Kimberworth Community Primary School

Kimberworth Community Primary School Inspection report

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106845 Unique Reference Number Rotherham Local Authority 309245 Inspection number 17 °18 March 2008 Inspection dates Derek Pattinson Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 226 School The governing body Appropriate authority Ms K O'Neill Chair Mrs Glenyse Russell Headteacher Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection Kimberworth Road School address Rotherham South Yorkshire S61 1HE 01709 740879 Telephone number 01709 740879 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 17 °18 March 2008 Inspection dates 309245 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a slightly larger than average primary school with a children's centre, established in 2006, serving an area of significant social and economic disadvantage. A nucleus of staff, including the headteacher, has led the change from infant to a primary school with the development of the children's centre and provision for the community. Most children live in the surrounding area. Around three quarters of them are White British. Many of the remainder are of Pakistani origin, although there are increasing numbers from Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. The percentage of pupils at an early stage of acquiring the English language is increasing. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is well above the national average. A much higher than usual proportion of pupils have joined or left the school at times other than the start of the school year. The school has achieved the Basic Skills Agency Quality

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Description of the school

Mark and Healthy Schools Award, two Leading Aspect Awards and a Business Enterprise Award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Kimberworth Community Primary School, 17 °18 March 2008

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Grade: 2

The inspection confirms the school's judgement that this is a good school. Its successes owe much to strengths in leadership and management, care, guidance and support, and teaching. Staff are united in wanting to do all they can to ensure that pupils leave the school as well rounded individuals. Parents think highly of the school and overwhelmingly appreciate the outstanding care the school takes of its pupils. They comment, for example, that, 'The school is good at building confidence and self-esteem and making every child feel accepted.' Because of the headteacher's strong leadership, the school's track record of improvement is good. It has successfully established a firm platform for learning. It is now constantly looking to move forward in innovative ways and has a strong capacity for continued improvement. Children enter the Foundation Stage with skills, knowledge and understanding which are very

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Grade: 2

low for their age. However, most pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, make good progress as they move through the school because of the good teaching. Strengths are the secure relationships and work which is generally matched to pupils' abilities. Although standards are below national levels by the end of Key Stage 2 in mathematics, science and English, pupils achieve well from their starting points. Writing is the weakest element because pupils do not have enough opportunities for writing during lessons in all subjects. Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. A minority of pupils occasionally behave inappropriately although teachers manage this well to ensure minimum impact on these pupils' and others' learning. Assessment procedures are good because the school is constantly checking on what pupils know and understand. Pupils

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Grade: 2

know and use their learning targets effectively because of the very good arrangements for guiding them to improve their academic performance. They find most lessons interesting because the curriculum is varied, caters well for their needs and brings learning to life. Visits, visitors, special events and clubs for pupils of all ages help extend their experiences effectively. The quality of care, guidance and support is outstanding. As a result, pupils say they feel safe. They are encouraged to lead a healthy lifestyle and are well prepared for their future lives because important skills are given strong emphasis. The headteacher has led the school well since it opened in 2006. She has succeeded, with the help of her strong leadership team, in providing an effective climate for sustained improvement. Arrangements for raising standards further are rigorous and embedded in the school's work. There is no complacency among key staff. They increasingly take the lead in introducing and

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Grade: 2

overseeing essential improvements. The governing body plays its part in actively supporting the school while increasingly holding it to account for what it achieves. The school provides good value for money.

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Grade: 2

The school has successfully established a Foundation unit that gives children a good start to their education. Its leadership and management are good. Teaching and support staff in the children's centre, Foundation Stage 1 and Foundation Stage 2 work very closely together to plan a broad and interesting range of activities. Developing children's speaking and listening skills is given a high priority, while children are encouraged and guided skilfully to play and work together. As a result, children enjoy their learning and achieve well from their low starting 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Kimberworth Community Primary School, 17 °18 March 2008 points. However, standards are still well below national expectations when children move into Key Stage 1. Arrangements to establish stronger links with parents are developing well. Parents appreciate sharing work and play with their children during 'Fun in Foundation' sessions and

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Grade: 2

overwhelmingly agree that their children are well cared for and safe. Staff know the children well and plan a range of indoor and outdoor activities that meet children's needs. However, the outdoor area is not used as effectively as it might be in providing opportunities for children to develop their skills in all areas of learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Provide opportunities for pupils to write more widely to help raise standards in English.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the use of the outdoor area for Foundation Stage children.

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Grade: 2

The current Year 6 cohort is the first group of Year 6 pupils in the school. As a result, there is no national data or contextual information from which comparisons can be drawn about standards at the end of Key Stage 2 or achievement over time. However, an analysis of the school's rigorous tracking information, assessment records and a scrutiny of pupils' work from Year 1 to Year 6 provides secure evidence about standards and progress. This reveals that most pupils, including the many with specific difficulties and those for whom English is an additional language, make good progress in relation to their capabilities as they move through the school. The analysis also demonstrates that standards are below average by the end of Year 6, particularly in writing.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' views are heard and acted upon through a lively school council. Its members speak proudly, for example, of introducing milk at break-times and organising their own fridge in which to store it. One pupil who spoke of 'brain power' after eating a healthy lunch summed up the importance of eating healthily. Pupils show a strong sense of responsibility for their work, their school and the wider community. They feel they are listened to by the adults in school and are busy planning ideas for their playground, their allotment and wildlife area. Behaviour is satisfactory overall. Some pupils need the skilled guidance and extra support of adults to work successfully together. Many others behave well and talk enthusiastically about the importance of getting on together because, 'We listen to each other and cooperate here.' Attendance rates are satisfactory and the school is working hard to improve them.

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Grade: 2

Teachers work hard to ensure that the occasional inappropriate behaviour of a few pupils does not impinge on learning. Most work is matched well to pupils' abilities. Carefully chosen resources aid motivation and contribute to learning. As a result, pupils find most lessons interesting, challenging and fun, and make good progress. Well trained teaching assistants work closely with teachers and support pupils effectively, especially those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Most teachers give pupils enough time to work independently and are skilled at 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Kimberworth Community Primary School, 17 °18 March 2008 establishing clear criteria or checklists to help them assess their own work. The marking of pupils' work usually gives them clear guidance on how to improve further.

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Grade: 2

Staff work hard together to deliver a good range of stimulating activities which meet pupils' needs well and make links between subjects. For example, following a visit to the National Museum of photography, Year 5 pupils built their own film sets and made animated films using digital photography, acknowledging that, 'It's fun to work like this.' Pupils talk with knowledge and enthusiasm about their themed days and weeks. For example, during the recent creativity week, they worked with a visitor from Zimbabwe to produce high quality sculptures. These experiences bring their learning alive and broaden their horizons. A variety of educational visits and after-school activities enrich pupils' experiences further and they benefit from a residential visit to North Wales. Information and communication technology is used well to enhance learning. However, there are too few opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills

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Grade: 2

through other subjects to help drive up standards.

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Grade: 1

The outstanding level of care, guidance and support is a significant factor in pupils' enjoyment of school, their sense of well-being and the good progress they make. Parents overwhelmingly agree that pupils are well cared for and safe and feel both supported and welcomed. Strong partnerships have been forged with a wide range of external agencies, many of which share the same building. These close working relationships and the excellent support of the school's inclusion team provide the most vulnerable pupils with the extra support they need in order to learn well. Child protection procedures are securely in place and arrangements for health and safety are robust. Pupils say they always have 'someone to talk to' when they have a concern. Teachers know pupils' needs very well and pupils' progress is carefully monitored and tracked to ensure that they make successful steps in their learning. This is valued highly by pupils, who

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Grade: 1

say teachers help them improve their work.

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Grade: 2

Inclusive and shared leadership are strong features of the school. The headteacher, supported effectively by the deputy headteacher, leads and manages the school well. In a relatively short time, the senior leadership team has established a solid basis for future improvement. Some of the developments are in their early stages and not yet impacting fully. The headteacher's impressive knowledge of the school is reflected in the school's self-evaluation, which is honest and accurate and takes account of the views of staff, governors, parents and pupils. The school's work is effectively monitored and this informs its strategic planning well. As a result, priorities for development are the right ones and targets are challenging to help move the school forward. All staff are united in their determination to provide a good quality of education for all pupils and a strong sense of team spirit pervades the school. Leadership is further enhanced by the

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Grade: 2

governors. They are supportive yet challenging. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Kimberworth Community Primary School, 17 °18 March 2008 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Kimberworth Community Primary School, 17 °18 March 2008

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? NA Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 3 The behaviour of learners 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Kimberworth Community Primary School, 17 °18 March 2008

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Kimberworth Community Primary School, 17 °18 March 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for being so friendly when we visited your school. We really enjoyed being in your beautiful new school building and listening to what you had to say. You told us how much you enjoy your school life and believe that you go to a good school. We are pleased to say that we agree with you. We especially like the warm and friendly atmosphere and the way all staff take extremely good care of you so that you feel safe and happy. You told us that systems to help you behave are fair and most of you do behave well. You can help all adults in school by making sure that you always listen to what they have to say and behave as well as you can because they all work very hard to help you with your learning. We were pleased to see the way your headteacher, deputy headteacher and all staff work hard to give you a good education. They organise many visits and visitors, such as the sculptor from Zimbabwe, to help make your school life interesting and often exciting. They give your parents lots of

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

opportunities to visit school, such as when they arranged an auction of some of your very good art work. Most of you attend school regularly, which helps you to build on what you learn each day. You know about the importance of having a healthy lifestyle and eating healthy meals. You appreciate the work of your school council, who work hard to get things done. We have asked your teachers to give you more opportunities to improve your writing. Also, we have asked them to use the outdoor area in the Foundation Stage in even better ways for building the younger children's skills. It is really good that most of you know what level you are working at and what you must do to improve. You must keep working hard to achieve your targets and make sure you tell your teacher when you think you have achieved them. This will help you get even better results. Thank you for helping us with the inspection of your school. We know that all adults in school

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

do their best to prepare you well for your future lives. We hope that you will continue to work hard and help your teachers so that your school becomes even better in the future. 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Kimberworth Community Primary School, 17 °18 March 2008

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