Kirton Primary School

Inspection of Kirton Primary School Station Road, Kirton, Boston, Lincolnshire PE20 1HY

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 1 and 2 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are at the heart of this caring school. Relationships are respectful and positive. Pupils hold staff in high regard. They say teachers are kind and help them to learn new things. The school is ambitious for pupils to achieve well, and many pupils rise to the adults’ high expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are also high expectations of behaviour, to which pupils respond well. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. On occasion, when pupils struggle to meet the school’s expectations of behaviour, they are well supported.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they feel safe at school. They are confident to tell an adult if they have a problem, and they trust that they will be listened to and supported.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have opportunities to lead. They take these roles seriously and are extremely proud of them. For example, some take on the role of staff in the school’s ‘parliament bank’, shop and café where pupils can spend their well-earned ‘kirts’ on various items.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A wide range of experiences are available for pupils to enjoy. Pupils participate in many sporting competitions, and the school is proud to be the girls’ kwik cricket champions for three years running.

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

Since changes to the leadership team in September 2024, the school has set about making changes to the curriculum. The school has developed a well-thought-out and carefully planned curriculum, particularly in English and mathematics. There are a few subject areas where the curriculum is still in the process of being developed.

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

Mathematics is a particular strength of the school. Staff take time to explain concepts clearly and model learning for pupils. This helps pupils to grasp new ideas quickly. This begins in the nursery where staff get to know children well. Staff have a clear understanding of individual needs and any gaps in pupils’ learning. Teaching and activities provided are adapted well to ensure that all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, have full access to lessons and learn well.

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

The school is ambitious for all pupils to develop a love of reading. Many pupils say that they enjoy listening to books read to them by adults in school. There is a systematic approach to teaching early reading and phonics. This is having a positive impact on pupils learning to read. Staff ensure that pupils have frequent opportunities to apply and embed their knowledge of reading. Pupils enjoy reading age-appropriate books.

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

The school is in the process of developing the wider curriculum. In most subjects, it is clear what pupils need to learn and in what order. This helps staff to deliver the curriculum coherently and provide structured opportunities for pupils to recall and consolidate prior knowledge. In a few subjects, this is not yet developed and pupils’ knowledge is less secure. Pupils enjoy sharing what they have learned. 1 and 2 April 2025

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The school has a keen focus on developing pupils’ language and communication skills. Staff encourage pupils to use precise vocabulary to express themselves and to explain their thinking. This approach begins in early years.

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The school promotes pupils’ personal development well. Pupils are knowledgeable about British values, diversity and discrimination. They are being well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and demonstrate a clear understanding of what being a good friend means.

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The school supports pupils’ knowledge of financial literacy extremely well. Pupils earn 'kirts' for various achievements. They can either save them in the ‘parliament bank’ or spend them in the ‘kirts’ shop or café. Pupils speak knowledgeably about the value of money, the concept of saving and the value of hard work.

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There are various clubs on offer, in which most pupils take part. The gardening and art clubs are very popular. The two greenhouses and the garden area, including the pond, are well used.

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The school has high expectations for pupils to attend school every day, and many pupils do. Systems in place to improve attendance are having a positive impact.

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Governors ensure that leaders keep them well informed. They know the school’s strengths and priorities well. They fulfil their statutory duties. Staff are proud to be part of this school. They feel highly valued and well supported to manage their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The knowledge that pupils should learn in a few foundation subjects is not yet fully identified or sequenced across the curriculum. Staff are not always clear about exactly what pupils need to learn and when. Pupils cannot always connect new learning to previous learning. The school should identify the most important content that it wants pupils to learn and when in all subjects.

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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. 1 and 2 April 2025

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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). 1 and 2 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Adam Brackenbury

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 December 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in September 2024. There have been some other changes to the leadership team in the past year.  The school has a nursery provision that caters for three-year-olds.  The school does not use any 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 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. 1 and 2 April 2025

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 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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, subject leaders, teachers and other school leaders.  The lead inspector met with the with two members of the governing body, including the chair. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, computing and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with staff, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work.  The inspectors spoke with parents and took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent

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View. The inspectors also spoke with groups of pupils and staff.  Inspectors considered pupils’ behaviour at various times of day, including in lessons, around the school site and at lunchtime.  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 reviewed a range of documents, including information available on the school’s website.

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Inspection team

Heidi Bastock, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Becky Lyon Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 April 2025

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