Kingsholm Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Kingsholm Church of England Primary School Guinea Street, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL1 3BN

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding 25 and 26 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Kingsholm is a school that welcomes and accepts everyone, regardless of background. Caring relationships exist between pupils and staff. Pupils trust adults in school to act on any concerns, including bullying, quickly and effectively. This helps them feel happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In the early years, children get off to a secure start to their education. However, the school has not fully realised its high ambition across key stages 1 and 2. Some pupils have not achieved well enough by the end of Year 6. This is why the school has overhauled the curriculum and how it is taught. Still, many recent positive changes have not had time to fully impact some pupils’ learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils follow the three ‘Bs’ of being ‘respectful’, ‘kind’ and ‘your best’. They make ‘green behaviour’ choices, such as listening to the person speaking and not calling out. Occasionally, a minority of pupils need reminders from staff about important routines, such as lining up at breaktimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school raises pupils’ aspirations during ‘Kingsholm University’ enrichment sessions. Here, pupils get the chance to be creative and learn life skills, such as cooking and first aid. Currently, however, pupils have limited opportunities to take on responsibilities.

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

Recently, the school has been through a challenging time. Several changes in leadership, staffing and a weak curriculum have affected pupils’ learning. The school recognises this. However, things have begun to change for the better. Interim leadership has put the school on a pathway to raise aspirations. With local authority support, leaders have identified areas for improvement. They have taken decisive action to revise parts of the curriculum. Governors now provide more probing challenge to ensure that the school moves forward at pace.

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

The school prioritises reading. From the start of the Reception Year, children learn phonics. Pupils learn to read using books that contain the sounds they know. This helps them to develop reading fluency. Some pupils take longer to learn the sounds that letters make. They receive effective support to help them keep up. By the end of Year 2, most pupils can use their phonics knowledge to read accurately. Older pupils enjoy reading challenging books and using ambitious vocabulary.

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

Much successful work is taking place to improve the curriculum. Increasingly, pupils are learning more. Notably, many improvements are emerging. For example, pupils in Year 4 learn efficient calculation methods in mathematics. In physical education, pupils in Year 6 can explain rules and tactics for different sports. However, in some subjects, the school has not identified all the necessary subject content. This limits the range and depth of knowledge pupils acquire in these subjects. 25 and 26 February 2025

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The school’s expectations of what pupils will achieve are on the rise. However, these expectations are not upheld consistently by all staff. For example, some staff do not insist that pupils pay careful attention to handwriting, punctuation and presentation skills. This affects the quality of pupils’ writing. Moreover, the school’s oversight of how pupils learn the curriculum is not fully effective.

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The early years provides rich opportunities to develop children’s communication and language. Staff recognise that many children arrive with gaps in these areas or cannot speak English. They skilfully weave storytelling, songs and rhymes throughout the school day. Children, including two-year-olds, play well together. Throughout the early years, children develop correct mathematical language when exploring numbers and shapes. They leave well prepared for Year 1.

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The school has improved its systems for identifying pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). New specialist ‘hubs’ offer bespoke support for pupils with the highest needs. These are helping pupils to overcome any barriers to learning. For other pupils with SEND, staff adapt resources to help pupils learn alongside their peers.

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Most pupils respond well to the raised expectations of behaviour. They like earning certificates for working hard. Incidents of misbehaviour have declined. Recently, the school has prioritised attendance. It knows who is absent from school and why. Early signs of improvement are beginning to appear. However, the school knows that more needs to be done to secure better attendance for some pupils.

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The school does not provide opportunities for pupils to contribute positively to the school. This limits pupils’ personal and character development. However, pupils learn effective mental health and self-esteem strategies, including during outdoor learning. They understand forms of discrimination, such as racism, and why laws are important.

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Despite the periods of instability, most staff support the school’s leadership and direction of travel. They value the consideration given to their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few curriculum subjects, the school has not made clear the precise knowledge pupils need to learn and revisit. This prevents pupils from developing a deep knowledge and understanding in these subjects. The school should ensure that the important knowledge pupils need to know and remember is clear across all subjects.  The school has not ensured that teachers’ expectations of pupils' written work are consistently high. Some pupils do not apply the writing skills they know within their written work. This affects the quality of pupils’ writing. The school should ensure that 25 and 26 February 2025

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teachers’ expectations of pupils’ written work are consistently high and that teachers use the agreed systems to support pupils to become successful writers.  In some subjects, the school’s oversight of how pupils learn the curriculum is not fully effective. As a result, the curriculum is not implemented consistently well. Where this is the case, pupils’ knowledge and skills are less secure. The school should sharpen its oversight of how well pupils learn in all subjects so that it can act quickly to secure improvements, where needed.  Some pupils continue to be absent from school too often. These pupils miss essential learning, which has a negative impact on their education. The school should ensure that it implements its renewed expectations and that attendance improves.  The school does not provide opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities across the school. This limits the chances for pupils to make an active and positive

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contribution to school life. The school should provide more opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities to support their wider personal and character development.

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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Sophie Kingscote

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School details

Headteacher Hayley Hanson (acting headteacher)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 May 2013, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Significant changes to leadership and staffing have occurred since the previous inspection. The current deputy headteacher was appointed as acting headteacher in January 2025 following a period of absence from the previous headteacher. Two senior leaders are currently sharing the acting deputy headteacher role. A new special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator started in February 2025.  Since the previous inspection, the school has expanded to become a three-form entry school. It has on-site nursery provision for two to four-year-olds. It is managed by the governing body.  The school has four short-term, internal specialist provision hubs for a small number of pupils with SEND.  A breakfast club operates on site under the management of the school.  The school is part of the Diocese of Gloucester. It received a section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character in May 2018. Its next inspection under section 48 is due

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Information about this school

within eight years of this date.  The school currently uses three unregistered alternative provisions. 25 and 26 February 2025

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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 and/or sixth form provision). 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.  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.  Inspectors held discussions with the acting headteacher, the acting deputy headteachers, other senior leaders and school staff. The lead inspector met with representatives from the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, art and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 The lead inspector listened to some pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 reading to a familiar adult. He also listened to some pupils in Year 6 read.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: met the designated safeguarding lead; checked the single central record of adults working in the school; took account of the views of 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 considered a range of school documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation documents and minutes of governance meetings.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at lunchtime. They spoke with pupils and staff about behaviour.  Inspectors spoke with a range of staff to discuss how the school supports their workload and well-being.  Inspectors spoke with some parents at the start and end of the school day. They

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Information about this inspection

considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Information about this inspection

Dale Burr, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Information about this inspection

Sarah O'Donnell Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 February 2025

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Wendy Hanrahan Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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