Kimbolton Primary Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management further by:
  • reviewing and planning curriculum provision to ensure that pupils receive a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum that prepares them well for life in modern Britain
  • ensuring that checks on pupils’ performance take place regularly enough so that all pupils make rapid progress and that any interventions are making a positive difference to pupils’ achievement.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment further by:
  • ensuring that the most able pupils are consistently challenged with work so that they always achieve the best that they can
  • ensuring that pupils have planned opportunities to think for themselves, make their own choices and be more independent learners
  • developing pupils’ aspiration and ambition to do the best that they can.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The effective leadership of the headteacher has been a key factor in improving the school and there is a real sense of teamwork among the staff. The decisive actions taken have secured rapid improvements in teaching and the achievement of pupils.
• Leaders at all levels are clear about their roles and what needs to improve. They effectively check teaching by observing in lessons, looking at pupils’ work and monitoring teachers’ planning. This ensures that the quality of teaching improves because leaders are able to identify areas to develop quickly and, subsequently, can intervene appropriately to help teachers get better. As a result, pupils make good progress.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well, as demonstrated by their positive behaviour and the way they cooperate with one another.
• Leaders successfully use pupil premium funding to support disadvantaged pupils through additional learning programmes and strategies to improve pupils’ well-being and engagement in their learning. As a result, disadvantaged pupils now make better progress.
• The primary physical education and sport premium is spent well. Specialist teachers have been brought in to deliver high-quality physical education lessons. Additionally, pupils have benefited from access to a wide variety of after-school sports clubs, competitive events and activities. As a result, more pupils are participating in a wider range of sports.
• Leaders have developed a creative curriculum that ensures pupils are developing their skills and knowledge. This is through topic work, whereby leaders plan which aspects of each subject should be covered in each area to ensure full curriculum coverage. However, the curriculum does not yet provide pupils with the opportunity to deepen their understanding or apply their skills independently. This is most notable for most-able pupils who are not always challenged to apply their learning and broaden their skills through open-ended tasks. Consequently, some of these pupils do not achieve as well as they could.
• Parents spoken with during the inspection, and responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, overwhelmingly value and support the school. They universally recognise the improvements in the school and appreciate the good communication they receive. One parent spoke for many by saying, ‘I am very pleased with the school. The staff are extremely hard-working and create such a happy environment for the pupils.’
• The Diamond Learning Partnership Trust provides effective support for the school through training and challenge to secure continued improvement. For example, an independent school improvement adviser visits the school regularly to review all aspects of the school’s work. This evaluation is used well to validate or sharpen the school’s priorities, staff training programmes and key projects. Consequently, the trust holds leaders to account competently for the school’s work.

