Kings Hedges Primary School

Inspection of a school judged Good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Kings Hedges Primary School Northfield Avenue, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB4 2HU

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 December 2024

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Outcome

Kings Hedges Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value being part of this school community. They know that learning is important and are keen to succeed in their education. They have high aspirations for themselves and their peers. In the early years, children enjoy exploring the well-designed learning activities. In lessons, pupils work hard to reach the school’s high expectations. Pupils show determination and do not give up easily when facing tricky areas of learning. Overall, pupils achieve the curriculum goals. They are well prepared for secondary school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn how to build strong relationships with others. They show kindness towards their peers and staff. They are considerate of others’ needs. In the early years, children share and take turns well. During class discussions, pupils listen attentively. In the lunch hall, pupils eat politely and tidy up after themselves. They have fun together during playtime.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils readily take responsibility within their school community. They serve as peer mediators, school councillors and house leaders. Pupils also recognise where the school can be improved. Knowing that their views will be taken seriously, pupils put forward new ideas and work with staff to make the school better. For example, pupils create and run clubs for their peers at lunch.

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

The school has a well-designed and typically well-taught curriculum. Because the curriculum is well organised, pupils learn in a logical order and build a useful bank of knowledge over time. The school has identified the exact knowledge pupils must learn. Staff consistently follow the school’s approach and typically arrange effective learning activities. Staff provide pupils with lots of opportunities to review what has been taught. 10 and 11 December 2024

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Teachers also routinely check what pupils know and understand. They provide effective support when pupils misunderstand or forget something. As a result, pupils remember and understand much of what has been taught. Occasionally, however, teachers choose learning activities that do not enable pupils to learn the intended knowledge as well as they could. When this happens, pupils do not remember key content over time.

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The school swiftly identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Working with external specialists, the school ensures staff are knowledgeable about how best to support these pupils. As a result, staff provide pupils with the support they need to learn well.

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Reading is a central focus of the school’s curriculum. Staff are well trained and consistently and effectively deliver the school’s reading programme. In the early years, children learn the basics of early reading. They are well prepared for their next steps into key stage 1. By the end of key stage 1, nearly all pupils become fluent readers. The school provides effective support for pupils that find reading difficult so that their reading improves.

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Pupils thrive within the school’s positive ethos and appreciate the recognition they receive for demonstrating the school’s values. They proudly receive house tokens for good conduct. The school provides strong support for pupils that find it hard to manage their feelings and behaviour. These pupils learn how to discuss their emotions and behave well.

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The school places great emphasis on the importance of school attendance. The school quickly identifies any barriers to regular attendance. They work well with families to overcome any issues that prevent pupils from being at school. As a result, most pupils maintain regular attendance.

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Pupils gain a great deal from the ‘Kings Hedges experience’. This contributes towards pupils’ readiness for life outside of school and helps them develop their talents and interests. For example, all pupils learn how to play a range of musical instruments. They also learn how to stay safe at home, in the community and online. The school ensures pupils learn about key elements of living in a modern democracy. For example, they understand the importance of respecting others’ differences. Pupils sensitively discuss different beliefs and lifestyles found in modern society. Pupils also take part in elections and debate issues at school and in the wider world.

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Leaders have in place effective measures to ensure the school maintains its current strengths and continues to improve. The school’s professional development programme and the supportive ethos ensure that staff develop their knowledge and skills. New staff quickly learn the school’s policies and procedures and carry them out effectively. Staff morale is high. They appreciate the way the school supports them to maintain a manageable workload.

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The governing body plays an active role in the school’s development. It has an accurate understanding of the quality of the provision, which is focused on pupils’ best interests. The governing body hold leaders to account effectively. 10 and 11 December 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasion, teachers design learning activities that do not help pupils to learn as well as they could. In these instances, pupils do not thoroughly understand or remember what they are trying to learn. The school must ensure that teachers provide the most effective learning activities for pupils.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness 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. 10 and 11 December 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). 10 and 11 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 22 and 23 January 2019

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Information about this school

 This school is part of the Kings Hedges Educational Federation.  The school uses one unregistered 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 have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held discussions with the chair of the governing body, the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, subject leaders, teachers, members of support staff and pupils.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 10 and 11 December 2024

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 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, when moving around the school and during lunch and playtimes. The inspector also considered a range of documents and other information about the behaviour, attitudes and the personal development of pupils.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and the responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Al Mistrano, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 10 and 11 December 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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