Kingfisher Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management by ensuring that all administrative procedures for safeguarding are applied with consistent rigour, particularly in the maintenance of the single central record of checks on staff, the recording of staff references and checks on entitlement to work in the United Kingdom.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, particularly in phonics, reading and mathematics, by ensuring that:
  • staff use secure subject knowledge about phonics teaching to plan and deliver successful lessons
  • teachers use assessment information rigorously to ensure that all pupils, including the lower-ability and most-able pupils, are challenged and supported effectively to make consistently good progress
  • pupils’ misconceptions are corrected promptly and pupils are well informed about how to improve their work
  • teaching deepens and extends pupils’ learning across the curriculum, and provides meaningful opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical and reading skills in other subjects.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Leaders have not ensured that the administration of safeguarding procedures, particularly the single central record of checks on staff, is consistently reliable. Sensibly, leaders have commissioned a thorough review of procedures before the end of the school year. The required checks on staff are in place.
• Recent initiatives, organised by leaders, are only just beginning to make a positive difference to pupils’ learning. Leaders monitor teaching effectively, providing relevant training for staff as a result and sharing the good practice identified. Leaders have identified appropriate next steps for the school, but have not yet ensured that their ambition for all pupils to achieve high standards is realised.
• The broader curriculum, introduced recently by leaders, is not yet fully developed. Activities do not yet deepen pupils’ learning across subjects, or link effectively to reading and mathematics. Consequently, pupils do not make as much progress as they could in reading and mathematics, or across the curriculum. The new approach supports pupils’ writing development well and pupils welcome the topics linked to their interests, including recently the Second World War, ‘paws, claws and whiskers’ and ‘road trip USA’.
• Additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is used effectively. Staff know these pupils’ needs well and provide a range of relevant additional support where it is needed. Support staff work closely with families, and this is appreciated by parents. As a result, disadvantaged pupils are achieving well.
• Leaders track the progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities carefully. This information is used to plan effective interventions that are reviewed regularly. Leaders work closely with a range of external agencies and make appropriate use of alternative provision. As a result, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making above-average progress and additional funding is used well.
• Leaders have provided a range of valuable extra opportunities using additional sport funding, including events involving other schools. Leaders have evaluated the impact of these activities carefully, supporting their further development. Pupils’ participation in after-school sport activities has increased considerably as a result.
• Leaders organise a wide range of extra-curricular activities which are appreciated by the pupils. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about gardening, Italian, gymnastics and philosophy clubs. During the year, trustees also organise several trust-wide events including the Griffin Arts Festival and a healthy living week. As a result, pupils are prepared well to be young citizens and for their lives in modern Britain. The school provides for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively.

Governance

• Governors’ oversight of safeguarding administration has not been rigorous over time. Following their recent checks, governors have taken effective action to update records related to volunteers and teachers’ qualifications. However, more needs to be done to tighten this record-keeping, as recognised by governors’ commissioning of an external audit.
• The trust, governors, leaders and staff share a clear vision for all pupils to achieve ‘outcomes above the national norms’. Together, they undertake a range of rigorous monitoring activities including reviews of pupils’ work and information about pupils’ progress. These activities have ensured that vulnerable pupils have caught up with their peers, and they have supported improvements in pupils’ writing. These actions, however, have yet to have the same impact on pupils’ outcomes in reading and mathematics. Governors ensure that teachers’ performance is well managed. All teachers have specific targets linked to pupils’ outcomes. Teachers are held to account robustly.

• Governors monitor school expenditure closely for impact on pupils’ outcomes. Their checks ensure that additional funding provided for those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils is spent effectively to accelerate progress. Additional funding for sport is tracked carefully.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Weaknesses identified by inspectors in the school’s administration of safeguarding procedures do not constitute a risk to pupils but do require improvement. For example, at the time of the inspection, the necessary checks on external coaches, while in place, were not recorded on the single central record. Records of telephone references obtained, prior to the receipt of the written document, had not been recorded. Right-to-work-in-the-UK checks had not been applied consistently.
• Pupils are well cared for. The school site is secure and maintained safely. Staff undertake regular child protection training which is applied effectively to keep pupils safe. Leaders work closely with other agencies, as needed, to provide targeted support for pupils and their families. As a result, pupils feel safe and are safe.
• Pupils are taught how to be safe and speak enthusiastically about their safety lessons. Pupils are confident that there is someone to talk to about their concerns. They know that any issues raised will be taken seriously by staff and dealt with promptly.
• The vast majority of parents are happy that their children are safe. Concerns raised by parents are taken seriously, including those relating to accidents that happen occasionally in school and to medical issues.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teaching is not consistently good. Although staff know pupils well, information about pupils’ progress is not used effectively to plan activities well matched to different pupils’ abilities, or to help pupils improve on their learning. Consequently, some pupils spend time completing work that is too easy and some least-able pupils struggle because tasks are too hard.
• Teachers do not provide pupils with effective information about their next steps in learning, and consequently this limits pupils’ ability to improve their own work. Leaders’ expectations that teachers will routinely correct pupils’ misunderstandings are not implemented consistently. As a result, pupils do not learn as rapidly as they could.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities to develop their writing skills across the curriculum. For example, some pupils enjoyed writing their own versions of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ and others their experiences in a Second World War Anderson shelter. Opportunities for pupils to develop their reading and mathematics skills across the curriculum are much less evident.
• There is inconsistency in the quality of teaching phonics. Staff are not always confident and, at times, too much time is spent organising activities rather than helping pupils learn. This causes sessions to start late and pupils lose focus on the task in hand. Where teaching is stronger, sessions are engaging and matched closely to pupils’ abilities. As a result, pupils’ progress in phonics is highly variable. Leaders have recently introduced a structured programme of phonics teaching, and some good practice is now shared across the school.
• Elements of good teaching are evident, for example where staff have created a stimulating and supportive learning environment. Here, pupils speak confidently about their learning, and questioning by staff is probing and moves learning forward. For example, pupils mastered contractions while writing fairy tales, because of strong questioning. Other pupils were seen developing their skills in algebra as they were cracking codes in activities matched closely to their ability.
• Additional adults are usually deployed well by leaders to support pupils with learning activities. The adults ask helpful questions to move learning forward in small steps, and repeat activities if necessary. This helps to deepen pupils’ understanding and accelerate progress.
• Parents are kept well informed about their children’s progress. This information is appreciated by the vast majority of parents. Parents also welcome the homework provided. This practice, however, is not yet routine and, consequently, its impact on pupils’ learning is variable.

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 known as individuals and the staff work closely with families and external providers to provide relevant individual support when required. Plans for pupils with individual needs, including medical needs, ensure that the vast majority of these pupils play an active part in the life of the school.
• Pupils feel safe and are taught how to keep themselves safe. They speak confidently about how to use computers safely and are alert to the dangers of social media. Most parents who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, are satisfied that their children are safe and that any concerns are taken seriously.
• Pupils are confident that any incidents of bullying and racism are dealt with promptly by staff. They are happy to talk to staff about their concerns. One pupil commented, ‘If someone is upset, someone will cheer you up. This is a caring school.’
• Pupils talk happily and confidently about their school. They enjoy taking part in the wide range of activities on offer, including helping to look after the allotment and taking part in an arts festival visit to galleries in London. Pupils attending the breakfast club appreciate a nutritious breakfast and are well prepared for the school day.
• Staff know pupils well and relationships are good. Pupils are tolerant, respectful of each other and work well together. An international evening and opportunities to take part in school visits, for example, give the pupils chances to learn about other cultures and faiths.
• Parents appreciate the breadth of opportunities provided by the school. One parent wrote, ‘I wanted my child to attend Kingfisher because of the wide range of learning experiences.’

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils behave well around the school and in lessons. Pupils move around the school in an orderly manner and cooperate well in the playground. They gain much enjoyment from a wide range of outdoor activities.
• Pupils arrive punctually and know that it is important to attend school. They appreciate the rewards given for good attendance. Leaders follow up absence promptly and, as a result, pupils’ attendance has improved to be closer to the national average. The attendance of all groups, including disadvantaged pupils, is improving.
• Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and enjoy being challenged in their work.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Pupils’ progress over time is variable, especially in key stage 1. In the past, progress at key stage 2 has been at least in line with other schools nationally. Overall, pupils have not achieved as well as they could at the end of the key stage. More recently, pupils’ progress across the school has been accelerating. Standards are beginning to rise, especially at the end of key stage 2. However, there is still work to be done to ensure that the lower-ability and most-able pupils achieve their potential, particularly in reading and mathematics.
• Pupils’ achievement across the wider curriculum is limited. Resulting from the new curriculum, pupils now write confidently for a wide range of purposes. Evidence that pupils have similar opportunities to apply their reading and mathematics skills in other subjects is harder to find.
• Pupils make inconsistent progress in phonics, due to variations in the quality of teaching. Some pupils acquire strong phonics knowledge and can decode unknown words when reading and use this information successfully in their writing.
• In the past, girls made less progress than boys in mathematics at key stage 2. Current assessment information, observations of teaching and reviews of pupils’ work show that this difference is diminishing.
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve well, including the most able disadvantaged pupils. Additional funding is used in a variety of effective ways, including the provision of one-to-one support, additional resources and educational visits. Staff know these pupils well and meet their needs effectively.
• The progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is strong. The pupils are known well by staff and their progress is kept under regular review. A range of focused activities, skilled staff support, and work with outside agencies are matched closely to pupils’ needs.
• The wide range of extra-curricular activities effectively support pupils’ wider development. For example, pupils develop confidence and physical coordination in karate, and the school choir practised their performance skills in Rochester Cathedral. Pupils in Year 5 have training in basic first aid, supporting their development as young citizens.

Early years provision Good

• Teaching is good in the early years. Occasionally however, adults’ questions do not challenge children to think deeply. As a result, the higher-ability children are not always challenged to think hard. Consequently, the most able children do not consistently achieve their full potential, a fact recognised by leaders who are taking effective action by sharing good practice.
• Most children start the Nursery with skills and abilities that are slightly below those that are typical for their age. The early years leadership is strong and staff have high expectations. Children’s achievements are tracked closely. This progress information is used routinely to plan appropriate activities and next steps in learning. The learning of children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well supported. Consequently, at the end of the Reception Year, the attainment of the children overall is above that of other children nationally. They are well prepared for key stage 1.
• Additional funding for disadvantaged children is spent effectively and monitored closely. As a result, disadvantaged children make similar progress to that of other children.
• The early years environment is orderly and stimulating with a suitable range of indoor and outdoor activities. Children enjoy taking part in these engaging activities for example, in the mud kitchen, playing a guitar and enjoying books in the reading shed which support their learning well.
• Parents are kept well informed and a close partnership helps parents to support their children’s learning well. Parents speak highly of the procedures to support children when they start school, welcoming home visits and opportunities to provide information for their child’s progress journal. Consequently, children settle into the early years quickly.
• Phonics is well taught and children make good progress. The children enjoy the range of activities provided and staff deliver the sessions confidently with clear enunciation.
• Behaviour is good. Children are excited about learning. They are taught how to be effective learners because they are encouraged to persevere and be independent. Children listen carefully and follow instructions showing high levels of engagement. They work well together. For example, two girls in the Nursery were talking imaginatively and using mud and plasticine to make their ‘perfect world’.
• Staff know the children well and relationships are strong. Staff are familiar with day-to-day safety requirements and have attended appropriate safeguarding training. Safety procedures are implemented reliably and parents are confident that their children are safe.

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School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 139927 Medway 10032861 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school All-through primary with Nursery School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Sponsored academy 3 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 220 Appropriate authority Chair Executive Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Academy trust Jennie Thomas Janey Denton 01634 661 540 www.kingfisher-gst.org headteacher@kingfisher.medway.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 11–12 June 2015

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.
• The school is a member of The Griffin Schools Trust.
• The school is slightly smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• Pupils are taught in single-aged classes. There is one class in each year group.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage.
• An average proportion of pupils are eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or in local authority care.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average, although the proportion with education, health and care plans is below national figures.
• The school provides a breakfast club which is managed by the governing body and formed part of the inspection.
• The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum standards for pupils’ attainment and progress.
• The school uses Medway Autism Group and Information Centre (MAGIC), an independent Medway-based charitable organisation, registration no. 8045437, for alternative provision, which caters for a very small number of the school’s pupils from time to time.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching, learning and assessment in all classes, jointly with the headteacher or assistant headteacher, including the Nursery and Reception.
• Inspectors talked to pupils, looked at a large sample of their work and listened to pupils read.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, the chair of the local governing body, the safeguarding governor, a representative of the trust, and the school’s senior and middle leaders.
• A telephone conversation was held with an external school improvement adviser.
• Inspectors took account of the 12 responses to Parent View and considered the 12 free-text responses provided. Inspectors also spoke to parents and carers during the inspection.
• There were no responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil questionnaires.
• The inspectors observed the wider work of the school, including an assembly, playtimes and lunchtime.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including minutes of governing body meetings, leaders’ evaluation of the school’s effectiveness, the school development plan, information about leaders’ monitoring of teaching and pupils’ progress, school policies, behaviour and safety records, safeguarding policies and procedures, and the single central record of recruitment checks made on staff.

Inspection team

Rosemary Addison, lead inspector Helen Baxter

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector