Kingsdown and Ringwould Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish in this highly ambitious and nurturing school.

Their enthusiasm and excitement for learning is infectious. Pupils appreciate the small school community where everyone is welcome. One parent expressed the views of many by commenting, 'The school is very much one big family with all children able to mix and play together.'



Leaders have very high expectations of all pupils' academic and personal development. Pupils respond exceptionally well, with exemplary behaviours and attitudes to learning, and they consequently achieve highly. They confidently demonstrate the school's values of communication, independence, collaboration, resilience and ref...lection in all that they do.

Pupils feel safe in school and well looked after by kind, encouraging and caring adults. Bullying is not a problem. Pupils say 'there is zero tolerance here'.

They have complete confidence and trust, however, that staff will quickly sort out any issues should they occur.

As one pupil said, reflecting pupils' views overall, 'The school makes us feel special and cared for in many different ways.' Parents strongly appreciate this culture, with one saying, 'This school is brilliant at supporting individual needs, doing their best to accommodate every child, rather than trying to get the child to fit in with them.'



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

Leaders, including governors, are committed and dedicated to providing the best possible education for every pupil, including the most disadvantaged and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff are highly ambitious for every pupil irrespective of their different needs. They are quick to identify pupils with SEND.

Appropriate adaptations, resources and support are provided to ensure that these pupils have access to the full curriculum offer. They enjoy the same opportunities to learn alongside others and achieve highly.

Leaders have created a rich and extremely well-designed curriculum.

Pupils achieve highly. In all subjects, leaders have precisely set out the essential skills and knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which they will learn it. In Reception, activities are exceptionally well organised and help children to develop curiosity, independence and resilience.

Children are given an excellent start to school and make rapid progress. The well-resourced classroom and outdoor areas encourage the development of early reading and number skills.

Leaders maintain a sharp focus on developing leaders within the staff.

Staff appreciate the high-quality training, support and guidance they receive from skilled and knowledgeable subject leaders. This ensures that they have expert subject knowledge. Teachers' checks on pupils' understanding are highly effective.

They use this information skilfully to adapt teaching so that nobody falls behind. Staff make sure that pupils have a secure understanding before introducing new ideas.

Reading is a high priority across the school.

Leaders ensure that there is highly effective and consistent teaching of the agreed phonics scheme. Pupils quickly learn the sounds they need to help them read. They routinely read books that are very well matched to the sounds they know.

This helps them to develop confidence, fluency and expression. Staff quickly identify pupils who are struggling and give them tailor-made extra support to help them to keep up.

A love of reading for pleasure is promoted throughout the school right from the beginning of Reception.

Teachers routinely read aloud in all classes. Older pupils continue to develop as confident, fluent readers, with skills to access the wider curriculum. They talk about their favourite authors and types of books they enjoy, giving thoughtful and considered reasons for their choices.

Leaders provide a highly effective personal development curriculum which promotes pupils' well-being and develops their character exceptionally well. Pupils take part in a rich range of extra-curricular activities, including a wide range of after-school clubs. They have an extremely strong voice in the school and make an excellent contribution to the school community in a variety of ways.

They relish their many roles of responsibility, including subject ambassadors and leaders of clubs. Pupils are particularly respectful, understanding and accepting of others with different beliefs, backgrounds, cultures or ways of learning. They develop an admirable maturity and the ability to take responsibility for, and manage, their own conduct.

Pupils' first-rate personal skills as well as their academic achievements mean that they are exceptionally well prepared for the future.

Staff love working at the school and appreciate the positive teamwork culture. They are dedicated and appreciate the collaboration with other schools in the trust.

Staff, including those new to their careers, feel valued. They know that leaders listen to them and are considerate of their well-being and workload. The local governing board is very clear about its responsibilities delegated by the trust.

Governors know the school extremely well and fulfil their statutory responsibilities as a key part of the school's strategic leadership.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school and processes are highly effective and robust.

Leaders and staff know the pupils and their families very well and the additional challenges that some pupils face. Staff receive regular training and are alert to any signs that a child may be at risk. Leaders provide appropriate and swift support to ensure that pupils get the help that they need.

Pupils learn how to stay safe across the curriculum, including when online. Pupils are confident to go to trusted adults if they have a concern. Consequently, pupils feel safe and very well-cared for.