Kingston Park Primary School

Inspection of a school judged Good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Kingston Park Primary School Cranleigh Avenue, Kingston Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE3 2EL

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 November 2024

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that the school's work may have improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Jayne Evans. This school is part of Smart 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, Colin Lofthouse, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sandy Christie.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Kingston Park Primary School is a warm and inclusive community driven by passion and moral purpose. The school has a clear vision that every child will succeed here. A relentless drive for excellence ensures that they do just that. Pupils are mature and responsible when moving around the open plan setting. Pupils enjoy exceeding leaders’ high expectations of their behaviour and achievement.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe here. The school values of growth, empathy and resilience are lived out by the children every day. They remind each other to ‘never ever, ever give up’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The inclusive culture is the heartbeat of this school. Pupils with complex special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) play an active role in all aspects of school life, from residential trips to swimming lessons. All pupils talk passionately about equality and the importance of treating everyone fairly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils here are poised to become successful. Leaders have carefully considered how to cultivate the right attitudes and behaviours in pupils. Pupils enjoy undertaking challenges that leaders have designed to build their readiness for later life. Pupils describe with enthusiasm: cooking for their families, learning British Sign Language, performing in front of an audience and learning to iron their school uniform. 26–27 November 2024

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

The school is ambitious for what pupils should learn and achieve. It has designed a curriculum that offers pupils a broad range of experiences. The curriculum is underpinned by certain ‘golden threads’ that determine how pupils will learn. ‘Golden threads’, which include ‘talk’, ‘collaborate’ and ‘think’, underpin how pupils learn. Pupils build these skills impressively both in and outside the classroom. Pupils are celebrated when they demonstrate these ‘threads’.

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

The school ensures that pupils master the basics. Early reading and maths are taught well throughout school. This strong teaching is reflected in the exceptional outcomes that pupils achieve. Pupils in key stage 1 and key stage 2 achieve significantly above national averages. As soon as children arrive in the early years, they settle into clear routines. From the outset, they gain a firm grounding in stories and number.

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

Staff are well trained to teach phonics. They model pronunciation carefully and make sure that children do the same. Pupils confidently use their phonic knowledge to read books that are well matched to the sounds they have learned. Staff effectively support pupils who find reading more difficult.

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

Pupils achieve extremely well in mathematics. Teachers use a range of methods to teach new content clearly and check that pupils understand. They identify gaps quickly and make sure that they are addressed before moving on to new learning. Pupils are skilled at using talk in the classroom to explain their thinking. This is a feature that is well embedded across the curriculum. Pupils use language carefully and thoughtfully when expressing themselves.

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

Across the wider curriculum, pupils are enthused and excited about the subjects they learn about. Pupils demonstrate a deep understanding of what they have learned. In science, they have a strong grasp of technical vocabulary and are able to explain the water cycle articulately. They can explain clearly the movement of particles in solids, liquids and gases. Equally, pupils have an excellent grasp of geographical content. Younger pupils show strong locational knowledge when discussing their local area, the UK and the continents. Older pupils are keen to explain the differences between climate and weather. The breadth and depth of pupils’ knowledge is impressive.

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

Pupils with complex physical and medical needs learn alongside their peers in classrooms. They are expertly supported by adults to access the curriculum and demonstrate their knowledge. Adults understand the needs of pupils exceptionally well and are ambitious for them. Adults provide well-tailored support that also encourages independence. Pupils with a wide range of SEND experience and celebrate success.

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

The school has woven careers and enterprise education throughout its personal development offer to pupils. Pupils enjoy learning about the range of different careers they could pursue. As a result, they are ambitious for their futures and recognise that means showing commitment and dedication now. They understand the importance of 26–27 November 2024

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hard work underpinning aspiration. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are exemplary.

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Staff who work here describe the school as a family. They describe leaders as ‘inspirational’ who are always willing to listen. Staff feel that they are ‘seen, valued and heard’: this is what leaders aspire to for all members of this school community. Governors and trustees have a very accurate understanding of the school. They play a key part in supporting leaders’ ambition moving forwards.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Kingston Park Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in September 2013.

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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. 26–27 November 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). 26–27 November 2024

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School details

Website www.kingstonpark.smartacademies.net/

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection 22 and 23 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Kingston Park Primary School has been a member of Smart Academies Trust since 2016.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with complex physical and medical needs.  The school does not 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 their evaluation of the school. 26–27 November 2024

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 The inspector met with the headteacher and other leaders. She also met with members of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chairs, and representatives from the trust, including the chair and vice-chair.  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 took account of responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. She also took into consideration the online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Katie Spurr, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 26–27 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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