Kielder Primary School and Nursery

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Kielder Primary School and Nursery Kielder, Hexham, Northumberland NE48 1HQ

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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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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils in this very small rural school are a delight. They are welcoming and friendly, and want to learn. Pupils are kind and thoughtful. They help each other out in lessons and play together cooperatively at breaktimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from positive relationships with compassionate and supportive staff. They trust staff to help them if they have any worries. The school responds to pupils’ emotional needs effectively. Families value the care provided to pupils, particularly to those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are happy in this nurturing school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils currently experience a variable quality of education. Expectations of what they achieve have recently risen. However, these have not previously been high enough. As a result, pupils have not done as well as they should. The school has worked with determination to raise expectations and strengthen the curriculum. This is to ensure that pupils receive an ambitious and appropriate curriculum suitable for its mixed-aged classes. There remains more to do. Pupils currently experience a variable quality of education. The school is keen to be at the heart of the community. Pupils enjoy working with local artists and musicians. This helps to bring learning alive. Pupils’ knowledge is enriched through a range of experiences, including visits to museums. Pupils do well at sport. For example, the school received the Platinum Sports Mark for its valuable contribution to sporting events. 10 December 2024

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

This school is reflective about what it does well and what it needs to improve. A new curriculum has been designed with learning in mixed-age classes in mind. Sometimes however, the curriculum lacks sufficient detail and structure. This means that what pupils, including those in the early years, experience does not consistently match the school’s ambition. At times, pupils learn in a disjointed way. Sometimes, new content does not build sequentially. Pupils do not revisit the most important knowledge on a regular basis. Consequently, some pupils, including pupils with SEND, do not securely build on their previous learning. They do not build a deep understanding across the curriculum.

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

Reading is now becoming a priority. The school has taken action to strengthen the early reading programme. A clearly structured phonics programme is in place. Pupils practise reading using books that are carefully matched to the sounds that they know. However, occasionally phonics lessons are not successful. Some pupils do not have sufficient time to practise new sounds or follow the scheme precisely. This hampers progress for some. They are unable to gain the knowledge and skills that they need to become confident, fluent readers.

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

Mathematics is a strength of the school. The mathematics curriculum is well structured so that pupils build on secure foundations. Pupils regularly solve problems and use reasoning in mathematics. They are very positive about their learning in this subject.

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

In this small school, staff know all pupils very well. The school identifies individual needs quickly. However, at times, the school’s checks on what pupils know and can do are not as effective as they need to be. They do not provide the school with clear information about next steps in learning. As a result, in some subjects, at times, gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills are not identified or addressed. This hinders pupils’ achievement.

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

The school promotes high standards of behaviour and attendance. These expectations begin in Nursery and are consistent throughout the school. Pupils display high levels of conduct. Lessons and breaktimes are happy, calm and orderly.

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

The curriculum for personal, social and health education is planned and sequenced with care. Pupils, including children in the early years, are taught to work together, listen to each other and respect different points of view. Pupils understand how to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. They also develop a good understanding of healthy relationships. Pupils learn how to stay safe in their small rural community and beyond.

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

Pupils have a good knowledge of a range of protected characteristics. They feel strongly that everybody should be treated with respect. However, pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be. For example, pupils have a limited understanding of different religions and what makes these distinctive.

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

The current leadership, including governors, is knowledgeable and committed to the school. Working closely with the local authority, leaders have successfully supported recent school improvements. 10 December 2024

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Leaders have created a school where staff are happy and feel valued. Staff say that they are well supported to manage their workload and look after their well-being.

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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 curriculum lacks sufficient detail and structure. This means that pupils miss out on acquiring critical knowledge as they move through the school. This hinders some pupils’ achievements. The school should review the curriculum to ensure it sequences learning logically and enables pupils to revisit and build on their prior skills and knowledge.  At times, the reading programme is not followed with precision. Some pupils do not have enough time to practise their early reading skills. This leads to pupils struggling to read. The school should ensure that the early reading programme is followed closely and that all pupils have successful phonics lessons.  The school does check pupils’ understanding consistently. As a result, gaps in pupils’ knowledge remain. The school should ensure that all teachers use assessment effectively to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and adapt the curriculum accordingly.

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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 outstanding 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. 10 December 2024

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in June 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 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 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 and 12 June 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection there is a new headteacher and chair of governors. All teaching staff are also new to their posts since the previous inspection.  The school has a nursery that takes children from two years of age. There were no nursery children in school on the day of the inspection.  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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  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 10 December 2024

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors considered published performance data about the school. The inspectors also looked at a range of school documents. These included information about pupils’ behaviour, attendance, the curriculum, extra-curricular activities, school improvement planning, governance and documents published on the school’s website.  As part of this inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher, school staff, the vice chair of governors and the school improvement partner. The inspectors talked informally to pupils to gather general information about school life.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors discussed with leaders and pupils the school’s extra-curricular activities,

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enrichment and personal development programmes.  The inspector met with members of staff and spoke to pupils, both formally and informally, at various points in the inspection. They took account of responses to Ofsted surveys for staff and pupils, and Ofsted Parent View and the free-text responses.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms, at lunchtime, on the playground, and at other times during the school day.

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Inspection team

Alison Stephenson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Katie Spurr Ofsted Inspector 10 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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