Kensington Primary School

Inspection of Kensington Primary School Brae Street, Liverpool, Merseyside L7 2QG

p.1

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 20 and 21 March 2024

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Kensington Primary describe their school as a happy place to be. They are proud of their diverse community where everyone is accepted and valued for who they are. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), appreciate the strong relationships that they have with staff.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school consistently sets high expectations for pupils’ achievement. In the main, pupils, including many who are disadvantaged, achieve well.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with SEND, are attentive in lessons. This is reflected in the high-quality work that they produce and how enthused they are to talk about what they have learned. Pupils are well prepared for the next stages of their education.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are friendly and polite. They respect each other. When misbehaviour or incidents of bullying occur, staff deal with them quickly and effectively. The school has implemented successful systems to improve pupils’ rates of attendance. Pupils typically attend well as a result.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides well-thought-out opportunities to enhance pupils’ learning of the curriculum. For example, pupils talked excitedly about their trips to the local university, museum, zoo and football clubs. These experiences add considerable value to pupils’ learning and widen their aspirations.

p.2

better?

From the early years to Year 6, the school has designed a well-ordered curriculum, rooted in what it wants pupils to know and remember. This helps pupils to develop a secure body of subject knowledge across a broad range of subjects.

p.2

better?

The school’s published data for 2023 shows that the proportion of pupils who met the expected standards in reading and mathematics at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 was below the national average. A high proportion of pupils in these year groups joined the school at various stages throughout key stages 1 and 2. As a result, they were unable to benefit fully from the school’s well-designed curriculum. Currently, most pupils achieve well across a range of subjects.

p.2

better?

The school ensures that staff receive high-quality training to enhance their delivery of the curriculum. In the main, this equips staff to design learning that builds on what pupils know already. However, on occasion, some staff do not select activities that support pupils to learn the knowledge in the curriculum as deeply as they should.

p.2

better?

Staff are adept at identifying pupils’ misconceptions swiftly. Staff use well- established approaches to assessment to check that pupils have understood earlier concepts before introducing new ideas. When staff identify gaps in pupils’ 20 and 21 March 2024

p.2

3

knowledge, they use this information quickly and appropriately to shape future learning.

p.3

3

Staff in the early years use every opportunity to develop children’s communication and language skills by carefully modelling the vocabulary that they want children to know. This prepares children well for the demands of key stage 1.

p.3

3

The school has prioritised the teaching of early reading and ensured that staff are well trained to deliver the phonics programme effectively. Pupils practise reading with books that are well matched to the sounds that they have learned. The school ensures that any pupils who find reading difficult receive the extra support that they need to catch up quickly. As a result, most pupils become confident, fluent readers.

p.3

3

The school successfully promotes reading for enjoyment. Children in the early years establish their interest for reading through listening to stories regularly, and sharing books with each other. Older pupils spoke excitedly about their favourite characters and authors.

p.3

3

The school has effective systems in place to identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Staff work closely with parents, carers and external agencies to secure appropriate support for pupils. Staff are skilled at making necessary adaptations to their delivery of the curriculum. This enables pupils with SEND to learn successfully.

p.3

3

Pupils, including children in the early years, typically behave well. However, from time to time, a few pupils do not behave in such a positive manner. This sometimes interrupts other pupils’ learning.

p.3

3

The school offers an array of experiences to support pupils’ personal development. For example, pupils are keen to attend the many extra-curricular activities on offer to them, such as film, cookery and football clubs. Pupils learn to celebrate the differences between people. They said that everyone is welcome in their school and have elected buddies to help look after new pupils. The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils know how to keep themselves mentally healthy and how to stay safe online. They carry out leadership roles, such as acting as reading ambassadors and pupil panellists, diligently.

p.3

3

Governors are fully committed to supporting the continued improvement of the school. They carry out their statutory duties effectively and hold the school to account for the quality of education that pupils receive.

p.3

3

Staff are positive about the consideration that leaders give to their workload and well-being. For example, changes made to the way that staff provide feedback to pupils has had a positive impact on their workload.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 20 and 21 March 2024

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 From time to time, the activities and pedagogical approaches chosen by staff do not support pupils to learn the knowledge in the curriculum. This hinders some pupils from learning as deeply as they should. The school should ensure that staff are suitably equipped to deliver the curriculum consistently well.  The school has not ensured that the behaviour policy is implemented consistently well. As a result, a small number of pupils do not behave as well as the school expects. The school should strengthen the design and delivery of the behaviour policy so that it supports pupils’ behaviour to improve over time.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 20 and 21 March 2024

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 10 July 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school manages a breakfast club.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

p.5

Information about this inspection

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

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection that 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 headteacher, other senior leaders and staff. They also met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, English, history and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the 20 and 21 March 2024

p.5

6

curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum in some other subjects.  The lead inspector observed some pupils reading to a trusted adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single 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 observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and breaktimes. They also spoke with pupils about their experiences of school.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text responses. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

p.6

Inspection team

Ruth Moran, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Olivia Barnes Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 March 2024

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7