The Kingfisher School Ofsted Report

Full report

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality and effectiveness of leadership by ensuring that:
  • leaders develop clear systems which all staff follow so that leaders can accurately check the progress pupils make
  • governors have the skills and knowledge to be able to hold the school’s leaders to account more rigorously for the performance of all groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and the most able
  • leaders provide the training and support for subject leaders so that they have the skills to raise standards in their subjects.
• Improve the quality of teaching and learning across the school by ensuring that:
  • teachers have high expectations of pupils in their class to enable them to make accelerated progress
  • rapid progress is made by all groups of pupils across the school, especially the most able, those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils
  • pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils receive the support they need to overcome the additional barriers they face
  • teachers’ assessments of pupils’ work are accurate across the curriculum and that they use this knowledge to meet pupils’ learning needs
  • teachers receive training to improve the quality of their teaching to eradicate the legacy of underachievement and to manage pupils’ behaviour effectively
  • teachers use and apply the school’s own systems to review pupils’ work and to ensure that appropriate challenges are set, particularly for the most able pupils.
• Improve outcomes for children in the early years by ensuring that:
  • teaching and learning in the Reception Year builds on the solid foundation of children’s achievement in the Nursery class
  • staff use assessment information to provide activities which build on children’s existing skills and allow for rapid progress to be made
  • the proportion of children who achieve the expected standard at the end of the Reception class increases. An external review of governance and the school’s use of pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how these aspects of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

• Weak leadership at all levels over time has had a negative impact on improving the school’s effectiveness. Leaders have not taken the actions needed to improve the school and tackle the issues identified at the time of the previous inspection. This has slowed school improvement and had a detrimental effect on pupils’ achievement in the school. The school’s effectiveness has declined since the previous inspection. The leadership capacity has been weak and remains fragile.
• Until recently, leaders, including governors, have had an overgenerous view about the impact of the school’s work to improve pupils’ outcomes. The newly appointed headteacher and executive headteacher are seeking to improve the school quickly, but progress remains too variable across the school.
• Leaders’ actions to improve the provision for disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have not been effective over time. The additional funding for these pupils has not been used effectively to improve outcomes. They do not make sufficient progress from their starting points.
• The school has experienced a high turnover of teaching staff since the previous inspection. This has had a negative effect on the school’s ability to develop and improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Parents commented to inspectors on the impact that this disruption in teaching has had on their children’s learning.
• The curriculum is not broad and does not prepare pupils well for the next stage in their education. Consequently, pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills are underdeveloped across a range of subjects.
• Leaders do not check the impact of the curriculum and extra-curricular activities with sufficient rigour. As a result, they are not able to evaluate the progress pupils make effectively.
• Over time, teachers’ assessment of pupils’ learning has been inaccurate. The school’s new assessment system, introduced at the beginning of the year, was not fully understood by staff. However, leaders have taken positive steps to rectify this. As a result of additional training and support, inconsistencies in teachers’ assessment are being ironed out. Assessment is increasingly accurate. However, this has taken time and has not helped leaders to track pupils’ progress across the school effectively.
• Subject leaders have had very limited impact on improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. They are new to their roles. The new leadership team is providing some coaching, training and support so that they have the skills needed to carry out their responsibilities effectively. However, it is too soon to see the impact of this work.
• Leaders do not ensure that teachers have the skills to routinely tackle some low-level disruption in lessons. Leaders have introduced new systems to tackle pupils’ challenging behaviour. This work has reduced incidents of poor behaviour. However, closer checking and reporting of poor behaviour is needed to improve pupils’ behaviour further.
• The sport premium funding is used well to encourage a larger number of pupils to become more physically fit and healthy through well-considered whole-school activities.
• The headteacher and executive headteacher, who are relatively new in post, have an accurate understanding of the school’s position. They have prioritised the most urgent actions to improve the school. As a result, the culture of safeguarding across the school has been strengthened. Leaders work with families and outside agencies to provide the support pupils need. However, the impact on teaching and learning and the improvement in pupils’ outcomes has been limited.

Governance of the school

• Governors have not held leaders to account for all aspects of the school’s work. Governors have recently participated in training to increase their understanding of performance data. However, the impact of their work is weak. Pupils have not achieved the standards of which they are capable. Current information confirms that too many pupils continue to underachieve.
• The multi-academy trust has not taken swift action to support the school. The current executive headteacher highlighted the urgency of the school’s position on her appointment. However, no additional capacity was given to the school until the new headteacher commenced her role in November 2016. New governors have worked closely with the new headteacher to complete a thorough safeguarding audit. They hold the leadership team to account and check the impact of actions taken in this respect.

Safeguarding

• Leaders responsible for safeguarding work effectively with outside agencies to ensure that the most vulnerable pupils are safe. The headteacher has created a strong culture of safeguarding in the school and reacts swiftly to concerns and issues raised by staff. All relevant training is up to date.
• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school’s electronic recording system is understood by all and is an effective tool to report and monitor identified concerns across the school. Staff understand their role and responsibilities to report concerns. Leaders monitor and follow up these concerns to ensure that pupils are safe.
• The safeguarding policy is up to date and reflects the most recent government guidance. The safeguarding audit submitted to the local authority is overseen by governors to ensure that the school’s policies and procedures are robust.
• Pupils report that they feel safe in school. They understand about the school’s own systems to keep safe and they talk confidently about how to keep themselves safe online. They are confident that the adults in school would help them if they were worried or concerned.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

• Weak teaching over time has failed to meet the needs of learners and is therefore inadequate. Current teaching is not tackling the legacy of underachievement quickly enough. Therefore, many pupils have considerable gaps in their knowledge, understanding and skills. This is limiting the progress pupils make towards achieving the standards expected for their age.
• Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ abilities are too low. Work in pupils’ books shows that they are often given work that is not well matched to their needs and abilities. In addition, little account is taken of what they know, understand and can do. As a result, pupils commented that while they mostly enjoy learning, they are sometimes given work that is too easy for them and sometimes it is too hard. This is evidenced in pupils’ books and slows the progress that they make.
• Provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is ineffective because of weak teaching across the school. The inclusion leader is now working alongside teachers to support provision for these pupils. Work in books shows that some effective interventions are in place to address individual needs. However, whole-class teaching is not adapted effectively for them. Neither are they given opportunities to use and apply individual skills taught. As a result, pupils’ progress is limited.
• Teaching does not consistently motivate or interest pupils, particularly the disadvantaged pupils. As a result, some pupils find it difficult to sustain their concentration. They lose interest, resulting in some low-level off-task learning behaviour. This is sometimes unchallenged by class teachers.
• The school’s own systems for checking and improving pupils’ learning are inconsistently applied across the school. As a result, in some classes, teachers do not address mistakes in pupils’ work, such as in their spelling and basic punctuation. Pupils continue to repeat the mistakes in their work. In addition, teachers give insufficient guidance to pupils to help them improve their work. This limits pupils’ progress.
• Teachers’ understanding of the requirements of the most able pupils is not secure. Evidence from the latest moderation of pupils’ work confirms that teachers need further guidance to identify the skills required to work at the higher levels for each year group. Some teachers identified pupils as working at greater depth. Inspectors and leaders checked pupils’ work and did not agree with these judgements.
• Teachers do not provide opportunities for pupils to use and apply the specific learning skills they teach. For example, in mathematics, pupils do not generally use and apply the skills they have learned when solving problems. Similarly, in writing, pupils do not practise the skills they learn in a range of subjects. In some classes, teachers’ expectations for their pupils are too low. This limits the progress pupils make towards achieving the expected standard for their age.
• Until recently, reading was not taught consistently across the school. This has hindered pupils’ ability to understand the texts they read. Leaders have now introduced new systems to teach reading across the school. However, it is too soon to see the impact of this initiative.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.
• Pupils’ attitudes about their school are largely positive. They say that they enjoy coming to school. They enjoy the variety of trips that the school organises for them, particularly a recent trip to Wookey Hole.
• During the inspection, pupils moved around the school site safely and respectfully. They opened doors for one another and were courteous. They commented on how the school’s charter and the work with the school council encouraged all pupils to work toward a shared aim.
• Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in school. They know that their teachers and other adults will listen to any problems or concerns that they might have. They have a good understanding of the school’s systems to keep themselves safe online and have clear strategies for what to do if they encounter a problem.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Low-level poor behaviour in lessons is sometimes not addressed and pupils commented that this ‘off task’ learning behaviour disturbs their own learning.
• Pupils’ behaviour has rapidly improved since the new headteacher took up her post and incidents of poor behaviour are reducing quickly. However, teachers do not consistently challenge incidents of poor behaviour swiftly enough. This hinders the progress that pupils make.
• Pupils and staff say they like the behaviour system, introduced by the headteacher this year. They believe that it has contributed to the improved behaviour throughout the school. One staff member commented on how the increased expectations had resulted in a positive impact on behaviour overall throughout the school. A few parents disagreed and disliked the new system, feeling that some aspect of the programme takes too long.
• Attendance was too low in the previous academic year for nearly all groups of pupils. Leaders’ actions this year are securing improvement. As a result, pupils’ attendance is rising towards the national average. Leaders’ actions have led to significant improvement, in particular for the pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils.
• Fixed-term exclusions rose in the autumn term. However, effective interventions and swift actions taken by leaders have resulted in a marked reduction of exclusions.

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

• Outcomes for pupils from Reception to Year 6 over time have been too low, including pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils.
• Pupils make insufficient progress because of weak teaching. The legacy of underachievement is not being successfully addressed. Leaders are working hard to ensure that teachers’ knowledge of the standards that pupils should be working at improves. Teachers do not have a secure understanding of the standards expected for each age group and, as a result, pupils’ progress is slow.
• At the end of Year 6, overall progress and attainment has been significantly below the national average for several years. Currently, only half of the pupils in Year 6 are working consistently at the standards expected for their age. No pupils are on track to reach the higher standards.
• At the end of Year 2, overall attainment has been more mixed historically. In 2016, attainment in mathematics was broadly in line with the national average, writing was below and reading was above. The school’s current information shows that just over half of pupils in Year 2 are working at the expected standard, which is significantly below the national average. At the time of the inspection, work in pupils’ books did not show any pupil working at greater depth.
• In Year 1, outcomes in phonics have risen over the last couple of years and now most pupils achieve in line with the national levels. Disadvantaged pupils (one third of the class) made progress that was significantly lower than that of other pupils nationally. Because of weak teaching over time, too few pupils in Year 1 can use and apply their knowledge of letters and sounds. This limits their fluency as readers. Some pupils lack the basic knowledge expected for their age and stage to decode basic words confidently.
• In 2016, the difference between the number of pupils in school achieving a good level of development and those achieving this nationally widened. Outcomes for pupils in Reception are currently too low. Just over a third of the class are working at the expected standard for their age. Children are not well prepared for the Year 1 curriculum.

Early years provision Inadequate

• The early years leader has an accurate understanding of the strengths and aspects that require further work in the setting. She has ensured that an action plan for improvement is in place. However, its impact on improving provision is too limited. As a result, children’s progress remains too slow across the Reception Year.
• Children get off to strong start in the Nursery provision. However, previously, teaching in the Reception class has not built on the learning and progress children make in the Nursery. The school judges that currently only one third of children are working at the expected standard at the end of the Reception Year. Inspectors agree with this judgement.
• The setting provides a safe and secure environment for children to learn. Appropriate ratios of staff to children are in place, and staff have received the appropriate training. Children across the setting are happy and enjoy a wide range of activities offered through the curriculum both inside and outside the classroom.
• Children in Nursery are making good progress from their starting points. They are happy and showed sustained interest for a significant amount of time in a range of activities based on their current text of ‘The Giant Turnip’. Teachers challenge children to extend their learning, through effective interaction from the adults working with them. They are beginning to write and demonstrate their emerging knowledge of the sounds that letters make and the other objects that could begin with these sounds. Skilful use of other adults supports the emerging counting skills of the very youngest children.
• Reception children similarly have a range of activities planned for them. However, the tasks set are not matched well enough to their abilities. Children do not demonstrate resilience to work together and solve problems. As a result of some weak teaching, some low-level poor behaviour results.
• The early years leader works well with parents in the Nursery to engage them with their children’s learning. However, this good practice is not shared across the setting with Reception parents so that they too have an opportunity to contribute to their children’s learning. This means there is not an equality of opportunity across the setting.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 139247 City of Bristol 10033117 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 converter 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 169 Appropriate authority The Academy Trust Chair Headteacher Mr Andrew Yates Miss Kirsteen Craig Telephone number 01173 773185 Website Email address www.kingfisher.bristol.sch.uk/ info@thekingfisherschool.co.uk Date of previous inspection 11–12 March 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 Kingfisher School became an academy on 1 April 2013. It is part of the Colston Girls’ School Trust and is sponsored by the Society of Merchant Venturers.
• The current executive headteacher was appointed to the trust in February 2016.
• There have been considerable changes to teaching staff since the previous inspection. The current headteacher took up post in November 2016. Three teachers have joined the school since September.
• The school is much smaller than the average primary school.
• Children attend a Nursery class part time. Children in the Reception class attend full time.
• The proportion of pupils for whom the pupil premium provides support is significantly above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national average.
• The school has a breakfast and after-school club which was part of this inspection.
• A children’s centre is situated on the school site. This is inspected separately and was not included in this inspection.
• Currently a new school is being built on the school site. Pupils from Years 1 to 6 are housed in temporary accommodation while this building work is ongoing. The new primary school is due to be finished in 2018.
• In 2016, the school met the government’s floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress at the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed pupils’ learning across the school. Many observations were undertaken alongside senior leaders.
• Inspectors looked at pupils’ current work in books across the curriculum and carried out a learning walk around the school.
• Inspectors heard pupils read in Year 1, Year 2 and Year 6.
• Meetings were held with governors, middle and senior leaders and pupils. Individual conversations were also held with parents, pupils and staff. The lead inspector also had a telephone conversation with the school improvement adviser for the trust.
• Inspectors took account of 14 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and 22 responses to the staff questionnaire. They also talked informally to pupils at break and lunchtime. The inspector also had informal discussions with parents when they brought their children to school.
• Inspectors also looked at a wide range of school documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, the school improvement plan, school policies, governors’ minutes of meetings, and the school’s own information system and monitoring records.
• Inspectors also reviewed a wide range of safeguarding evidence, including the school’s single central record, and behaviour and incident logs.

Inspection team

Helen Springett, lead inspector Paul Smith Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector