Kirtlington Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Kirtlington Church of England Primary School Heyford Road, Kirtlington, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX5 3HL

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Outcome

Kirtlington Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

High expectations for what pupils will learn and experience are shared by the whole school community. Pupils achieve well because they know what they have to do to be successful. The school’s chosen parable of the Good Samaritan helps pupils understand their role in supporting their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to school. They enjoy many activities, such as the rock band and sports clubs. They appreciate performing. For example, they sing in the local orchard with the wassailing group and perform in church every term.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. The school has helped pupils develop their understanding of how to keep themselves safe in their local community, when they are near the canal and on the road. The school is calm and orderly; pupils are well mannered and respectful of each other. Bullying is rare. If bullying does happen, pupils know what they need to do. Pupils are confident that adults will deal with it quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of behaviour. Pupils play together well on the playground, showing tolerance and respect for one another. Relationships between pupils and adults are positive. As a result, pupils behave well and low-level disruption to learning is rare.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have carefully chosen books and subjects that interest pupils. They have identified the precise knowledge they want pupils to learn. However, the school has identified that, in some subjects, teachers are not always checking what pupils know and can do. This means some pupils are unsure about how to improve their work .

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

In some subjects, including mathematics and music, the learning occurs in small steps. Pupils have lots of opportunities to practise and revisit prior learning before moving on 30 April 2024

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to new knowledge. In music, pupils can use complex chords and notes to improve their work. In mathematics, practical activities also help younger pupils to count, sort and measure. This develops their knowledge of number. They can also test out their ideas to develop their understanding of the world around them. For example, pupils in Reception make boats to test what makes them float and sink.

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Teachers use questions well to check what pupils know and can do before they move learning on. They teach pupils the precise vocabulary they need to know. This helps them build subject knowledge to use in their work. This can be seen in music, where pupils talk confidently about musical notations and compositions. Younger pupils are supported to extend their vocabulary.

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Reading is a priority for the school. The youngest children start learning phonics straight away and become confident readers. They practise reading often with support from adults. Pupils persevere when they are presented with tricky words. Adults skilfully support pupils who find reading more difficult, helping them to catch up quickly. Pupils regularly read books that match the sounds they know. Most pupils learn to read well and enjoy it. They love the library and the classroom book corners. Older pupils enjoy being pupil librarians, helping younger pupils with book choices. The school has introduced a new approach to reading for older pupils. Leaders recognise the need to ensure this support is helping pupils to improve their reading skills further.

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The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND accurately. Leaders have ensured that teachers and teaching assistants receive the right training so they can support pupils with SEND. The school recognises that these practices need more time to embed to ensure pupils are supported in the classroom effectively.

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The school has experienced recent leadership changes. Leaders identified that some aspects of the school needed to improve. Leaders have started to make changes, including around the support provided to a few pupils who find it more difficult to manage their behaviour. Some changes are more recent, but are having an impact. Good attendance is a high priority for the school. The school has made its expectations clear and, as a result, most pupils attend regularly.

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Pupils enjoy learning across the wide variety of subjects. They value the extra-curricular activities that take place, including hockey club and inter-school competitions. Pupils are proud that everyone has the opportunity to take part. Pupils know how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. In collective worship, there is time for reflection. Pupils consider their spirituality, and their place in the world around them. For example, in assembly, pupils consider how hope can help people solve problems.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 30 April 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, what pupils know and can do are not carefully checked. As a result, teachers do not always have the right information to inform future learning. The school should ensure teachers appropriately use assessment information to further support pupils’ achievement.  The school has introduced a lot of new initiatives in a short space of time. The school is not always clear on what impact these have had on pupils’ learning because it has not yet checked. The school should continue to fully implement its plans to check on the impact on learning.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2019.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 30 April 2024

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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). 30 April 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 January 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher started at the school in January 2024.  The school is a Church of England school and is in the Diocese of Oxford.  The school received its Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools in January 2018.  This school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 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.  The lead inspector met with the headteacher and two governors, including the chair. She had phone calls with a representative of the diocese and a representative from the local authority. 30 April 2024

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and music. 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 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.  The inspectors reviewed the school’s attendance and behaviour records, as well as a number of policies and its self-evaluation.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school during lessons, in assembly and at lunchtime and playtime. Inspectors also spoke to staff and pupils to hear their views.  The inspectors spoke with staff and pupils to gather their views. They considered

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parents’ and carers’ responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. The inspectors also took account of responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Charlotte Wilson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ian Elkington Ofsted Inspector 30 April 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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