Kingham Primary School

Inspection of Kingham Primary School The Green, Kingham, Oxfordshire OX7 6YD

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 14 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 Good

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. 2 and 3 July 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are thriving in this vibrant school. They are immensely proud to be members of the school community. Following their superb start in early years, most pupils achieve well across the school. They live up to the school’s high expectations. Pupils work hard, enjoy school and know that a good education is pivotal to their future success. This is reflected in their excellent behaviour and attitudes to learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ personal development is exceptional. The school’s values are at the heart of this. Pupils understand why these are important. They know that values such as kindness, tolerance and honesty help them to develop a strong moral code. As one pupil commented, ‘These are the key principles to lead your life by.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit greatly from the school’s extensive enrichment opportunities. From music-making and Shakespeare performances to sporting tournaments and gardening, the list is endless. All pupils are encouraged to ‘shine’ and celebrate their wide-ranging accomplishments.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils make a tangible, positive contribution to school life by taking on one of the many leadership roles. Older pupils are mature and responsible role models for others. They love helping and caring for younger pupils by being a special ‘buddy’.

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better?

Leaders, staff and governors are right to be proud of the school’s many strengths. The school’s ambitious and well-considered curriculum fulfils leaders’ aspiration to inspire pupils to learn and achieve their best. Achievement at the end of key stage 2 is very high, as shown by the school’s published outcomes. Most current pupils are achieving well and many older pupils continue to achieve exceptionally well. However, the same exceptional achievement is not evident across the breadth of the school.

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better?

Children in early years get off to an excellent start to their education. Teaching here is characterised by high-quality interactions and engaging learning activities. From children’s first days in Nursery, staff skilfully develop their communication and language skills. Staff’s perceptive observations mean that any additional needs are readily identified and support is quickly put in place. Children demonstrate high levels of concentration and resilience in their chosen activities. They are busy, curious and engaged learners, making the most of everything on offer in this stimulating environment.

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better?

In recent years, the school has taken effective action to improve the reading curriculum. Throughout the school, there are many opportunities for pupils to read and enjoy good-quality texts. The phonics programme is well structured and, overall, taught well. However, the support and guidance for pupils in key stage 1 who have fallen behind the school’s reading programme is not consistently effective. This risks these pupils falling further behind. Inconsistency in this aspect of the school’s work 2 and 3 July 2024

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is also reflected in some pupils’ weak handwriting, particularly pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)

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There are many strengths in teaching. Staff plan interesting activities that engage pupils and promote learning. They regularly check pupils’ understanding and recall of important knowledge. When needed, staff make sensible adaptations so that pupils with SEND can access the curriculum.

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Pupils demonstrate a thirst for learning which is reflected in their exemplary behaviour. Well-considered plans support the few pupils who need help to regulate their emotions. The school deals appropriately with any behaviour incidents, which happen infrequently. However, record-keeping for behaviour and some other aspects of the school’s work is not sufficiently robust. This limits leaders’ ability to form a clear, strategic view and identify any trends or patterns.

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The school makes sure that pupils are very well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils visit different places of worship and learn about other faiths and customs. They understand the importance of equality and that prejudicial behaviour is never acceptable. Elections and voting about decisions within the student council help pupils to understand democratic processes. Pupils like to help others in the wider community by fundraising to support their chosen charities.

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Governors understand and fulfil their responsibilities well. They have appropriate processes in place to enable them to have a good understanding of the school. They make sure that key aspects of the school, such as safeguarding, are kept under review.

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The very hard-working staff enthuse about working here. They value leaders’ consideration for their well-being. Staff appreciate the professional guidance they receive, including opportunities to enhance their subject knowledge. Parents are full of praise for the school and the quality of education and care their children receive. One parent, typical of many, commented, ‘My children have flourished at Kingham, and we could not be happier with the school.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is inconsistency in the quality of support for pupils in key stage 1 who have fallen behind the school’s reading programme. The support and guidance for these pupils is not always as effective as it needs to be. This risks pupils falling further behind in reading, as well as writing. The school needs to iron out any inconsistencies and strengthen the support for these pupils to enable them to 2 and 3 July 2024

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catch up quickly.  The school’s record-keeping and strategic analysis of some important aspects of its work are not sufficiently robust or precise enough. This limits the school’s work to identify and address any patterns or trends over time to inform their decision- making. The school needs to strengthen this aspect of strategic leadership.

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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). 2 and 3 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Christopher Davies

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 22 and 23 September 2010, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The headteacher was appointed to the school in January 2021. There is currently an acting deputy headteacher, who also leads provision for SEND, and an acting senior leader. These temporary arrangements have been in place since January 2024 pending permanent appointments to these senior leadership posts.  Since the previous inspection, the school has opened Nursery provision for three- year-old children. Most children in the Nursery attend part time.

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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.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the 2 and 3 July 2024

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school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in: reading, mathematics, geography and physical education. 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.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum in some other subjects, including religious education and history.  Inspectors met with senior leaders to discuss the school’s provision for pupils with SEND and other aspects of the school, including behaviour, attendance and pupils’ personal development.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.

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 The lead inspector met with five members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. She held a telephone discussion with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors considered staff’s views during discussions with them and through their responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  An inspector spoke with parents at the start of morning school on the first day of the inspection and at the end of the school day on the second day of the inspection. Inspectors took account of parents’ responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text comments. They also considered other written communication from parents.

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Inspection team

Sue Cox, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Claire Britnell Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 July 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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