Kentisbury Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the progress that pupils make by ensuring that teaching addresses any identified gaps in pupils’ learning and builds on their prior attainment.
• Improve the quality of leadership and management by:
  • ensuring that all development plans provide clear success criteria against which progress can be evaluated
  • enabling middle leaders to have a greater impact across their areas of responsibility
  • ensuring that work undertaken by governors is used to inform the school’s development more precisely.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders and governors have high aspirations for the school and for all of the pupils. The drive and commitment of the executive headteacher have inspired all staff to do their best for the pupils.
• The executive headteacher provides a clear direction for improvement which is well understood by staff. All work tirelessly together to fulfil the agreed actions.
• Rigorous checks on the quality of teaching and learning by senior leaders have tackled any historical underperformance. All staff are held to account for the progress that pupils are making. The findings from monitoring are linked carefully to targeted training for staff. As a result, teaching, learning and outcomes for pupils are improving rapidly and are now good.
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and have used this to formulate plans for further improvements. An example of this is the success of the actions taken to improve reading and phonics. Leaders’ work to improve writing and mathematics still further is also having a positive impact on pupils’ achievement.
• Subject and middle leaders carefully monitor the quality of learning using the school’s assessment information, from observation and by examining pupils’ books. Appropriate action plans are in place to address any weaknesses and staff are provided with high-quality training to develop their skills and knowledge. In some cases, these action plans are relatively new and do not evaluate clearly the impact of the work already undertaken.
• Leaders ensure that assessment information is accurate so that it can be used to address any gaps in pupils’ understanding. This is done very effectively in the Reception class and is improving across the school.
• The school curriculum is well planned for the mixed-age classes. This year there is a themed approach across the whole federation. Pupils have enthusiastically embraced the current theme of dinosaurs, which has been a strong motivator for extended writing and for work in other subjects. The wide range of additional activities enhance and supplement the curriculum well and include singing sessions and musical instrument tuition.
• The school promotes equality well. Pupils are taught about other cultures and religions in order to prepare them for life in modern Britain. Through this they learn to respect others, regardless of their characteristics or circumstances.
• The additional sports funding is used effectively to encourage greater involvement in sporting activities. This includes developing staff skills to lead physical education lessons, participation in sports competitions and tournaments, purchasing additional sports equipment and developing pupils’ leadership skills. As a result of this work, more pupils have been involved in sporting activities and the school has achieved a School Games bronze award.
• Leaders and governors ensure that the additional pupil premium funding is spent well to support the small number of disadvantaged pupils so that they make good progress in their learning. The recently updated reports on this spending, and on the sports premium spending, clearly demonstrate the impact of this additional funding.
• Due to well-managed provision and skilful support, the few children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. The special educational needs coordinator and her assistant know the pupils under their care well. School funds and budgets are allocated carefully, including for teaching assistant support.
• The school manages transport between the two sites carefully to ensure that pupils are kept safe and that communication with parents is strong. Parents are provided with clear and comprehensive reports explaining the progress their child is making, and staff are always available to discuss any issues with them. Parents are very positive about the effectiveness of communication and the vast majority would recommend this school to another parent.
• Until recently, the local authority was providing additional support to enable the school to improve. This has now stopped as the local authority rightly considers that the school leadership is able to continue to improve the school without such close involvement.

Governance of the school

• The governing body has developed good processes to find out about the quality of teaching and learning and uses this information well to challenge school leaders to secure the necessary improvements over time.
• Governors hold school leaders to account for the decisions they make. They are prepared to take difficult decisions in the best interests of the pupils, particularly when tackling underperformance.
• While governors have a good overview of the work of the school, at times their monitoring and evaluation do not precisely target the most important areas that need improvement.
• Raised expectations are instrumental in the recent improvements and in sustaining the ambitions of the school and the federation.
• Governors ensure that policies for safeguarding pupils are compliant, including child protection, and have a designated governor for the safer recruitment of staff.
• Governors allocate the sports premium to initiatives including ‘Fun Fit’, ‘Forest schools’ and additional swimming tuition. However, the impact of this grant is not uniformly checked by governors.
• Additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is allocated appropriately by the governing body. Pupils eligible for this additional funding are now making stronger progress. Others could attain even higher standards. As yet, governors do not have a clear strategy for achieving this. Currently there are no pupils eligible for the grant who are identified as high-attaining pupils.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders and governors ensure that safe recruitment practices are carried out. Staff training ensures that they are in a position to recognise and act upon signs of risk or harm immediately. Leaders are persistent in their pursuit of support for vulnerable families and their children.
• School leaders are assiduous in their arrangements to ensure that children are safe. Careful risk assessments are carried out for outside trips, as well as activities on the school site. Parents, pupils and staff agree that pupils are kept safe at this school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers and teaching assistants have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and have established good routines which reinforce pupils’ good behaviour and positive attitudes towards learning.
• School leaders have prioritised the improvement of reading over the past few years. They encourage pupils to read every day and have done good work to enable parents to be more involved. ‘Reading journals’ support parents to strengthen their child’s reading. Additional reading support is used effectively for those pupils who need it.
• In order to improve children’s early writing skills, teachers concentrate on getting pupils to develop their letter formation in the Reception class. Children develop their skills to write more complex letter shapes as part of the ‘rainbow challenge’. As a result of this, pupils’ handwriting is improving well.
• Teachers focus on pupils’ comprehension and understanding of the books they are reading, particularly for the more able readers. These collective actions have supported the strong progress in reading throughout the school.
• The teaching of mathematics has improved and is now leading to better outcomes. Most teachers develop pupils’ understanding of mathematical reasoning and calculation well.
• Teachers increasingly use assessments of what children know at the beginning of each topic to help them plan learning activities that better meet the needs of pupils, including the most able. Adults question pupils well to deepen their understanding and to build on what pupils know and can do. Occasionally, where gaps in pupils’ understanding are missed, some pupils struggle and their learning falters.
• Teachers follow the school marking policy to provide good-quality feedback and suggestions which help pupils to understand what they need to do to improve.
• School leaders have changed their approach to homework so that parents can be more involved in their child’s learning. Parents appreciate this change and welcome the opportunity to contribute to their children’s learning. They are well informed about the progress of their children and value this feedback from the teachers.

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 taught how to stay safe and manage risk. They are aware of how to stay safe online and when they are out and about in the community. The outdoor learning curriculum is carefully planned to enable pupils to learn and be challenged in a safe and controlled environment. Gardening and activities in the wooded area on the school site encourage discussion and cooperation among pupils and improve their physical and mental well-being.
• School leaders place a high priority on ensuring that all aspects of pupils’ well-being are promoted. For example, pupils have fitness lessons every day and the primary sports premium has been used effectively to provide additional sporting activities and improve teaching. Assemblies and trips out of school enable them to learn about different religious beliefs and other cultures. This widens their spiritual and cultural experience.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Teachers and other adults have established clear expectations for pupils’ behaviour. There are clear routines that the pupils follow promptly, creating a calm and well-ordered environment. Pupils show good attitudes to their learning and behaviour in class is very good. They are diligent and enthusiastic in their work.
• Teachers have made sure that pupils are clear about what forms bullying can take and what to do if they encounter it. Pupils report that they know who to talk to if they have any concerns and are confident that, were this to be the case, any issues would be dealt with effectively. School records show that there have been no incidents of bullying or any other serious behaviour issues in the last year.
• Pupils get on well with each other and with the staff in the school. They appreciate the additional opportunities to work and play together provided in the breakfast and after-school clubs, including the sporting activities.
• Pupils say that they enjoy school and are keen to come to school. School leaders carefully check attendance and follow up any absences with diligence. As a result, attendance is high. Outcomes for pupils Good

• The work in pupils’ books, observations of their learning in class and the school leader’s information about pupils’ learning all confirm that they are making good progress across the different subjects and from their different starting points. This is an improvement since the last inspection.
• At the present time, and in recent years, there have been too few disadvantaged pupils in Years 2 and 6 to compare their progress and achievements meaningfully with the performance of pupils nationally. However, inspection evidence shows that, across the school, disadvantaged pupils are making good progress.
• There are few children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities but assessment information across all year groups shows that they are making good progress overall. Teachers and teaching assistants provide appropriate and interesting tasks that challenge these pupils to achieve. Parents typically comment very positively on the support that their children receive and the progress they are making.
• The recent school focus on reading has been successful. Skilful teaching of phonics in Reception and Year 1 has meant that phonics outcomes are now at least in line with the national standard. Any pupils who struggle with phonics are given additional support to help them catch up rapidly. Achievement in reading at key stage 1 and key stage 2 shows that pupils are reaching at least the standard expected of them and making good progress. Reading is fast becoming a strength of the school.
• Information from national tests in 2016 shows that progress in writing and mathematics was not as strong as that in reading. These subjects are both priorities in the school development plan. Lesson observations and pupils’ work show that robust actions to improve the quality of teaching and learning are having a positive impact. Pupils’ progress is therefore continuing to improve rapidly.

Early years provision Good

• Good transition work with the school’s partners means that children arrive in the Reception class with a firm foundation for learning. Staff have high aspirations for children and are determined to help them learn and develop well.
• The accurate assessment of children’s skills and close cooperation between staff ensures that the planning of activities is precisely linked to children’s learning needs. As a result, children are now making rapid progress. A new approach to recording and reporting assessment information enables quicker communication of children’s achievements to parents. Consequently, parents are better able to support their children’s learning.
• Children behave well because staff have created absorbing learning activities linked to the children’s interests and because staff work hard to develop children’s social skills. Staff use their deep knowledge of childhood development to skilfully build children’s ability to interact and cooperate.
• The teaching of phonics captures the children’s interest and promotes effective learning. Staff ensure that children have many opportunities to recognise the sounds and practise writing the associated letter. As a result of the teachers’ imaginative and carefully planned approach, children are developing a strong foundation for both reading and writing.
• School leaders have ensured that children experience a wide range of subjects and experiences in Reception. Activities such as ‘Fun Fit’ and making use of the garden and wooded area on the school site help children to be healthy. Staff diligently carry out risk assessments in order to ensure that children are safe during such activities as part of the effective arrangements for safeguarding children in the early years.
• Children generally start Reception with the skills and abilities normally expected for their age. Leaders are keen to improve the teaching and learning further so that more children exceed expectations at the end of Reception and are even better prepared for Year 1.

School details

Unique reference number 113157 Local authority Devon Inspection number 10017402 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 4 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 31 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jan Stokes Headteacher Jayne Peacock Telephone number 01271 883 263

Website www.westexmoorfederation.org.uk/ Email address admin@westexmoorfederation.org.uk

Date of previous inspection 24–25 September 2014

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is part of the West Exmoor Federation comprising Lynton Church of England Primary School, Parracombe Church of England Primary School and Kentisbury Primary School. One executive headteacher leads and a single governing body serves all schools.
• Due to the small size of the school, the proportion of pupils from different groups varies substantially from year to year. The proportion of pupils receiving support for their special educational needs and/or disabilities is slightly lower than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is lower than the national average and there are no pupils whose first language is not English.
• The proportion of children supported by the pupil premium is slightly above the national average.
• The proportion of children entering or leaving the school at other than the normal times is above the national average.
• Due to the small numbers in each cohort, the school is not assessed against the government’s floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.
• Children in the early years foundation stage are taught in a combined Reception and key stage 1 class, which includes pupils from both Kentisbury Primary School and Parracombe Church of England Primary School. Similarly, all key stage 2 pupils from both schools are taught at Parracombe Church of England Primary School.
• The executive headteacher leads all the schools in the federation and divides her time across the three schools.
• A pre-school setting, serving the communities of all three schools in the federation, is located at Kentisbury Primary School. It is managed independently and is therefore subject to a separate inspection.

Information about this inspection

• Two of the three schools in the West Exmoor Federation were inspected at the same time, Kentisbury Primary School and Parracombe Church of England Primary School. The inspectors of each of the schools met jointly with school leaders and with the federation governing body.
• The inspector visited five lessons and learning activities at the two schools. Two of the lessons were observed jointly with the executive headteacher.
• The inspector heard pupils read, observed them at playtime and discussed their opinions of the school at various times during the inspection. To gain an understanding of learning over time, the inspector examined pupils’ books from the last two years, as well as carefully scrutinising their current work.
• There were not enough responses to the online questionnaire for this information to be published, but the inspector used these responses, together with the feedback he gathered during the inspection, to understand parental views of the school.
• Meetings were held with school leaders, the executive headteacher and school governors. The inspector discussed the school in a phone call with a local authority representative.
• The inspector checked the school’s website, examined school policies and read other school documentation. This included the school’s own information and checks on pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching and learning in the school.
• The inspector scrutinised records of attendance and behaviour and records relating to safeguarding policy and practice.

Inspection team

Tom Morrison, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector