Kelvedon St Mary’s Church of England Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

There has been no change to this school's overall judgement of outstanding as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection.

However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a graded inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being part of the school.

They embrace the school's values of 'resourceful, reflective, reasoning, risk-taking, resilient and responsible', the 6Rs. They strive to implement these behaviours in their day-to-day lives. Pupils wear their 6R badges with pride.

Expectations of pupils to achie...ve well are high. Pupils access a broad and ambitious curriculum. They develop a secure knowledge in most subjects.

However, while this is the case, pupils' understanding is not as secure where the curriculum has been newly introduced. Pupils try hard and are excited by their learning. Pupils have good attitudes towards learning.

This enables pupils to achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils are respectful and polite. They behave well.

On the very rare occasions that bullying takes place, pupils know that staff will deal with it quickly. Pupils feel and are safe.

Leadership opportunities, for example school council and holy council, are valued by pupils.

They appreciate that leaders listen to and take on their ideas about how to improve the school and how to help others who are less fortunate than themselves.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have carefully considered what pupils need to know. In most subject areas, they have reviewed and put in place a new curriculum to ensure that it is broad and ambitious for all pupils.

Leaders have introduced the new curriculum in a phased approach based on their own checks. This phased introduction has helped to manage the workload and well-being of staff. Staff are appreciative of this.

While the curriculum is well planned, there is not a consistent approach to how the curriculum is taught. This is because leaders have not provided the support, training and guidance that teachers need. As a result, pupils do not learn the knowledge they require as securely as they need to use it as confidently and successfully as they could in the next steps of their learning.

Teachers use questioning well to identify gaps and misconceptions in pupils' knowledge. They use this information to adapt their planning and teaching so that any gaps in pupils' learning are closed. This enables pupils to know and remember much of the information that they need.

Leaders prioritise reading in the school. Pupils are encouraged to make use of the well-resourced library. Pupils develop a love of reading.

For example, children in Nursery talk with excitement about stories such as 'The Gruffalo' that they listen to. Training and guidance have helped teachers to teach phonics consistently well. Reading books are well matched to the sounds that pupils know.

Teachers carefully identify pupils who are falling behind with their reading. Effective support is put in place to help them catch up quickly. Effective teaching and support help pupils become confident, fluent readers.

Teachers use individual plans well to support pupils with SEND to make progress. The specially resourced provision for pupils with autism spectrum disorder (specially resourced provision) on site provides specialised support for individual pupils with SEND. Staff in the specially resourced provision use their expertise to upskill other staff effectively.

This helps pupils with more complex SEND needs to integrate successfully into the classroom alongside their peers. As a result, pupils with SEND access the same learning as their peers, and this provides them with the opportunities to achieve well.

Children in early years show positive learning behaviours.

They start learning to read quickly and develop a good understanding of number. Activities are planned to support children to develop the skills that they most need. This begins in Nursery where staff focus specifically on the development of children's fine motor skills, communication and language to ensure they can successfully access the curriculum in Year 1.

Leaders ensure that pupils learn about important areas such as democracy to help them be well prepared for life in modern Britain. The personal, social and health education curriculum helps pupils to build their knowledge in an age-appropriate way. Assemblies, trips and visitors to school support and help to broaden pupils' understanding of the curriculum.

The strong link between the church and the school promotes the school's Christian ethos. Pupils are knowledgeable about other faiths and show respect for other's views.

The trust and governors have an accurate view of the school's many strengths but are clear on the areas that need further development.

They provide challenge and support and make regular visits to ensure that leaders are making progress on the key priorities to improve the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff, including those responsible for governance, are well trained in keeping children safe.

Regular updates enable early support to be put in place for pupils and parents when this is needed. Staff know the signs that pupils may be at risk of harm and know how to report a concern. Leaders effectively record and monitor safeguarding concerns.

Records are detailed and followed up in a timely and appropriate manner. External support is used, where required, to support vulnerable pupils and families.

Pupils are confident through their learning about how to stay safe in the locality and also when online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have recently identified the need to introduce new curriculum content in several subjects to meet the needs of all pupils in the school. Implementation is in its infancy. As a result, in some subjects, the curriculum is not taught consistently.

While pupils achieve well, they do not develop as deep an understanding as they could. Subject leaders need to provide staff with the support, guidance and training that they need to teach the new curriculum content consistently well.

Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in February 2016.

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