Kenningtons Primary Academy

Inspection of Kenningtons Primary Academy Tamar Drive, Aveley, South Ockendon, Essex RM15 4NB

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 February 2025

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

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The headteacher of this school is Jo Sawtell-Haynes. This school is a single academy trust, which means the trust also has responsibility for running the school. The board of trustees is chaired by Sarah Sayers. 11 and 12 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Every pupil is given the opportunity to excel at Kenningtons Primary Academy. Pupils are happy, safe and benefit from a rich range of opportunities at this school. They become mature, confident young people.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school values are at the core of pupils’ experiences and inform the school’s work. The value to ‘have high standards for excellent achievement’ is realised through the school’s rich, broad and balanced curriculum. Pupils achieve exceptionally well across all curriculum subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is exemplary. Classrooms are calm, orderly and productive. Pupils demonstrate excellent attitudes to their learning. No time is lost. Around school, pupils socialise together positively, playing sports and making up their own imaginative games. Older pupils organise activities for younger pupils and act as excellent role models.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils play an active and meaningful role in school life. Pupils are trained to fulfil their roles, and they do so exceptionally well. They serve lunch and take care of the animals. Older pupils act as learning coaches and run the school library. Pupils truly contribute to the effective way in which the school operates. They gain a sense of responsibility and develop as leaders when fulfilling these roles.

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

The school has an unwavering commitment to ensure it is the best it can be. The curriculum is highly ambitious. It sets out the key knowledge and skills pupils learn in each year group across all subjects. This begins in early years and builds over time. Trips and experiences are thoughtfully planned into the curriculum. These ensure pupils can relate their learning to real-life experiences.

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

The early years curriculum recognises the key knowledge children need to secure in both the Nursery and Reception classes. Communication and language are at the heart of the curriculum. Children are introduced to a wide range of exciting books. Adult-led activities are supported by carefully planned opportunities for children to practise and further their learning within the environment. Adults check how well children learn and support those who need help to keep up. Despite often having low starting points, children in early years make excellent progress and are very well prepared for Year 1.

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

Trained adults deliver the school’s chosen phonics programme effectively. Pupils learn letter sounds quickly. They read books which match their stage of learning. Pupils who fall behind are supported with urgency to keep up with their peers. As pupils progress through the school, they become confident, fluent and enthusiastic readers. Pupils talk eagerly about the wide range of authors they enjoy. A love of reading emanates through this school.

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

Highly skilled staff deliver the curriculum effectively. Teachers revisit prior learning to help pupils build on prior knowledge when they learn something new. Teachers clearly 11 and 12 February 2025

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demonstrate what they expect and then support pupils to achieve these expectations. They carefully check pupils have understood new learning. Pupils thrive on this clear approach to teaching. They build a depth of knowledge which enables them to talk confidently about their learning.

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The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well considered. Teachers make careful adaptations to remove any barriers to learning. Many pupils access the same learning as their peers. The school has recognised some pupils with SEND need more bespoke opportunities. These pupils thrive learning a curriculum which is specifically matched to their needs. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

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The school expects pupils to behave. This is what pupils here do. Adults model positive and kind relationships with pupils. Pupils respond and treat each other with care and respect. The school is a friendly, supportive and positive environment for pupils to flourish.

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The provision for pupils’ wider development is exceptional. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including online. They understand the importance of having a healthy mind and a healthy body. Pupils understand differences and know the importance of being tolerant to different points of view. When talking about respecting different cultures, one pupil remarked, ‘It can bring harmony to the world.’ This captures the mature and well-rounded citizens pupils at this school become. They are very well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Governors share the same high ambition as school leaders. They offer both support and challenge to the school. They recognise the school’s many strengths but strive to keep improving over time.

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Staff are proud to work at this school. They value the support they receive from school leaders. They know their workload and well-being are considered.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 11 and 12 February 2025

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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). 11 and 12 February 2025

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School details

Website www.kenningtonsprimaryacademy.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 December 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a stand-alone academy.  The school does not currently make use of alternative provision.

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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). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders, staff and members of the governing body. 11 and 12 February 2025

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and design and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also listened to pupils read with a familiar member of staff.  The inspector also discussed the curriculum and reviewed pupils’ work in physical education, religious education and English.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including behaviour logs, attendance records, pupil records, records of governing body meetings, school development plans

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and school self-evaluation documents.  The inspection team considered the views of parents through responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View and conversations held during the inspection.  Inspectors gathered the views of pupils and staff through Ofsted’s pupil and staff surveys, as well as discussions conducted throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Jonny Wallace, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Susan Sutton Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 February 2025

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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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