Governance

• Governors provide good support and challenge to leaders. They ensure that their statutory responsibilities, especially in safeguarding pupils’ welfare, are fully met and effective. They challenge the school strongly, analysing national and school data and holding the school to account for the quality of teaching and how this impacts on the academic standards pupils achieve.
• Governors are involved in evaluating the work of the school and developing improvement plans. As a result, governors play a full role in determining the strategic work of the school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The headteacher takes the lead with safeguarding and is tenacious in her approach to leading and managing the welfare of all pupils. All staff receive regular updates and training. This ensures that they understand their responsibilities and are able to act swiftly when pupils may be at risk of harm.
• The trust oversees checks on staff, governors and volunteers who work in the school. These procedures are robust and carried out in a timely manner.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• High expectations by leaders and appropriate training have led to improvements in the quality of teaching. As a result, pupils make good progress from their starting points.
• The relationship between pupils and staff is positive, encouraging and highly conducive to learning. The staff know the pupils well. Pupils concentrate very well in their lessons and teachers use assessment to inform pupils of how well they are doing so they can be moved on quickly, when they are able to. This ensures that pupils enjoy their lessons. Pupils want to learn, and respond positively to the tasks they have been given and to the high expectations of their teachers.
• High-quality feedback, and accurate assessment, inform lesson planning well. Pupils are given the opportunity to reflect on their teachers’ comments and to identify what they need to do to make better progress. This enables pupils to be clear about how to achieve further success.
• Teaching assistants are deployed well by the school. They provide effective support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and disadvantaged pupils. Teaching assistants have good subject knowledge and they plan closely with teachers. As a result, teaching assistants’ work contributes effectively to the increasing progress that pupils make when in their care.
• Well-guided reading lessons ensure that there is a strong focus on developing comprehension skills and on reading for pleasure. Achievement in reading is improving and pupils are generally enthusiastic and confident readers.
• The quality and quantity of work in pupils’ books, and in displays around the school, indicate that the teaching of writing is improving. For example, the newly introduced ‘exciting writing’ books give pupils regular opportunities to apply their writing skills to unaided tasks, and receive feedback from teachers on how to improve their work further. This is contributing to greater achievement in writing.
• Improved teaching in mathematics results in pupils achieving well. Leaders have focused on increasing opportunities for pupils to apply their problem-solving and reasoning skills in lessons across the curriculum.
• Teachers’ good understanding of what pupils know and can do ensures that they plan work that is generally matched well to pupils’ different needs and abilities. However, sometimes lessons are too structured and the work is either not demanding enough or not open-ended enough to enable pupils to think for themselves. Pupils have limited opportunities to make choices and therefore develop confidence in their ability to work independently. Consequently, progress is not always as rapid as it could be.
• The most able pupils are not always given work that is hard enough to challenge them sufficiently in all classes and in all subjects. As a result, the most able pupils are not always making as rapid progress as they could be.
• Leaders have developed an appropriate system to measure and record pupils’ achievement across all subjects. Together with class teachers, they follow the progress of pupils, providing additional help for any who are not doing as well as they might. However, this needs to take place more often in order to evaluate whether the support programmes put in place are resulting in rapid progress for underachieving pupils.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. The curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to learn how to stay safe when using the internet. Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe ‘all around the school’ and they know that they can talk to their teachers about any problems they may have.
• Pupils enjoy the wide range of enrichment activities that are on offer. They understand the importance of keeping healthy and how fitness can contribute to their overall well-being. Participation in sports events has increased and pupils enjoy competitive activities.
• Pupils enjoy taking on active roles in the school such as being ‘buddies’ for the youngest children and organising the hall before and after assemblies.
• The overwhelming majority of staff and parents who completed online questionnaires during the inspection agreed that pupils are safe and well cared for at this school.
• Pupils are kind to each other and treat each other with respect. However, pupils are not able to talk confidently about British values and the diversity of life in modern Britain. As such, the curriculum needs to be further developed to incorporate explicit teaching of these aspects in order that pupils acquire the necessary skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in, and contribute positively to, life in modern Britain.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• School records and the views of pupils, parents and staff support this view. Pupils are extremely polite, courteous and get on exceptionally well with each other and adults. They enjoy school and are keen to learn. Pupils welcome the opportunity to speak to visitors about their school and do so with great pride.
• Highly effective behaviour management by all staff means that pupils behave consistently well in lessons and around the school. Playtimes and lunchtimes are well-supervised occasions that ensure pupils can play and socialise happily together.
• Pupils want to come to school and overall attendance is similar to the national average. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is rapidly improving. This is because the school works very closely with families and provides exceptional support to alleviate any issues affecting pupils’ attendance.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The school’s current tracking information and the work in books show that pupils’ achievement is securely good.
• Children make good progress in the early years. They settle quickly as a result of effective relationships and stimulating activities that engage their interests well.
• The teaching of phonics has a high priority in the school and is taught effectively. As a result, achievement is good and continues to improve. In 2016, the proportion of pupils in Year 1 who met the required standard in the national screening check was higher than the national average.
• In 2016, by the end of key stage 1, the proportion of pupils who met the expected standard was in line with the national average in all subjects. The proportion attaining greater depth was above the national average in all subjects. This shows good progress from pupils’ starting points.
• In 2016, published information reflects low achievement by the end of key stage 2. However, due to the small number of pupils in each cohort, pupils’ progress information needs to be treated with caution. School evidence indicates that prior to 2016, achievement at the end of key stage 2 was more positive and above the national average in all subjects. Likewise, the current cohort in Year 6 are achieving well and school analysis of current information shows that pupils are on track to achieve at least in line with the national average by the end of the year.
• Across the school, pupils continue to make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Standards are rising and pupils in all year groups are building on the improvements they made last year.
• Pupils read with confidence and enjoyment because the teaching of phonics has improved. Consequently, pupils are accomplished readers by the time they leave the school.
• The achievement in writing is good because teaching has been more effective. For example, the recent focus on increasing extended writing opportunities for pupils in literacy lessons and across other subjects has enabled pupils to apply and embed their skills more frequently and systematically.
• Pupils make good progress in mathematics because they are encouraged to develop different strategies to complete calculations and solve problems.
• Generally, the most able pupils achieve well because of effective teaching and appropriate challenge, but this is not yet consistent across the school. As a result, some of the most able pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable and consequently do not achieve the higher standard.
• The achievement of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is improving in reading, writing and mathematics. This is due to effective support from the well-trained teaching assistants, in small group sessions or through one-to-one support in the classroom. However, leaders are not routinely monitoring the difference these interventions make. As a result, leaders are unsure about the impact that specific additional support is having on pupils’ progress.

Early years provision Good

• Leadership and management of the early years are good. Expectations are high and provision is constantly improving because staff are encouraged to try new ideas linked to the children’s needs and interests.
• Staff are supportive and watchful. They ensure that children are safe at all times. The ratio of adults to children for two-year-olds meets statutory requirements.
• Children make a good start in the Nursery and Reception classes. Positive relationships between children and adults enable the children to settle quickly. They make good progress from their starting points in a stimulating, enjoyable and safe learning environment.
• Teaching is consistently good in the early years. Teachers plan exciting and interesting activities that are well resourced. Children quickly become confident at choosing their own activities or working with adults, and learn well.
• In the Nursery, children have many good opportunities to speak and listen to others. Adults give individuals the time they need to think about what they want to say. Additionally, staff use questions carefully to probe children’s understanding and build on their natural curiosity to learn.
• Through the children’s learning journals, parents are encouraged to take an active part in their children’s learning. For example, parents are asked to reflect on their child’s achievements and their next steps. Staff use this information to help plan tailored learning experiences to meet the needs of the children that ensure continued progress.
• In both classes, children have access to a well-resourced and planned outside environment. They enjoy accessing the wide range of activities on offer that allow them to develop their early basic skills in a purposeful way.
• Both the Nursery Year and Reception Year work effectively together to ensure that transition for the youngest children in the school between the early years and Year 1 gives them a good start to their education. As a result, children make good progress and are well prepared for Year 1.

School details

Unique reference number 140386 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 10019588 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Primary Academy sponsor-led 2–11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 74 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Alan Ball Suzanne Whiting Telephone number 01480 860 743 Website Email address www.kimboltonprimaryacademy.cambs.sch.uk office@kimboltonprimaryacademy.cambs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.
• Kimbolton Primary Academy is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils whose first language is not believed to be English is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who receive special educational needs support is broadly in line with the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is higher than the national average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in every class and attended two school assemblies.

Several of the observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher.

• A wide range of pupils’ workbooks were looked at by inspectors throughout the inspection.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, executive headteacher, senior leaders and subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, the early years leader, the newly qualified teacher, the chair of the governing body and the chief executive officer from the trust. Inspectors spoke to pupils informally in class and around the school at break and lunchtimes to seek their views about the school. Inspectors also attended the breakfast and after-school clubs.
• Inspectors met with several groups of pupils more formally to discuss many aspects of school life.
• Inspectors heard some pupils in Years 1 and 5 read. Inspectors talked to pupils about their reading habits and looked at their reading records.
• Inspectors scrutinised the school’s website and a range of school documents including assessment information, minutes from governors’ meetings, the school’s own evaluation, improvement plans, and records about behaviour, safeguarding children and attendance.
• Inspectors considered the 27 responses to Parent View, including free text comments. They also spoke to some parents before school at the beginning of the inspection and during the inspection.

Inspection team

Fiona Webb, lead inspector Terry Flitman Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector