Kings Wood School and Nursery Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the consistency of the quality of teaching throughout the school so that all is equally as strong.
• Increase challenge for the most able pupils so that a greater proportion attain the higher standards.
• Continue to develop the curriculum so that pupils learn specific knowledge and skills across a broad range of subjects.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders are ambitious for their pupils and school. They are determined to provide a wide range of opportunities for pupils to develop their academic and pastoral learning. They have created a nurturing, caring environment in which pupils and their families feel valued and part of the ‘Kings Wood family’.
• Leaders have a clear understanding of the strengths and development areas of the school. They have put into place well-considered plans to develop aspects such as the teaching of mathematics and the assessment of pupils’ learning. These changes have helped to improve outcomes for pupils throughout the school.
• Leaders have worked closely with advisers from the local authority and other external experts to develop the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. They have made sensible decisions based on pupils’ needs and made sure that staff are trained well to implement improvements. However, there are inconsistencies in the quality of leaders’ monitoring of these initiatives. Most feedback to staff is very useful and supports development well, but some lacks precision and so some improvement has slowed.
• Overall, however, staff are very well supported through staff training and coaching. Support for colleagues new to the profession is strong. Leaders ensure that staff can attend professional development networks. Staff value these development opportunities and their morale is high. They are proud to be part of the school and to contribute to its work. The response to Ofsted’s confidential staff questionnaire was overwhelmingly positive.
• The leadership of the ARP for pupils with SEND is exceptionally strong. Leaders ensure that the specific needs of individual pupils are identified and met. Consequently, these pupils make excellent progress from their starting points.
• Leaders ensure that additional funding is used well. The use of a specialist sports coach has increased the confidence and skills of pupils. The proportion of pupils taking part in the wide range of clubs continues to grow. Pupils have also enjoyed much success in sporting competitions and events in recent years. Pupils are, rightly, very proud of this.
• Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds are supported very well and now make as good, and often better, progress than their peers. This is due to leaders making thoughtful spending decisions based on their very careful analysis of pupils’ individual needs and potential barriers to learning. The pastoral support provided to these pupils and their families is exceptionally strong.
• The planned curriculum is broad and balanced, but in some cases the cross-curricular English and mathematics tasks overpower the wider curriculum that is intended to be the focus of pupils’ learning. Consequently, pupils’ learning in the wider curriculum is not as consistently strong as that in English and mathematics. Leaders had started a curriculum review prior to the inspection, but inspectors found that a minority of pupils are not experiencing the breadth of learning that leaders intend.
• Similarly, learning about life in modern Britain and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are promoted well overall. Pupils benefit from many trips and special focus days that support this learning. However, some aspects are not developed as securely as leaders intend. For example, some pupils displayed confusion when discussing aspects of modern Britain such as different sorts of families and beliefs.
• Leaders have ensured that pupils have many opportunities to develop their speaking, listening and presentation skills. All participate in assemblies, shows and performances and this helps pupils to develop their confidence. Throughout the inspection, pupils were confident, polite, helpful and keen to discuss their learning.
• Parents are very happy with the school. They recognise the strong relationships built by staff and the high level of care provided. One parent said, ‘It is a brilliant school with excellent leadership from the headteacher.’ Another commented that it is ‘always happy and welcoming’. Parents commenting on the ARP were overwhelming in their praise, one writing that the staff have ‘made not just [my child’s] life but all of our lives so much better’.

Governance of the school

• Governance is very effective. Members of the governing body have a clear vision and share leaders’ ambition for the school. They work very hard and keep pupils’ needs at the forefront of all their decision-making.
• Despite difficulties in recruiting governors, the small governing body covers a wide range of skills. Governors use these skills well and provide strong strategic challenge to school leaders. For example, they keep a close eye on additional funding and hold leaders to account well for the difference that this makes for pupils.
• Governors make good use of their frequent school visits to make sure that they have a secure understanding of leaders’ work and its impact on pupils. They ensure that information presented by leaders is supported by evidence or validated by external experts. They ask probing questions of school leaders and challenge them appropriately.
• Governors systematically monitor safeguarding practices in the school and recognise their responsibility to ensure that pupils are kept safe.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders are acutely aware of the need to ‘think the unthinkable’. They ensure that all staff have a detailed knowledge of possible risks to pupils and how to support pupils and their families. Representatives from external agencies spoke to inspectors to explain how well staff support wider safeguarding work. They described exceptionally strong practice, where school staff ensure that communication between different groups is effective. Staff are proactive and tenacious. They are determined to do all they can to support pupils and their families, especially in times of need.
• School processes, including recruitment procedures, are well managed and thorough. Governors routinely monitor these processes and have a strong understanding of safeguarding priorities.
• Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in school and that staff are always available to listen to them. The overwhelming majority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and those who spoke to inspectors agreed that their child feels safe at school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Staff have built strong and positive relationships with pupils which underpin the good quality of teaching, learning and assessment overall. Teachers and teaching assistants know pupils well and most have an accurate understanding of what pupils know and can do, and what they need to do next. Teaching in the ARP is a strength.
• Overall, teachers provide pupils with carefully planned activities that support them to strengthen their learning. Most teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. They have a clear sense of purpose and explain learning well. Most identify pupils’ misconceptions quickly and provide good support to help pupils address these and move on with their learning. In many lessons, teaching assistants are used well.
• However, some activities do not move pupils on with their learning because they are not challenging enough, and pupils repeat what they have done before. Additionally, some pupils are over-reliant on staff affirmation and wait for their work to be checked rather than moving to the next stage in the lesson. This means that some pupils, particularly the most able, do not complete more demanding learning activities when they could.
• Phonics is taught well. Teachers and teaching assistants have strong knowledge and pronounce sounds correctly. Staff ensure that pupils use their knowledge from these sessions throughout their other learning. This helps pupils to secure and apply their learning well.
• The teaching of mathematics is good overall. Apparatus is used with purpose and to support pupils’ understanding. Teachers adapt their approach quickly to support pupils to build their knowledge. However, some pupils still have gaps in their understanding from previous years where their rates of learning were not as strong. When these gaps are not recognised and addressed, pupils’ progress is hindered.
• Pupils are keen to write and to share their writing. They make good use of the ‘vocabulary walls’ in classrooms to develop their range of vocabulary. Some enjoyed the challenge of manipulating their sentence and paragraph structures to create heightened tension in their stories. However, sometimes pupils were restricted in what they could write due to worksheets that were intended to support them but, in reality, prevented them from developing their ideas fully.
• The teaching of reading has also developed well across the school. Older pupils displayed a sensitive and sophisticated understanding of context and authorial intent in order to analyse a series of texts on their topic of ‘RMS Titanic’. Younger pupils enjoy reading and told inspectors that ‘everyone reads’ at Kings Wood.
• Learning in the ARP is exceptionally well planned and delivered. Staff know pupils’ needs very well and adapt activities skilfully. Pupils are supported to build on their prior learning and to develop their communication skills and understanding of the world. Staff make careful use of physical resources and the outside world.
• Support for pupils who speak English as an additional language (EAL) is strong, and most of these pupils make rapid progress as a consequence.
• Most staff follow the school’s approach to assessment in lessons and in pupils’ books. Verbal assessment is often provided quickly. Some staff use questioning very well as part of this, which helps pupils to secure their learning. Written assessment follows the school’s policy throughout the school.
• Science is planned well, and staff typically match learning to what pupils already know. It is supported well with exciting trips and special science days.
• The wider curriculum content is typically taught well. Many activities are planned around topics so that pupils can develop a wide range of knowledge and skills. For example, pupils learn the skills of collaboration and cooperation through music. However, sometimes subjects such as geography appear to turn into activities about writing and the intended focus of the learning is lost.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are confident, happy and proud of their school. They recognise the way that staff work very hard to look after them and keep them safe. They also appreciate the exciting trips and experiences that staff arrange to complement the curriculum.
• They have a clear understanding of what bullying is and say that it happens only rarely at school. They are confident that staff are always available and will sort out any friendship issues quickly and well. They are proud that pupils at school are kind to each other, no matter their background.
• Pupils are confident that they can identify risk and keep themselves safe, for example when online. They understand how to keep themselves healthy through eating a balanced diet. However, they did not typically see exercise as part of this process.
• Leaders ensure that the very small minority of pupils attending alternative provision are kept safe and supported well with their personal development, behaviour and welfare.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils conduct themselves well in lessons, including when moving from one activity to another. Most work diligently and demonstrate a good focus on tasks. However, many require staff support and reminders to help them sustain these strong learning behaviours when they are not directly engaged in learning tasks.
• Pupils’ attendance remains good overall. Leaders’ proactive work supports pupils to attend school well. Punctuality is less strong, but is improving as leaders communicate the disadvantages that come from missing learning at the start of the day.
• Pupils’ presentation of their work has improved overall. They take pride in their work and are keen to show what they are learning.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Outcomes for pupils remain strong overall. The published national key stage 2 test results from 2018 show that while pupils’ attainment was below the national average, their progress was in line with that of other pupils nationally. This is also the case for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Overall, current pupils make strong progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND also make strong progress, often at a better rate than their peers. School information suggests that the most able pupils are making rates of progress in line with their peers, but this is not yet allowing them to securely attain the higher standards in their studies.
• In all year groups, pupils’ books show that their attainment in reading, writing, mathematics and science is improving over time. This is due to higher expectations than previously and careful planning of learning activities that closely meet pupils’ needs.
• Historically, pupils do well with their phonics. Current pupils are continuing this trend. This is due to the strong systematic teaching of phonics from early years through to key stage 1. Attainment in key stage 1 is improving over time in reading, writing, mathematics and science.
• Pupils with SEND, especially those in the ARP, make exceptionally strong progress from their low starting points. Case studies show that pupils who come in having struggled in previous provisions make very rapid progress and are often able to move to mainstream full time. The specialist and highly skilled staff work closely with appropriate external agencies to ensure that these pupils are given excellent support.

Early years provision Good

• Leaders have a strong understanding of early childhood development. They use this to monitor the impact of their work for children. They have a secure knowledge of the strengths and areas for development of the provision and are determined to continually refine and improve it. They make sure that all staff are trained well and have established strong communication systems to share knowledge about children’s progress and potential next learning steps.
• Leaders ensure that all staff establish strong relationships with children and their families. They use their detailed knowledge of children to plan exciting and fun play activities and then expertly draw the learning out of these, either with individual children or groups. This approach means that children enjoy their time in Nursery and Reception and make good progress.
• Staff understand the barriers to learning experienced by children and adapt play and learning activities well to address these. The environment is vibrant and nurturing and staff deploy the resources well. Children enjoy the wide variety of activities on offer, especially the newly improved outdoor area in Nursery.
• Staff are alert for any safeguarding worries. They have a secure understanding of potential risks to children and how to address these. Statutory welfare requirements are met. Children are developing a clear understanding of how to keep themselves safe at an appropriate level. For example, they know that they have to be with a grown-up when they cross a road.
• Children behave very well and are respectful of each other. The vast majority understand and follow routines well. Staff support children very well to explain their ideas and listen to others, especially in more formal discussion groups in Reception.
• Children make good progress and are prepared well for Year 1, especially with their phonics learning. Inspectors observed effective teaching of phonics through play in Nursery and Reception areas. Many children chose to join in with these activities.

School details

Unique reference number 133756 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 10054132 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 Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 456 Appropriate authority Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Local authority Anthea Hickman Janice Freeman 01494 521401 www.kingswood.bucks.sch.uk head@kingswood.bucks.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 31 January 2018

Information about this school

• Kings Wood Primary School and Nursery is larger-than-average-sized primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11.
• There is an ARP for 15 pupils in key stages 1 and 2 who have education, health and care plans for special educational needs that relate to specific speech and language difficulties. This is funded by the local authority. Typically, all places are taken up.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is also above the national average.
• Approximately a third of pupils are from Asian or Asian British - Pakistani backgrounds and a similar proportion are from White British backgrounds.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors visited all classes in the school more than once to observe learning, speak with pupils and look at their work. Many of these visits were made jointly with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, other senior and middle leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator and ARP leader, and other staff. The lead inspector also met with governors, including the chair of the governing body, and a representative from the local authority and a leader of the virtual school. Inspectors also took account of the views of the 33 members of staff who responded to Ofsted’s online staff survey.
• Inspectors spoke to pupils during lesson visits and during playtimes and lunchtimes. They met with a group of pupils formally and listened to some read. They also considered the 16 responses to the online Ofsted pupil questionnaire.
• Inspectors spoke to parents at the start of the first day of inspection and during the day. They took account of the 30 responses to Parent View, along with the 12 written responses. They also considered views expressed in a letter from a parent.
• The inspection team considered a wide range of documentation, including information available on the school’s website and records relating to pupils’ attainment, progress, attendance and behaviour. Information on governance, including minutes of governors’ meetings was scrutinised. The school’s self-evaluations and improvement plans were examined, along with records of the school’s work to keep pupils safe.

Inspection team

Lucy English, lead inspector Paul Shaughnessy Christopher Crouch

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector