Kedington Primary Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of the school’s curriculum by ensuring that:
  • the curriculum is suitably broad and balanced
  • leaders have a clear understanding of what they expect pupils to know and to be able to do in each year group
  • staff have the same high expectations of what pupils are capable of in all areas of the curriculum, not just in English and mathematics.
• Raise the quality of teaching so that more pupils make substantial and sustained progress in a wide range of subjects, including English and mathematics, by:
  • improving assessment so that it is has a clear impact on improving pupils’ outcomes
  • planning effective teaching and learning across a full range of subjects
  • matching the tasks that pupils are given to do to their assessed needs.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• In recent years, the school has experienced several changes in senior leadership, including three changes of headteacher. The multi-academy trust (the trust) has ensured that the school has continued to provide a good quality of education for pupils throughout what has been a challenging time.
• The trust’s central leadership team know the school very well. They work directly with and in the school, and also at arm’s length, so that the school retains its autonomy and individual identity. This balance is working very well for the school. For example, the trust’s central leaders arranged for an experienced executive headteacher to support the deputy headteacher while she led the school, in an acting capacity, during the autumn term 2018.
• Leaders are ambitious for the school and its pupils. They are determined that the school will improve rapidly and that the school will return to having the same outstanding overall effectiveness as its predecessor school. There are early signs that this ambition, and current leaders’ high expectations, are starting to have an impact on improving the school in this way.
• Recent improvements in the quality of leadership are clear and are starting to have an impact. For example, since the beginning of the academic year, leaders have started to monitor the quality of teaching more closely and carefully. Since the beginning of this term, monitoring systems have improved greatly. Each monitoring activity, such as observations in classrooms, links to the next so that there is a continual spiral of improvement.
• Provision for pupils with SEND is led well. Leaders identify pupils’ individual barriers to learning and put suitable measures in place to support pupils appropriately, whatever their needs might be. Leaders ensure that the progress of individual pupils with SEND is checked regularly and adjustments made to provision where necessary.
• The sport premium is spent effectively. Leaders have analysed where provision is weaker and have used sport funding to improve these areas. For example, leaders took action to increase pupils’ involvement in competitive sport. As a result, all pupils now take part in sporting competitions at an appropriate level. Similarly, the proportion of pupils who participate in sports clubs has risen from around a third to more than three-quarters of the school’s population.
• The pupil premium grant is spent effectively. Leaders know the school’s disadvantaged pupils well. Leaders identify any barriers to learning that each disadvantaged pupil might face and put appropriate measures in place to address them. Leaders monitor the effectiveness of these measures to ensure that they are helping individual disadvantaged pupils to make strong progress.
• The school caters for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well. Kedington is an inclusive school where everyone is welcome, whatever their ethnicity, religion, disability, behavioural needs or any other characteristics. Pupils are taught to value everyone as an individual and they do so routinely. This is a particular strength of the school.
• Subject leadership is improving. Leaders have an increasingly accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the subjects that they are responsible for. This is starting to have an impact on individual subjects. For example, leaders have improved the content and delivery of the science curriculum, and this is having a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes in the subject.
• Until very recently, leaders had not done enough to ensure that the school’s curriculum is suitably broad and balanced. Too little time has been spent on learning about subjects such as history, geography and art. Outcomes in these subjects have not been given the same attention and importance as English and mathematics. As a result, there is little evidence of pupils making strong progress in these subjects.

