Kenyngton Manor Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Share existing strengths across the school to raise teaching to outstanding.
• Develop the role of middle leaders so that they play a full part in school improvement.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders have high aspirations for the school. They work with a passionate determination, successfully improving the school since it became an academy. As a result, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is increasingly strong.
• Senior leaders monitor, support and challenge the work of teachers appropriately. All staff who responded to Ofsted’s online survey feel that they are supported in their professional development. All feel the school is well led and managed. Staff morale is high.
• Frequent visits to classrooms, scrutinies of pupils’ work and a thorough analysis of assessment information mean that senior leaders understand the impact that teaching is having on pupils’ learning.
• Middle (subject) leaders are keen and committed to school improvement. However, they do not check how much progress pupils are making in their subject. This limits their ability to play a full part in school improvement.
• Leaders have established a rigorous system for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress. Teachers’ judgements about how well pupils are learning are moderated with other teachers, both in school and across the trust, to make sure they are accurate. Pupils who are in danger of falling behind are given additional support, linked closely to their individual needs.
• Leadership of the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as others who need extra support, is strong. Meeting pupils’ needs in class is a priority for teachers and good training is provided to help them achieve this. For pupils who need additional help, well-trained staff provide effective support. Pupils who need to develop their social skills benefit from time spent in sessions such as ‘friends for life’ which promotes pupils’ emotional well-being. Staff receive advice from external agencies, for example a speech therapist, to support pupils’ language development.
• The school’s care committee, which includes senior leaders and the home–school link worker, works closely with families and external agencies to help keep pupils safe. Promoting pupils’ good attendance forms part of this work. A range of strategies, including a weekly £5 gift voucher for the pupil selected from those with 100% attendance, helps to emphasise the importance of good attendance. As a result, attendance overall is currently similar to the national levels. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils is continuing to improve.
• The curriculum, together with a good range of extra-curricular clubs, promotes pupils’ achievement and personal development effectively and provides challenge for all, including the most able pupils. For example, Year 6 pupils study Shakespeare’s ‘Richard III’, identifying themes relevant to today. The ‘mosaic group’ is a weekly session for mothers and their daughters which promotes pupils’ self-esteem and culminates in a visit to a local university. Links are made between subjects to make learning meaningful. For example, Year 2 pupils developed their report writing skills following a visit to Windsor Castle as part of their history topic.
• Much good work has been done, in partnership with experts in the Howard Partnership Trust, to improve pupils’ behaviour. A typical comment from a Year 6 pupil summed up the views of several, ‘children behave well now – it’s much better than it was. The keys help us.’ The ‘Kenyngton Manor Keys’ remind pupils how to learn and behave. They incorporate the school’s values and are promoted in assemblies and lessons. Values such as respect, taking responsibility and working well with others are emphasised. Pupils take on responsibility by becoming play leaders, prefects and school councillors. They learn to respect the views of others by, for example, learning about different beliefs. In these ways, pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain.
• Leaders make good use of the pupil premium funding to improve the achievement and enrich the experiences of disadvantaged pupils. Specialist staff provide support in English and mathematics to those pupils who need to catch up. A team of pastoral staff, including the home–school link worker, learning mentors and staff in the ‘Reef’ nurture group gives good support for the emotional and social development of pupils. Funded places in the breakfast and after-school clubs support the good attendance of disadvantaged pupils. Subsidised school visits, for example the residential visit for Year 6 pupils, mean that disadvantaged pupils engage fully in school life. As a result, disadvantaged pupils achieve increasingly well.
• The school uses the primary physical education and sport premium well. A teacher provides specialist provision as well as support to staff to develop their skills. Extra-curricular sport clubs enrich pupils’ experiences. As a result, pupils’ participation in sports has increased.
• A very small minority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, feel that communication between home and school could be improved. However, the inspection found that the school has worked exceptionally hard to build positive links with the community it serves. Parents spoken to during the inspection, as well as the vast majority who responded to the survey, are very supportive of the school and the improvements since it became an academy. Typical comments included ‘it [the school] has improved immensely over the last few years’ and ‘My son loves going to school every single day. All staff are friendly and co-operative.’
• The school has benefited from expert support from across the Trust. For example, the training provided by the ‘maths mastery lead’ has had a significant impact on the quality of teaching of mathematics. Other schools now visit Kenyngton Manor to observe effective mathematics teaching in ‘open lessons’.
• The school continues to benefit from support from Babcock Education, which runs school improvement services for Surrey. For example, termly visits by a consultant provide additional challenge and support to the headteacher and an early years consultant supports improvements in the provision for the youngest children.

