading is a strength in the school. In Nursery, there is a focus on developing children’s communication and language. Children listen to different sounds before moving on to formal phonics lessons in Reception. Pupils practise their phonics knowledge by reading books that are matched to the sounds and letters they know. This means they learn to read with fluency quickly. Pupils who do not keep up with the phonics programme are supported to catch up quickly. Older pupils value reading. They listen to and read a carefully selected and wide range of diverse books.

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In the early years, and in the phonics and mathematics curriculums, the school uses assessment systems well. This means gaps in pupils’ learning and misconceptions are addressed quickly. However, in the wider curriculum, assessment is not in place with the same rigour. This means the school is not clear what pupils learn. This prevents pupils from building their knowledge based on what they already know and remember.

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The school provides an effective personal, social and health education curriculum for all pupils. Pupils learn about healthy and safe relationships and what it means to be a good friend. Pupils understand fundamental British values, such as democracy and tolerance. They have a good knowledge of faiths and cultures different to their own.

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Pupils enjoy learning outdoors within the local village forest. They apply their indoor learning to new contexts. Pupils recall topics such as consent and staying safe online. Pupils have some opportunities to take part in some clubs outside their lessons, although pupils and parents would appreciate more.

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The school and federation consider staff well-being and workload. Staff are proud of the culture of teamwork and support that exists at the school. They feel valued and supported.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The precise knowledge pupils need to know and remember is not sufficiently identified and sequenced across all subjects. As a result, pupils do not build their knowledge based on what they already know. They develop gaps in their learning. The school should ensure that the curriculum identifies the small steps in learning to enable all pupils to know more and remember more.  Assessment is not effective across the wider curriculum. As a result, the school is not clear what pupils know and can do. Some pupils do not build their knowledge 12 and 13 March 2024

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well. The school needs to ensure that assessment identifies gaps in prior knowledge so that subsequent learning builds on what pupils already know and remember.  The school does not evaluate the impact of its actions to improve the school. As a result, it has not identified where pupils do not learn well in the wider curriculum. The school, including those responsible for governance, must ensure that sufficient time and priority are given to check the impact of curriculum development. This will enable them to know how well the curriculum is embedded and support pupils to know and remember more over time.

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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). 12 and 13 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Christopher Dack

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Date of previous inspection

13th February 2013, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school joined Devon Moors Federation in February 2021. This is a formal collaboration with four other local schools, sharing an executive headteacher and governing body.  The school has provision for three-year-old children.  The school does not use any 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. 12 and 13 March 2024

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the head of school, the special educational needs coordinator, the designated safeguarding leads, members of staff, a representative from the local authority, and the chair and members of the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited samples of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum, spoke with pupils about their learning and evaluated their work in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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central record; 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 considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments, and the staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Gavin Summerfield, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Carl Thornton Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 March 2024

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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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