Kingsmoor Lower School

Inspection of Kingsmoor Lower School Kingsmoor Close, Flitwick, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK45 1EY

p.1

Inspection dates: 14 and 15 January 2025

p.1

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 14 and 15 January 2025

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen to come to school every day. They are highly motivated to learn and want to do their best. Pupils enjoy their lessons and the range of wider experiences the school offers them, such as in sports, trips and residentials. They benefit from having visitors in school to make learning more memorable.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is determined that all pupils do well, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils throughout the school rise to the high expectations staff have for them. They respond well to the guidance adults provide. As a result, pupils are successful learners and are appropriately prepared for their move to middle school.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including the very youngest, behave impeccably well and show high levels of respect for each other. They are nurtured and kept safe by a dedicated staff team.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Children in early years get off to a positive start. Older pupils relish the leadership roles they can take up and are actively involved in contributing to school life. Pupils support each other as ‘play pals’ and as school councillors. Eco-warriors check the school is litter free. Pupils support the community with environmental projects and visit local senior citizens. Pupils, therefore, understand empathy and how to be responsible.

p.2

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

The school is determined that all pupils have a fulfilling school experience and are in school regularly. Pupils, parents and carers recognise and appreciate this. The school’s actions mean that pupils’ attendance is consistently high. This has a positive effect on pupils’ well-being and achievement at this school, including for pupils with SEND.

p.2

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

The school’s curriculum builds pupils’ knowledge logically over time. Pupils are supported effectively to meet national standards in assessments, including in phonics and times table knowledge. Pupils are securing the required knowledge to help them succeed in the next stage of their education. However, there are a few curriculum areas where the most important knowledge pupils need to know is not sufficiently detailed. This means some pupils are not gaining knowledge in enough depth.

p.2

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

From early years upwards, pupils are well supported to develop as fluent and confident readers. The school has a clear and consistent approach to the teaching of letter sounds. Staff put effective interventions in place for pupils of all ages who need additional help with reading. Most pupils read books that are suitably matched to their reading ability.

p.2

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

Staff check how well all pupils retain knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics. In other subjects, staff help pupils to recall prior knowledge before learning something new. Staff also address misconceptions. However, these checks on learning are not consistently used by staff to adapt the next steps in learning. This results in some pupils not catching up with gaps or extending their knowledge quickly enough. 14 and 15 January 2025

p.2

3

The school is effective in its support for pupils with SEND. This starts in early years, where time is taken to support these children to settle into school. Pupils’ needs are quickly identified. Staff use specialist advice to make suitable adaptations to provision. They regularly review how well these adjustments are working.

p.3

3

The school has recently expanded its early years to include two-year-olds. These children benefit from how well staff get to know them. Throughout early years, children learn how to take turns, sustain concentration and develop independence. Children engage well in learning activities with adults. Most children leave early years with the expected skills to succeed in Year 1. However, the early years curriculum needs refining to deepen the knowledge children secure prior to moving up. The school has started work to address this.

p.3

3

Pupils learn and play without disruption or worry. They follow the school rules exceptionally well. They know how to spot signs of bullying, even though these incidents are very rare. Pupils live out the school values to achieve the reward of ‘good to be green’. Adults sensitively help pupils to regulate their feelings if needed so they quickly calm down.

p.3

3

Pupils gain an understanding of the world beyond their community. These wider links are intertwined with all aspects of learning. Pupils understand not to discriminate. They are taught about right from wrong from an early age. Pupils show high levels of mutual respect. They know how to live healthily, recognise positive relationships and stay safe online. School elections and assemblies also help pupils gain an understanding of the values needed for life in modern Britain.

p.3

3

The school is very mindful of staff well-being and their professional development. Governors are proactive in holding leaders to account. They have the necessary expertise to do this well. The school seeks links with other schools in their locality. This improves the transition process for pupils to middle school.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some aspects of the curriculum, the key knowledge pupils need to know is not outlined clearly enough. This means some pupils are not acquiring the depth of knowledge intended to meet the ambitious curriculum aims. The school needs to ensure that in these curriculum areas it clearly signposts the most important knowledge pupils need to know and by when so pupils deepen their understanding.  There are instances across the school where checks on what pupils know or need are not consistently informing next steps in learning. This hinders how quickly some pupils 14 and 15 January 2025

p.3

4

can catch up or extend their knowledge further. The school needs to ensure teachers use assessment more effectively to ensure learning activities are more precisely adapted to support pupils to achieve as highly as possible.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 14 and 15 January 2025

p.4

School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 February 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, the nursery offer has been extended to include children aged from two to four years. These children attend a mix of morning and afternoon sessions.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

p.5

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.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 14 and 15 January 2025

p.5

6

 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 held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors spoke to leaders, visited lessons, spoke with pupils, looked at pupils’ work and spoke with teachers and support staff.  The inspectors also looked at pupils’ work from other subjects.  The lead inspector met with four members of the governing body for the school, including the chair and vice-chair of the governing body.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s own self- evaluation, the school improvement plan, governing body minutes and the school

p.6

6

improvement adviser visit notes.  The lead inspector spoke with the school’s improvement adviser from the local authority.  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.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, as well as the staff survey. Both inspectors spoke to several pupils from different year groups during the inspection, along with a range of staff.

p.6

Inspection team

Sara Boyce, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Marcus Cooper Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 January 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7