Knightlow CofE Primary School

Inspection of Knightlow C of E Primary School Hill Crescent, Stretton-on-Dunsmore, Rugby, Warwickshire CV23 9NF

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

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since October 2012. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 1 and 2 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love attending this friendly and welcoming school that is at the heart of the community . The warm and nurturing relationships between adults and pupils that permeate the school are summed up by one pupil who said, ‘We are surrounded by love and kindness.’ Pupils know that if they have a worry, there is an adult who will listen to them. This means that they feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are committed to their learning and produce work of a high quality. They achieve exceptionally well in reading, writing and mathematics.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils typically behave well. Older pupils act as excellent role models to younger pupils around school. Pupils proudly take on responsibilities in school. This helps them to develop their independence and leadership skills.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A rich range of wider opportunities enhance and further the curriculum. Pupils benefit from the different extra-curricular clubs and trips. The sporting offer for all pupils, including pupils with SEND, is a particular strength.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about all aspects of school life, often referring to the ‘Knightlow family’ and the strong community links.

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

Reading sits at the heart of the school’s work. Staff implement the chosen phonics programme effectively so that pupils and children in the early years quickly learn to become fluent and confident readers. Engaging reading spaces capture pupils’ imaginations and foster a love of reading. Reading ambassadors support this work by providing book recommendations for their peers. Older pupils enjoy reading with their younger ‘buddies’. This enables them to be positive role models and share their love of reading. Pupils are incredibly proud of the books that they create and publish each year that are shared with pupils in Malawi through a strong school-to-school partnership.

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

The curriculum for English, mathematics and science is meticulously planned and sequenced. It clearly sets out precisely what pupils need to learn and in what order. Staff routinely check what pupils know and can remember. They use this information well to identify previous content to revisit so that pupils can build on and deepen their knowledge. Staff provide highly effective support for pupils who have gaps in their knowledge. This helps them to catch up quickly. Pupils, including pupils with SEND, achieve highly across the school in these subjects.

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

Pupils really enjoy their learning across the curriculum and benefit from many enrichment activities that spark their interest and enthusiasm. However, in several wider subject areas, the curriculum is being revised. This is because the school has identified that the previous curriculum did not always build well enough on what pupils already know. Furthermore, in some areas of the wider curriculum, teachers do not consistently use 1 and 2 October 2024

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assessment well enough to check that pupils fully understand what they have been taught. This prevents pupils from building their knowledge securely.

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There is a strong culture of inclusion. Staff identify the needs of pupils with SEND early and accurately. Staff support pupils with SEND skilfully to access the same curriculum as other pupils. They also provide individual support targeted to pupils’ needs. Pupils with SEND are extremely well supported and achieve well.

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The school gives children an exceptionally strong start in the early years. The quality of learning is evident in every activity. Adults prioritise developing children’s communication and language. Children have eloquent conversations about their learning. They are inquisitive and show high levels of concentration and engagement.

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Pupils attend school well. The school has worked tirelessly to remove any barriers to attendance. Pupils are polite and courteous. The school’s clear expectations and routines help to create a calm and purposeful atmosphere around the school.

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The school provides a wide range of opportunities to extend pupils’ learning beyond their immediate environment. It organises a range of trips and visiting speakers to help pupils better understand the wider world. The school provides opportunities for pupils to become responsible citizens. They support local and national charities. Pupils learn about different cultures and faiths. They know how to keep themselves safe, including online.

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Governors are actively involved in the school. They have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and the areas that require further development.

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Staff feel valued and proud to work at this school. They appreciate the support offered around their well-being as well as the commitment to their ongoing professional learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The school ensures that appropriate checks are completed when recruiting new staff. Staff receive regular safeguarding training and know how to report any concerns that they have about pupils’ welfare. Support is put in place for pupils at risk of harm. However, until very recently the school’s system for recording and sharing safeguarding concerns was not robust. Records of the support put in place were not always well documented or stored in one central place. This means that safeguarding records do not include all the records of discussions, action taken and decisions made. The school is in the process of rectifying this by implementing a new recording system. However, this is in the early stages of being implemented and there is further work to do. 1 and 2 October 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some aspects of safeguarding record-keeping are not as well organised as they should be. Safeguarding records do not include all the records of discussions, action taken and decisions made. The school is already beginning to rectify this by implementing a new reporting and recording system. However, this is in the early stages of being implemented. The school needs to make sure that systems are in place that enable them to review all aspects of the school’s work to keep pupils safe.  Foundation subjects are not as well designed and sequenced as they should be. This has an impact on the level of knowledge that pupils retain. The school should ensure that subject leaders receive the support they need to develop their subjects sufficiently to ensure that learning builds sequentially so that pupils know and remember more.  In some foundation subjects, teachers do not use assessment well enough to check

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

that pupils fully understand what they have been taught. This prevents pupils from building their knowledge securely on what they already know. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment strategies effectively in all subjects to support pupils’ next steps in learning.

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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.

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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). 1 and 2 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 October 2012, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher of the school started her role in September 2024.  The school has a Christian ethos and is part of the Diocese of Coventry. It was last inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in November 2017.  The school uses two unregistered alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 1 and 2 October 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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher and senior leaders.  The lead inspector met with representatives from the governing body.  The lead inspector talked to a representative from the diocese.  The lead inspector talked to staff from the alternative providers.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education, and art and design. 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 a sample of pupils’ work. The inspectors also examined pupils’ work in science and held discussions about the curriculum.

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 The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  Minutes of governing body meetings were also scrutinised.  The inspectors looked at records of pupils’ attendance and behaviour. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school and talked to them about behaviour, bullying and welfare.  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 talked to parents at the start of the school day and considered the Ofsted Parent View survey and free-text comments. The inspectors also reviewed the responses to the staff and pupil surveys and gathered the views of staff and pupils through discussions.

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Inspection team

Cathy Young, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Debbie Newman Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 October 2024

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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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