Kennet Valley Primary School

Kennet Valley Primary School Carters Rise, Calcot, Reading, Berkshire RG31 7YT

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inspection report:

During the focused monitoring inspection, inspectors considered the following evaluation areas. This was due to concerns raised to Ofsted about the school related to:

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inspection report:

 Leadership and governance  Safeguarding

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Leadership and governance

During a period of some instability in staffing and leadership since the last inspection, particularly in the specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), not all safeguarding processes and procedures have been put into practice effectively. Some incidents and issues have not been addressed appropriately. Leaders’ and governors’ oversight of safeguarding has not been secure enough.

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Leadership and governance

Leaders now have a comprehensive understanding of safeguarding and have taken the right action to make the necessary improvements. Developments have been enhanced by the local authority’s thorough review of practice and the range of additional support that it has provided for the school. Staff have received the right training, which means that their knowledge of safeguarding is secure. They have also had training about how to handle occurrences of more challenging behaviour among pupils, leading to a reduction of such incidents.

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Leadership and governance

While leaders’ approaches to checking on the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements and aspects, such as pupils’ behaviour are in place, they are relatively recent. Leaders and governors rightly recognise that these need to develop and embed further to ensure that improvements continue.

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Leadership and governance

Some parents and carers are very positive about the school and what it provides. However, this is not the case for all parents. A significant minority of parents, particularly some of those whose children are pupils with SEND, express that the school’s relationships and communication with them are not effective enough. Leaders understand fully the Monitoring Inspection report: Kennet Valley Primary School, 17 March 2026 2 importance of improving this aspect of their work in order to ensure that all pupils flourish, especially those who attend the specially resourced provision.

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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Additional next steps

Leaders and those responsible for governance should, in addition to the next steps raised at the school’s last full inspection:

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Additional next steps

 Continue to develop how they monitor, analyse and evaluate important aspects of the school’s work, such as safeguarding and the management of more challenging behaviour, to ensure that robust processes are highly effective in practice.

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Additional next steps

 Improve relationships and communication with a significant minority of parents, particularly some of those whose children are pupils with SEND.

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About this inspection

This inspection was conducted under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for focused monitoring inspections. The inspection was carried out because concerns had been raised with Ofsted: about leadership and governance, and safeguarding at the school.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this monitoring inspection was not to determine grades for any of the evaluation areas, but to look into the concerns that caused Ofsted to decide to inspect the school.

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About this inspection

The headteacher at the time of the last inspection left post in August 2025. The new headteacher joined the school in September 2025 and was not in school at the time of the inspection. The substantive deputy headteacher is currently the acting headteacher. A part- time interim executive headteacher has very recently taken up post. There have been other changes in staffing and leadership, particularly in the specially resourced provision. Monitoring Inspection report: Kennet Valley Primary School, 17 March 2026 3

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Social, emotional and mental health difficulties Monitoring Inspection report: Kennet Valley Primary School, 17 March 2026 4 and inspects to 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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