Governance of the school

• Governance is provided both by the multi-academy trust’s board of trustees and the school’s local governing body. The two ‘arms’ of governance have very clearly defined roles and responsibilities. The trust board, represented by the chief executive officer, retains overall strategic responsibility for the school while delegating day-to-day strategic responsibility for outcomes and the quality of teaching to the local governing body.
• Governors have a precise and accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Their expectations are high, and they are determined that the school’s overall effectiveness will be outstanding in the near future.
• Governors hold the school’s leaders to account very well. They understand their duty of care and balance this with their responsibility for ensuring that the school continues to provide a good quality of education for its pupils.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The school’s single central record of pre-appointment checks meets current requirements. Leaders have a good understanding of safer recruitment processes. Strong arrangements are in place to ensure that only suitable adults are appointed to work with children.
• The school’s designated safeguarding leads have a good understanding of their role. Prompt and appropriate action is taken, where necessary, in response to concerns that are raised about possible abuse or neglect. Leaders ensure that thorough records are kept of the concerns that are raised and the actions taken in response to them.
• The school has a notably friendly and open culture. Pupils know that they can speak with any adult, at any time, if they are worried about something, whether at home or at school. Pupils know that adults will listen to them and will help them.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The school’s classrooms are happy and productive places. Teachers have ensured that routines are well-established, and pupils know what is expected of them. For example, pupils come into school quickly in the morning and get straight on with their learning. Similarly, they know that they are expected to respond quickly and quietly when they are asked to move from sitting on the carpet to sitting at their tables. These routines and high expectations mean that little learning time is lost.
• Relationships between pupils and staff are a notable strength. Staff have created classrooms that are friendly, safe and welcoming. Pupils do not worry about making mistakes because they know that getting things wrong is an important part of the learning process. This encourages them to ‘have a go’ and to try things out.
• Staff use questioning well to deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the subjects that they learn about. They plan probing and open-ended questions that encourage pupils to think more deeply and to develop their reasoning skills.
• Teaching assistants make positive contributions to pupils’ learning. They work closely with teachers. Planning is shared so that teaching assistants know and understand their role in supporting pupils in lessons and groups of lessons. Teaching assistants are quick to intervene, where necessary, but they also stand back and allow pupils space to think and try things out themselves when this is a better course of action.
• Over the past few years there have been some inconsistencies in the quality of teaching. This has led to some pupils making less progress than they might otherwise have done. The quality of teaching has now improved and, although some minor inconsistencies remain, it is now good overall.
• Teachers show good subject knowledge in a range of areas. For example, French is taught by the trust’s primary specialist teacher for modern foreign languages. Many teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge in English and mathematics. This enables them to plan learning for pupils that is well-sequenced and appropriate to their needs.
• The school’s approach to assessment is not fully developed. Leaders and staff do not have a clear enough rationale for how they assess pupils’ progress in English and mathematics, and in a wide range of other subjects. There is a lack of clarity about what constitutes strong progress.
• This lack of clarity of around assessment means that work is not always well-matched to pupils’ individual needs and abilities. For example, from time to time, pupils are given work to do that is too easy and does not provide them with enough challenge.
• Teachers do not plan as thoroughly or as well in subjects other than English and mathematics. Although they teach the full range of national curriculum subjects, some subjects are touched on only briefly and superficially.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils are polite and well-mannered. They routinely hold doors open, step back to allow others to pass through doorways, and remember to say ‘thank you’ when they are given something. During the inspection, pupils were very keen to speak with inspectors about their school. Pupils are rightly proud of their school, their work and themselves.
• Pupils are confident and lively. They are supported well by staff and know that they are valued as individuals. Pupils are encouraged to have a go at new things, and they do so enthusiastically. They love learning and they try hard.
• Pupils love their school. They feel safe and happy at Kedington, largely because of the strong relationships that they have with staff. Pupils feel well supported. They know that staff will always help them when they need it, whether with personal issues or with their learning.
• Kedington is a friendly and welcoming school. Pupils get on very well together and enjoy each other’s company. Breaktimes are happy and harmonious. Pupils are given plenty to do outside. They enjoy taking part in a wide range of games and reading or chatting quietly in the gazebo.
• Pupils know about bullying. They know that it is different to the fall-outs that sometimes happen between friends. They use the acronym ‘STOP’ to remind them that bullying is something that happens ‘several times, on purpose’. Pupils say that bullying does not happen very often but, when it does, it is sorted out very quickly by staff.
• Pupils show excellent attitudes to equality. They understand that people can be different to each other in a range of ways, including the colour of their skin and their religion. Pupils say that people should only be judged on their actions, not on their physical or other characteristics. When discussing equality issues with the lead inspector, one pupil spoke for the group by saying that, whatever someone’s differences, ‘you’re still a person’.
• Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe in a range of ways. For example, they know about e-safety and how to keep themselves safe when using the internet. Pupils are taught that they must tell an adult quickly if something inappropriate, unpleasant or unexpected manages to pass through the school’s stringent internet filters.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils know the school’s rules well. They show respect for these rules and follow them carefully. Pupils are quick to respond to the directions and instructions that they are given by staff. This ensures that lessons run smoothly, and that learning time is not lost as a result of disruptive behaviour.
• Leaders and teaching staff ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are met well. This includes the very small proportion of pupils whose special educational needs mean that their behaviour can be challenging. Leaders ensure that appropriate actions are taken to enable all pupils with SEND to be included and successful, while ensuring that any challenging behaviour has as little impact as possible on the other pupils in the school.
• Pupils attend regularly and on time. The school’s attendance rate has been above the national average for some years and continues to be so. Where individual pupils’ attendance is less strong, leaders take appropriate and effective action to address this.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils’ outcomes are strong in reading, writing and mathematics. Results of the key stage 2 national tests, averaged over the past three years, show that, typically, an above-average proportion of pupils reach at least the expected standard in each of reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6. Published assessment information shows that pupils make similar progress to other pupils nationally in these subjects.
• The quality of work in pupils’ exercise books shows that current pupils are making strong progress. They are not, however, making the substantial and sustained progress that would indicate outstanding outcomes. Pupils’ work is mainly neat and carefully presented. Pupils write regularly and at length, developing their stamina as writers.
• Pupils enjoy reading. They read fluently and well. Most pupils read at home with an adult regularly. Pupils use their phonics skills well to help them to read unfamiliar words. They read confidently and show good understanding of the texts that they read.
• Pupils with SEND make good progress from their individual starting points. In some cases, pupils with SEND make very strong progress as a result of the high-quality support that they receive. The school’s approach to assessing the progress of pupils with SEND who have very low starting points is not fully developed. This means that in a few cases it is not clear whether pupils are making good progress or not.
• The school meets the needs of its few disadvantaged pupils well. All disadvantaged pupils are making at least the same strong progress that the school expects of all pupils. In some cases, disadvantaged pupils are making very strong progress as a result of the measures put in place to support them.
• Where pupils have been taught about subjects other than English and mathematics in enough depth, they make similarly good progress in these subjects. For example, pupils in key stage 2 are making strong progress in learning to both read and write in French.
• However, pupils do not make strong progress, overall, in a range of subjects other than English and mathematics, because they are not given enough opportunities to do so.

Early years provision Good

• Leaders have focused well on improving the quality of early years provision. Leaders have an accurate understanding of what is strong and what still needs to improve. As a result, the early years provision is now good and improving.
• Staff in the early years work closely and effectively with each other. They work together to plan learning for individuals, groups and for the class. Children are provided with a variety of interesting and challenging tasks and activities to choose from, across all areas of the early years curriculum.
• On the whole, children join the school with skills and knowledge that are typical of their age. They make good progress during their time in the early years. In 2018, the proportion of children who reached a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year was above the national average.
• Strong relationships between children and staff are evident in the early years, as they are in the rest of the school. This encourages children to settle quickly and to become confident learners in the school environment, ensuring that they are ready for the different demands of Year 1, when the time comes.
• Children behave very well in the early years. They quickly learn what is expected of them, and what they are and are not allowed to do. Staff have high expectations of behaviour and the children respond well to this. This sets the scene, in terms of how well children behave, from the very start of their time at the school.
• Leaders have ensured that the early years statutory requirements for welfare and safety are met. Staff are vigilant and observant, and this helps to keep children safe.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 139485 Suffolk 10085487 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy converter 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 206 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mike Parish Vicky Doherty 01440 702 787 www.kedington.suffolk.sch.uk admin@kedingtonprimary.co.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school converted to become an academy on 1 April 2013.
• The school joined the Samuel Ward Academy Trust on 1 June 2017. The multi-academy trust now has 22 schools and is known as the Unity Schools Partnership.
• The school has a local governing body that focuses mainly on the strategic leadership of teaching and learning. The trust retains overall strategic leadership for all aspects of the school.
• The current headteacher joined the school in January 2019. The deputy headteacher led the school, in an acting capacity, supported by an experienced executive headteacher, during the autumn term 2018. The previous headteacher took up his post in January 2018 and left the school in July 2018.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors gathered a range of evidence to judge the quality of teaching and learning over time. They observed parts of 24 lessons, some jointly with the headteacher.
• Inspectors looked closely at the work in pupils’ exercise books, in a range of subjects. They listened to pupils read and talked to them about their work.
• Inspectors looked at a range of the school’s documents, including assessment information. They checked the school’s single central record of pre-appointment checks and documents relating to child protection.
• Meetings were held with: school leaders, governors, the director of primary education for the trust, the chief executive officer and a group of pupils. Inspectors spoke with other pupils throughout the inspection.
• Inspectors spoke with parents and carers as they brought their children to school. Inspectors considered 36 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire.

Inspection team

Wendy Varney, lead inspector Simon Harbrow John Crane

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector