Kensington Primary Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that the proportion of pupils reaching greater depth in mathematics matches that in other subjects.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• Leaders, governors and trustees have successfully built a school that is underpinned by an unswerving commitment to excellence and the quest for knowledge. They have taken what they have learned from their work with the first two primary schools in the trust and feel that they have bettered that here. They understand what is similar and what is distinct about this school and have adapted their approach accordingly.
• Leaders are very clear about where the school needs to focus its priorities. Effective work on those priorities has seen outcomes improve for disadvantaged pupils.
• Leaders use the expertise across the trust to develop teaching and learning and enhance the curriculum. For example, the secondary school in the trust is a specialist music school, this therefore supports the quality of music tuition in all the primary schools.
• Leadership at all levels is highly effective. Leaders work across the trust, which significantly increases the capacity to sustain exemplary practice. For example, the English lead is based in one of the other primary schools but regularly visits Kensington Primary Academy to train, monitor and support teachers.
• The professional development offered across the trust is of an exceptionally high quality. Leaders create opportunities for staff to share best practice. There is equally good training for teaching assistants as for teachers. Consequently, teachers and teaching assistants are very skilled at their craft and their subject knowledge is exemplary.
• The relationship with a local federation of schools, which includes a teaching school, adds to the pool of expertise that leaders can draw upon to keep teachers’ skills at the forefront of current educational thinking.
• Research and best practice inform the way the school evaluates and develops its provision, for example in the area of memory and how children learn.
• Teachers at the early stage of their careers say that they have received exceptional support. There are opportunities for advancement across the trust, and trustees and governors are keen to reward exemplary practice.
• Leaders are proactive in ensuring that provision meets the needs of their pupils. For example, they knew a couple of pupils with autistic spectrum condition were due to join the school in September, so they organised for a specialist in autism to deliver training to all staff in advance of this.
• Leaders are very clear about the curriculum they offer. They, along with the other primary schools in the trust, have designed a knowledge-based curriculum with the aim of ensuring that pupils leave with a body of knowledge and a range of associated skills that will stand them in good stead for life.
• Opportunities to foster pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are threaded throughout the curriculum. British heritage and values are cornerstones in pupils’ learning. They learn a unit about kings and queens each year, building on what they already know, to acquire, by the time they leave, a strong understanding of this country’s system of constitutional monarchy. They also have plenty of opportunity to learn about democracy. When pupils reach Year 3, they will learn about Ancient Greece, questioning how that fits with our modern idea of democracy. By the time they get to Year 6 they will tackle the suffragettes and think about the role of women in society both in the United Kingdom and around the world.
• Parents are very positive about the school. Typical comments included: ‘It is a very understanding and well-organised school’, ‘Fantastic staff and amazing core values’ and ‘Our daughter is stimulated, engaged with her learning and progressing at an amazing rate.’

Governance of the school

• Governors and trustees are extremely competent and knowledgeable. They visit the school regularly so that they have first-hand knowledge of the community, its context and its challenges.
• They have a range of skills, both in education and in other key fields such as law, that they use to great effect to challenge and support school leaders to provide the best education possible for all pupils.
• Governors have astute financial acumen. For example, they have leased the empty rooms on the top floor of the building to a private school because classes currently only go up to Year 2 so they do not currently need the space.
• They encourage cross-trust working to effect economies of scale, for example when procuring and maintaining computers and other devices.
• They have an in-depth knowledge of safeguarding issues and check that the school complies with all its statutory duties and that its procedures are thorough and effective.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders ensure that staff induction contains detailed information about safeguarding. Training is relevant and up to date. Consequently, all staff spoken to during the inspection were completely confident as to what to do if they have any concerns about a child.
• Leaders provide staff with regular updates. For example, staff know that the information in the most recently published guidelines supersedes previous advice.
• Leaders and governors have a clear understanding of contextual factors, dangers in the immediate locality that are most likely to affect their pupils as they grow up. This is very useful knowledge because it allows leaders to target their work in the right areas.
• Work with other agencies enhances this offer. Where there is a need to refer on to other professionals, leaders in school ensure that referrals are followed up in a timely manner. In this way, the most vulnerable pupils get the support they need to stay safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• Teachers and teaching assistants use a consistent and systematic approach to the teaching of phonics, which ensures that pupils meet success both in lessons and over time. Pupils are consequently very competent at decoding unfamiliar words, which contributes to their keenness to read.
• Teachers have high expectations of how pupils present their work, which pupils rise to. As a result, pupils’ books are really neat and handwriting is well formed.
• Concepts are introduced progressively so that they build over time and learning is consolidated both across a unit of work and from one year to the next. For example, work on English/British kings and queens in Year 1 built on what pupils learned and could remember about King John from their learning in Reception. Pupils were consequently very excited about the new topic because they had a point of reference.
• Teachers regularly check for misconceptions in a range of ways, including during lessons. They respond clearly to ensure that any confusion or misunderstanding pupils may have are quickly dispelled. For example, as part of the kings and queens topic it was important to establish that pupils knew what country they live in. As the teacher suspected, many were confused about the difference between London and England; he has therefore adapted his plans for the next lesson accordingly.
• Teachers use a range of techniques to ensure that pupils who speak English as an additional language can access learning with ease. Having looked at pictures, photographs and videos, Year 2 used drama to transport themselves to South Africa so that they could imagine what they would hear, smell, see and feel if they were at a watering hole in the veldt. This helped them produce some exceptionally well-crafted and authentic written work.
• The curriculum ensures that there are many chances for pupils to use their reading and writing skills across a range of subjects. For example, the writing that pupils in Year 2 produced about life in the veldt links to one of the habitats they are studying in science.
• From an early age, pupils use mathematics in other subjects, such as interpreting information from a graph during a topic on transport.
• Pupils are really positive about learning and always want to try their best, which they recognise as one of the school rules.
• Teaching caters for the needs of pupils from different starting points exceptionally well. Lower-ability pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do well because they get the support they need to access work at a level that is appropriate for them yet presents a good challenge. In reading and writing, and other subjects such as science and humanities, the most able pupils are constantly given work that sparks their enthusiasm and stretches their intellect. This does not happen as consistently in mathematics.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils’ confidence in themselves as learners can be seen in the way they answer questions about and reflect upon their learning. For example, in mathematics, pupils were asked how they completed a particular piece of work and were able to identify that they had used a range of strategies including working it out mentally and counting on from a given number.
• Pupils are very clear that when someone else is talking you must listen to them and respect what they say. They work well collaboratively and take each other’s ideas on board.
• Pastoral care for the most vulnerable pupils is exemplary. Leaders work within and beyond the trust to ensure that the needs of any pupils for whom they have concerns are met by the most skilled and dedicated practitioners available.
• Pupils say that they feel safe at school and parents echo this. Pupils really appreciate the work leaders do to teach pupils to stay safe. They can explain many aspects of this work in detail, for example that you must not stop to collect any of your belongings in the event of a fire drill because that would waste time and put you, and possibly others, in danger.
• Pupils have an exceptionally good understanding of the potential dangers of the internet for their age. None of them would ever give their details out online and would always tell an adult if they found any disturbing content.
• Pupils say that there is rarely any bullying at the school. They are all confident that there are adults they can go to if they have any concerns and that their concerns would be dealt with quickly and decisively.
• Pupils particularly appreciate the fact that they are encouraged to think about their behaviour choices. They understand if they have made a poor choice, and this helps them make a different choice next time because reflecting on their behaviour means they realise how it affects others. They can see that this is a vital step in resolving conflict.
• Pupils choose to eat fruit at snack time and help themselves to the salad option at lunch. They understand that it is important to eat healthily. There is a good variety of sporting opportunities supported by judicious use of the primary physical education (PE) and sport premium. Some pupils are so keen on sport that they cited PE as their favourite subject.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils conduct themselves really well around the school. They take on roles such as door and stair monitors. They take the inherent responsibility seriously because they understand that their work is vital in ensuring that movement around such a large site is smooth and safe.
• Pupils enjoy the convivial atmosphere in the lunch hall, which leaders have set up in such a way as to encourage conversation and develop exemplary table manners.
• The work leaders do for pupils with particular behavioural difficulties is very successful. This results in significant reductions of incidents of inappropriate behaviour. For example, in the case study we looked at, incidents reduced to zero and progress in class improved accordingly.
• There is a strong focus on attendance. Leaders continually remind parents of the importance of good attendance and have employed a family support worker this year, part of whose role is to support those families where children attend less well. As a result, each cohort’s attendance is better now than it was at the same time last year. The proportion of pupils who are persistently absent is well below average.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• Pupils develop strong phonics skills, which helps them as readers. The most able pupils read exceptionally confidently, often choosing texts that are very advanced for their age. They answer a range of questions on what they have read with ease.
• Outcomes in writing are excellent because pupils have the opportunity to discuss their ideas, which often link to other subjects where they have sound knowledge. Pupils do very well to reach the expected standard in mathematics. However, the proportion of pupils across the school who reach greater depth in mathematics is not as high as it is in other subjects.
• Pupils from all starting points learn well across the curriculum. For example, in humanities, pupils had to recap what they knew about the make-up of the British Isles. Pupils from lower starting points were able to name the countries that make up the United Kingdom but not necessarily place them accurately on a map; pupils from average starting points remembered all the countries and where they go on the map and the most able completed the map fully accurately, including the Republic of Ireland, which was not a requirement, and wrote reams of facts about different features.
• The school’s aim is to ensure that pupils grasp securely the body of knowledge teachers impart. Teachers regularly check this because they are aware that current research on how we learn shows that recalling facts at regular intervals helps to secure them in our long-term memory.
• Outcomes in a range of subjects are very strong. For example, the school uses a specialist teacher for art whose expectations are very high. Reception-aged children looked at primary and secondary colours and Year 1 have been introduced to very specific painting techniques.