Governance of the school

• The local governing board works well with members of the trust to play an effective role in the school’s ongoing improvement. They share leaders’ high ambition for the school. One governor typified this by saying, ‘Within the Partnership, standards are high. We want that too.’
• Governors check the school’s work rigorously and systematically. They know how the school is performing compared to other schools and are clear about the most important priorities in the next stage of its development. They ask searching questions and hold the school to account effectively.
• Governors know how leaders use funds to improve standards for all pupils. They check the impact of the pupil premium fund on the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. They know that the primary physical education and sport premium has increased pupils’ participation in exercise.
• Governors make sure that pay increases for teachers are linked to their performance.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Policies and procedures are rigorously maintained. Recruitment checks are complete and well-maintained. Staff and governors receive appropriate training and bulletins to keep them up to date. Staff know what to do if they have concerns about a pupil’s safety.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching is effective. It ensures that all groups of pupils make good progress across a range of subjects.
• Classrooms are tidy and well organised. Pupils use the prompts and key words on display to help them improve their work.
• Teachers use questioning well to deepen pupils’ understanding. This is particularly evident during mathematics lessons.
• Teachers know their pupils well. They set tasks which provide good opportunities to deepen learning. The most able pupils are challenged to think hard, for example when solving mathematical puzzles or explaining the theme of jealousy in Shakespeare’s ‘Richard III’. Lower-attaining pupils are encouraged to work out answers for themselves, often with the good support of teaching assistants.
• The teaching of reading is good. The environment in classrooms and around the school promotes the enjoyment of reading. The inviting, well-stocked library is situated in the centre of school. This makes it is accessible to both pupils and parents and is well used. Pupils read every day. The teaching of phonics is taught well so that pupils have the strategies they need to help them read. The most able pupils read appropriately challenging books. Less confident readers are given good support by well-trained staff which helps them to catch up.
• Writing is well taught. The school’s exciting curriculum motivates pupils to write, for example, retelling Roald Dahl’s ‘The magic finger’ in Year 4 and report writing in Year 6 following their residential visit. The writing by Year 6, following their study of Shakespeare’s ‘Richard III’, is of a particularly good standard.
• The teaching of mathematics is good and improving strongly following expert support from the trust. Pupils develop secure calculation skills. They can explain their ideas and the reasons for their answers. The most able pupils enjoy the challenges set for them. As one higher-attaining pupil said, ‘it’s difficult, but I’m enjoying the challenge’.
• Although teaching is typically good, some inconsistency remains. The very effective practice in some classes has not yet been shared fully across the school.

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 proud of their school. They demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They are polite and show respect to adults. Pupils become increasingly self-confident and self-aware in this very caring, welcoming environment.
• Pupils understand the need to keep healthy. They enjoy being active at playtime and appreciate the extra-curricular sports clubs.
• Staff place an appropriately high emphasis on promoting pupils’ emotional well-being. There is a real sense of care which permeates the school. Staff work effectively, both within the school and with outside agencies, to make sure that pupils receive appropriate support when they need it. Pupils who spend time in the ‘Reef’ nurture room value the opportunity this brings to talk to staff about their concerns or worries.
• Pupils feel safe. All staff, and the vast majority of parents who responded to the online survey, feel that the school looks after their child well and keeps them safe. Pupils have a good understanding about how to keep safe when using the internet.
• A very small minority of parents who responded to the online survey disagree that the school deals effectively with bullying. Pupils spoken to during the inspection had a good understanding about the different sorts of bullying and reported that bullying does not happen. School records show that any incidents of bullying are dealt with appropriately.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils typically behave well in lessons and around the school.
• Staff manage behaviour well. They have high expectations of behaviour which most pupils rise to. However, a few pupils lack the self-discipline needed to behave well without reminders from staff.
• Attendance has improved because of the rigour with which absence is followed up. As a result, the attendance of pupils, especially disadvantaged pupils, has risen. Few pupils are persistently absent.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• As a result of the relentless focus by senior leaders on improving the quality of teaching, pupils’ progress has become more consistently strong. Pupils across the school typically make good progress in English, mathematics and a wide range of subjects.
• Standards at the end of key stage 1 in 2016 were similar to the national average. This represented good progress from pupils’ starting points. The proportion of pupils who reached the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check was very high. As a result, pupils are well prepared for learning in key stage 2.
• The unvalidated 2016 test results show that Year 6 pupils reached standards in writing that were broadly similar to the national average. However, standards in reading and mathematics were well below the national average. Although their progress was better in Year 6, pupils did not fully make up for their previous underachievement when teaching in the school was not good. This meant that they did not meet the higher demands of the new national tests. However, the inspection found that pupils currently in Year 6 are building well on the good progress they made last year and working at standards higher than their predecessors.
• In 2016, disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 achieved less well than other pupils nationally. However, the good use of the pupil premium is resulting in disadvantaged pupils currently in school achieving increasingly well. For example, in 2016 the attainment of disadvantaged pupils at the end of Year 2 was higher than other pupils nationally in reading and writing. All disadvantaged pupils in Year 1 reached the expected standard in the phonics check.
• The achievement of the most able pupils is good because teachers have high expectations of them. For example, the most able readers in Year 6 are challenged by studying George Orwell’s ‘Animal farm’ and debating the meaning behind the story.
• Pupils who are new to learning English make good, sometimes rapid, progress. This is because the support they receive is carefully matched to their needs.
• The support provided for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is very effective. As a result, they make good progress.

Early years provision Good

• The proportion of children achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception Year has risen steadily over the last three years. Unvalidated 2016 information shows that the proportion who achieved a good level of development was above the 2015 national average. This represents good progress from children’s starting points. Children are prepared well for Year 1.
• Leadership and management of the early years provision is good. Adults work closely together to provide a safe and secure environment in which children can thrive.
• Good links are made with outside expert support. Additional funds are used well to help all children, including disadvantaged children, make good progress.
• The newly established provision for two-year-old children effectively ensures greater coherence for pre-school children. Children learn to play happily in the well-planned environment. They climb, dig and explore the many activities on offer. The quiet room provides a calming, comfortable place to sleep. Adults give gentle encouragement for children’s imaginative play, stimulating good language development. Displays celebrate children’s work to promote their self-awareness; displays include ‘our holiday’, ‘my family’ and ‘number and shapes’.
• Teaching in the early years is good. Adults have high expectations for what children can achieve. They encourage good manners. Adults are kind to the children and, as such, are good role models. As a result, children learn to take turns and behave well.
• Good links are made with parents. This helps adults to know the children well. They make frequent checks on children’s learning. These are used effectively to plan activities which engage and stimulate children’s curiosity and understanding of the world around them.
• Across the early years, adults promote children’s language development well. They question and prompt children to extend their learning. Activities, such as predicting the next shape when making paper chains for a party, writing party invitations or playing in the ‘baby clinic’ engage children’s interests and promote learning well.
• Leaders recognise that more could be done to share good practice across the early years in order to improve teaching further.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 140348 Surrey 10019853 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 2 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 400 Appropriate authority Chair Headteacher Academy trust Ginny Hicks Kay Scott (Head) Jonathan Roddick (Executive Head) Telephone number 01932 783778 Website Email address www.kenyngtonmanor.org info@kenyngtonmanor.org Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Kenyngton Manor is larger than the average primary school. The school became a sponsored academy as part of the Howard Partnership Trust in December 2013.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding is much higher than average.
• The largest ethnic group is White British, with a range of other ethnic groups represented in the school. The proportion of pupils who are learning English as an additional language is higher than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is similar to the national average.
• Children in the early years are taught in two part-time Nursery classes: one class for two-year-old children and one class for three-year-old children. There are two full-time Reception classes.
• The school runs a breakfast and an after-school club.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.
• 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.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning across the school. Observations were undertaken with the executive headteacher, headteacher and deputy headteacher. Inspectors and senior leaders scrutinised books to see what progress pupils make.
• Meetings were held with the chair of the trustees of the multi-academy trust and representatives of the local governing board. An inspector had a telephone conversation with the local authority representative.
• Meetings were held with pupils to discuss their learning and their views on the school. Senior and subject leaders met with inspectors to discuss their roles and the impact of their work. Newly qualified teachers discussed the quality of their support with an inspector.
• Inspectors heard pupils read and talked to pupils to gather their views about the school and how safe they feel.
• Inspectors examined a range of school documents, including information on pupils’ progress across the school, improvement plans and checks on the quality of teaching. They also examined school records relating to safety and behaviour.
• Inspectors took account of 46 responses from parents to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and from discussions with parents during the inspection. Twenty-nine responses from staff to the online questionnaire were also taken into account.

Inspection team

Joanna Toulson, lead inspector Angela O'Hara Alan Jenner

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector