Kettering Park Infant Academy

Inspection of Kettering Park Infant Academy Park Avenue, Kettering, Northamptonshire NN16 9RU

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Inspection dates: 6 and 7 March 2024 and 16 April 2024

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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 Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

The head of school of this school is Melissa Eldridge. This school is part of INMAT, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Helen Williams, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Linda Brooks. There is also an executive headteacher, Liam Cox, who is responsible for this school and one other. 6 and 7 March 2024 and 16 April 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Kettering Park Infant Academy is a warm, friendly and inclusive school. Pupils get on well with each other and enjoy playing together. New pupils often arrive. They are welcomed and settle in quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The vast majority of pupils behave well, both socially and in lessons. Learning is seldom disrupted. Staff help pupils who find it difficult to maintain focus in a busy classroom environment. Pupils are attentive in lessons. They work hard and present their work to a high standard.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is rare. Pupils trust staff to deal with it effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils in the ‘Rainbow’ room access a personalised curriculum for personal growth. They transition to mainstream classrooms when they are ready. All pupils play together during social times and show kindness and empathy towards each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy various trips and activities, such as the Reception Year trip to West Lodge Farm, and Year 2 Trip to Shepreth Wildlife Park. Pupils enjoyed the recent visit from the Air Ambulance team.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The majority of parents and carers are positive about the school. They value the care and support teachers provide for their children.

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better?

Pupils follow a broad and ambitious curriculum, which is carefully sequenced from Reception to Year 2. The school has worked closely with staff from Kettering Park Junior Academy to ensure the curriculum builds on prior learning when pupils make the transition to Year 3. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. Staff make well- judged decisions about curriculum improvements for pupils. Some of the school’s curriculum is new. This means that it has not yet had time to be fully embedded and, in turn, have an impact on some pupils’ outcomes, including in statutory assessments. In some subjects, the processes for monitoring the impact of the curriculum are less well developed.

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better?

This is a school that works hard to meet the needs of all pupils, no matter what their background or barriers in life. Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds are supported well, and not just in the classroom. The school identifies pupils with SEND promptly. Pupils with SEND in the ‘Rainbow’ provision are supported effectively to access a bespoke curriculum that meets their needs well. Guidance and advice from external agencies are sought when required. On occasions, pupils with SEND in other classrooms do not receive the precise support that they need.

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better?

Teachers use frequent recall activities to check and reinforce pupils’ understanding. They provide clear explanations and examples. If pupils misunderstand something, 6 and 7 March 2024 and 16 April 2024

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teachers typically pick up on this quickly and correct it. However, sometimes the tasks pupils complete and the resources that pupils use, do not fully match the intended learning for all pupils. As a result, there are times when pupils do not learn as much as they could.

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Children in the Reception Year settle in quickly, helped by staff to swiftly follow the school’s routines. They engage well in both adult-led activities and in their own independent play. Children listen well and treat each other with respect. The curriculum in the early years has been well considered and prepares children for future learning.

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Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. The school has ensured that all staff are skilled in delivering the school’s phonics programme. Children in the early years make a strong start as readers. Pupils read books that match the sounds they know. Throughout their time at school, pupils become confident and fluent readers. Reading is enriched through daily story time, poetry competitions, book fairs and author visits. Children in Reception enjoyed the ‘Gruffalo Adventure’ and ‘Gruffalo Crumble’. As a result, pupils throughout the school develop a love of reading.

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The school works hard to encourage regular attendance. Staff work in collaboration with families to help them to improve pupils’ attendance. This work is starting to have a positive impact on improving attendance.

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Personal development is a priority in this school. Pupils take part in Children’s Mental Health Week. They learn ways to manage their emotions and develop resilience. Pupils learn how to keep safe on learn and take part in workshops to navigate the internet safely during Safer Internet Day. Pupils celebrate the religious and cultural festivals from other countries, for example Chinese New Year and Diwali. They enjoy theatrical experiences, such as the recent ‘Beauty and the Beast’ theatre company performance in school.

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The school is acting at pace to introduce changes, which are having a positive impact. However, some aspects of the school’s work lack strategic oversight. Trustees and governors bring a wealth of knowledge and skills to this school, and they work extremely well together. They provide effective support and challenge and determination to ensure that the school continues to go from strength to strength. Leaders at all levels are mindful of staff workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, lesson tasks do not support pupils to understand fully the knowledge and vocabulary identified in curriculum plans. As a result, pupils may not learn 6 and 7 March 2024 and 16 April 2024

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and remember key curriculum content long term. The school must ensure that activities are precisely designed to help pupils securely learn content successfully in all classes and subjects.  On occasions, pupils with SEND do not receive the precise support that they need. The school should further enhance plans to identify the small steps these pupils need to take to improve their learning by providing clear and precise strategies to support teachers and support staff working with pupils with SEND.  Subject leaders who are new to their roles need continued support to implement, monitor and evaluate their curriculums effectively. Consequently, delivery of the planned curriculum is not as effective as it could be. The school should ensure that there is a focus on building the knowledge and skills of subject leaders through professional development and regular monitoring of school’s procedures for checking on the impact of the curriculum.

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 Some aspects of the school’s work lack strategic oversight. Leaders should ensure that they strengthen their oversight through robust monitoring and evaluation.

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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). 6 and 7 March 2024 and 16 April 2024

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School details

Headteacher Liam Cox (executive headteacher) Melissa Eldridge (head of school)

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School details

Website www.ketteringparkinfantacademy.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 February and 27 February 2020 under section 5 of the Education Act

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Information about this school

 There have been significant changes in the school leadership team since the last inspection. The executive headteacher took up his role in November 2023. The head of school started her post in February 2024.  The school experiences high mobility of pupils.  The school has a high proportion of pupils whose first language is not English.  The school does not use any alternative providers.  The ‘Rainbow’ provision provides bespoke stage-appropriate pathways for pupils with complex needs. The vast majority of pupils who access this provision have an education, health and care plan, or are in the process of applying for one. 6 and 7 March 2024 and 16 April 2024

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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.  The inspection started on 6 March 2024. Inspectors returned on 16 April 2024 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: Deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy .  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, English, mathematics, and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To explore the wider curriculum, the lead inspector also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects with curriculum leaders and looked at pupils’ work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held meetings with a range of leaders, including the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator.  The lead inspector spoke to the chair of the board of trustees, a range of trustees, the CEO of the trust, and governors on the local academy committee.  Inspectors met with pupils to discuss their experience of school life.  The school’s personal development offer was also reviewed by inspectors.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation provided by the school, including documents on the school’s website.  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.  An inspector met with early career teachers and staff involved in their induction.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors took note of the responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, and met with some parents. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s school staff survey.

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Inspection team

Anne Maingay, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Roxanne Fearns-Davies His Majesty’s Inspector 6 and 7 March 2024 and 16 April 2024

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