Early years provision Outstanding

• In 2018, the proportion of children who reached a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year was well above average. This represents excellent progress because, although children’s starting points are generally typical for their age in most areas, they are below, and even well below, in communication and language.
• More disadvantaged children reached a good level of development than in the previous year. This is because leaders ensure that staff have the skills and expertise to provide ideal conditions for them to make accelerated progress.
• Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. Staff make detailed observations about what children can do in order to plan activities that meet their needs exceptionally well and enable them to make gains in their learning.
• Teaching ensures that children have a range of opportunities to learn in different ways across the curriculum. They learn as a whole class, in small groups and in self-directed activities. During the inspection, children were very well engaged in their learning.
• Children’s behaviour is exemplary. They are aware of the school rules and this underpins much of what they do. For example, they try their best to listen to the teacher and make the most of the learning opportunities offered to them. During the inspection, children were fascinated by the concepts of floating and sinking and used a range of receptacles to fill the water tray and try to submerge the different objects in it.
• As in the rest of the school, safeguarding is a high priority in early years. Staff have the necessary training to be able to spot and report any concerns. They are proactive in working with children to understand risk and be able to manage risks safely and sensibly, for example when climbing, using tools such as scissors and not eating while running.
• Leaders provide excellent opportunities for staff to develop their skills and continually improve their practice. This leads to highly skilled staff who have a strong understanding of how young children learn. Due to the low level of children’s communication and language, staff use visual cues, including signing, to help children understand key concepts. An example of this was seen during a phonics lesson, with pupils becoming very excited once they understood what was expected of them and squealing with delight, ‘I can do it.’
• Engagement of parents is a strength of the school. Parents attend sessions where they can play with their children and say that this is really beneficial. Leaders provide an excellent range of information for parents. For example, there is a lot of detail on how to support your child’s phonics acquisition, including a video where parents can hear correct pronunciation.
• Children are very well prepared for Year 1 because they leave early years with a good body of knowledge and the attitudes needed to be effective learners.

School details

Unique reference number 140213 Local authority Kensington and Chelsea Inspection number 10078361 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy sponsor-led 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 100 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Head of school Executive headteacher Suzie Hobart Helen Barnes Laura Lund Telephone number 020 3146 7870 Website Email address www.wlfs-kpa.org kpa@wlfs-kpa.org Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• This is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school. It opened in September 2016 as part of the Knowledge Schools Trust and opened the first nursery in the trust the following year. The local governing body is responsible for the quality of education at the school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is growing due to the school’s admissions policy, which prioritises them, and is now approaching the national average, although is still slightly below.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is much higher than the national average. Many of these pupils join the school speaking little or no English.
• There is approximately the same proportion of pupils with SEND as is the case nationally.
• The school runs an after-school club and a breakfast club for its pupils.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector held meetings with governors, including the chair of the governing body, the chief executive officer of the trust, staff, including those at a very early stage of their careers, parents and pupils.
• The inspector visited every class at least twice and was accompanied on those visits by members of the school leadership team or key leaders from across the trust.
• The inspector read with a selection of pupils, and discussed pupils’ learning with them as well as seeking their views on other aspects of the school’s work such as behaviour and whether they feel safe. She also considered the 35 responses to the pupil questionnaire.
• The inspector spoke to parents at the end of the school day and took account of the 41 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, as well as the 19 comments left on the free-text facility.
• The inspector looked at a wide range of documentation, including minutes of governing body meetings, documents relating to safeguarding, attendance figures, the school’s self-evaluation and development planning, monitoring of teaching and learning and information about pupils’ academic progress and attainment.

Inspection team

Jeanie Jovanova, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector