Kingsteignton School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Kingsteignton School Heron Way, Kingsteington, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 3QY

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 November 2024

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school’s work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Lee Goodenough. This school is part of Education South West multi-academy trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Matthew Shanks, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Graham Austin.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Since the previous inspection, there have been substantial changes to the leadership and organisation of the school. The school transferred into a new trust, which has guided it well through a period of change. The school is now in a more stable position. With support from the trust, the school has developed the curriculum to ensure that there are high expectations of what pupils can achieve. This is making a difference to how well pupils learn. However, some of this work is in its infancy. Pupils are not yet building their knowledge well enough across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy, enjoy coming to school and treat each other well. Their high attendance is evidence of their positive attitudes to learning. Pupils take pleasure in talking to adults about their school. Staff build warm relationships with pupils, starting in the early years. This enables pupils to learn in a nurturing environment where they feel well supported. For example, the ‘sunflower club’ helps pupils with their mental health and well-being.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupil leadership roles help pupils to become responsible, active and respectful citizens. For example, pupils in Year 6 take real pride in their roles as ‘buddies’ for Reception children in order to help them settle into school life. 12 and 13 November 2024

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

The school has developed an ambitious curriculum. Across subjects, the school has identified the knowledge pupils need to know and remember from early years to Year 6. This helps staff to know what to teach and when. To support this, staff benefit from training, including from subject experts within the trust. This is helping staff to develop their expertise and to teach the curriculum more effectively.

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

With support from the trust, the school is improving the teaching of the curriculum. It has strengthened the support in place for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils benefit from early identification of their needs so as to gain the support they need. The school has placed greater focus on helping pupils to secure knowledge into their long-term memory. For example, the school ensures that pupils revisit prior learning at the start of every lesson. This is supporting pupils to know and remember more. However, the impact of some curriculum changes is at an early stage. Pupils are not building their knowledge securely based on what they have learned before. Consequently, they are less prepared for their next stage, including some pupils with SEND.

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

The school makes checks on how well pupils are learning the curriculum, such as through ‘elicitation tasks’ at the beginning of units of work. However, some checks on pupils’ understanding are not rigorous enough to support future learning. Some pupils have unknown gaps in knowledge or make repeated errors in their learning that go unaddressed. The school does not adjust the curriculum well enough to help pupils secure their knowledge. This means that pupils do not make the progress through the intended curriculum as well as they should.

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

Teaching pupils to learn to read and to develop a love of reading is a high priority. Children start learning to read as soon as they start school. Staff receive regular training to ensure that they teach phonics well. As a result, pupils can decode and blend words with confidence because they are secure in the sounds they know. The school checks how well pupils learn to read and support those who need help to keep up. This ensures that pupils become confident and fluent readers quickly.

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

Pupils show positive attitudes to their learning, and they know the school routines well. This makes it a calm and orderly school. For example, pupils know what to do when asked to stop and listen in the playground. Pupils value the recognition they receive when they are successful. The weekly celebration assembly is a highlight of the week for pupils where they celebrate earning house points together. The school promotes high attendance through regular monitoring and support.

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

The school supports pupils to develop their knowledge beyond the academic. Through the personal, social, health and economic education curriculum, pupils learn about living in the wider world. For example, they know how to keep themselves healthy. Teachers teach pupils the importance of road safety and help them to keep safe when crossing a busy road. 12 and 13 November 2024

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Leaders and those responsible for governance have considered the pace of change to support the well-being and workload of staff. Staff value the support they receive to teach the curriculum, such as working with colleagues across the trust. However, some staff have concerns around the quality of communication. Some parents share this view. Consequently, some unresolved concerns are impacting the development of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school is not implementing the curriculum well enough to ensure that pupils build their knowledge based on prior learning. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and so they are less prepared for their next stage, including pupils with SEND. The trust must ensure that pupils build their knowledge securely based on what they have learned before.  Some checks the school makes on how well pupils are learning the curriculum are not sufficiently rigorous. As a result, pupils have unknown gaps in their knowledge or make repeated errors in their work over time. The trust must ensure that assessment is effective and supports staff to adjust learning to address pupils’ misconceptions.  Some staff and parents have mixed views about the quality of communication from the school. As a result, some concerns remain unresolved. The school and trust should continue to strengthen its systems for communication to enable successful working

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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, 12 and 13 November 2024

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behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in May 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.

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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 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). 12 and 13 November 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 30 April and 1 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school joined Education South West multi-academy trust in February 2024.  Since the previous inspection, there has been a change in headteacher. The headteacher joined the school in September 2024.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in this evaluation of the school  The inspector spoke with school leaders, curriculum leaders, parents, governors and representatives from the trust. 12 and 13 November 2024

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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 inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspector spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Esther Best, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 12 and 13 November 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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