Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery. They feel safe because leaders and staff prioritise the importance of building trusting and respectful relationships with every pupil. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school.

As one parent said: 'Teachers consistently take a nurturing, child-centred approach to all that they do. Pupils flourish in this inclusive environment where, as the school's motto states, “learning is an adventure.”'

The school's values of kindness, respect, equality, teamwork and positivity are at the heart of every...thing it does.

Leaders and teachers want pupils to achieve well in all subjects. Teachers have high aspirations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils strive to meet these expectations.

They have good attitudes to learning and work hard in their lessons.

Pupils behave well in class and around the school. They understand and follow the school rules.

Breaktimes are fun, social occasions. Pupils play collaboratively together and enjoy each other's company. Pupils know what bullying is and say that it does not happen at their school.

They are confident that if there were an incident, teachers would take swift action to sort it out.

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

Leaders and teachers have designed an ambitious and engaging curriculum that grows pupils' knowledge. The curriculum begins in the early years and enables pupils to develop their knowledge and skills over time, building on what they have learned before.

Teachers regularly recap what pupils already know to make sure that learning is fully understood. As a result, pupils remember what they have learned and apply their knowledge and skills confidently.

Subject leaders are skilled and knowledgeable.

They share their expertise with teachers and support them in planning and delivering the series of lessons. The curriculum in the majority of subjects is well established and staff are skilful at enabling pupils to learn well. Subject leaders proactively make changes that will further improve their subjects.

In a small number of subjects, where the curriculum has recently been updated, leaders have not yet provided additional training for staff. As a result, teachers do not yet fully understand the sequence of knowledge and skills that pupils should remember in these subjects.

Leaders ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are identified appropriately.

Pupils' individual learning plans precisely target the areas that they need to work on to make progress. The special educational needs coordinator ensures that staff are trained to adapt learning tasks to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This enables them to learn well alongside their classmates.

Leaders ensure that reading is a priority in all year groups. Early reading is taught well. Children get off to a great start in Nursery, where they explore sounds through music, rhymes and stories.

Pupils in Reception and key stage 1 have daily phonics lessons. As a result, they quickly become confident and fluent readers. Teachers skilfully check to ensure that pupils remember their learning.

This helps them spot pupils who may need more support to help them keep up. Pupils say they love to read. As they move through the school, they experience a broad range of books and authors.

Pupils experience a wide range of educational trips and experiences which help deepen their learning. For example, pupils in Year 1 visit Lewes Castle to bring their learning about knights to life. Pupils in Year 3 benefit from their trip to Brighton Museum as part of their topic about Ancient Egypt.

There is a wide range of inclusive after-school clubs that pupils attend to broaden their experiences and extend their skills, ranging from arts and crafts to girls' football.

Leaders and staff are determined that all pupils should thrive in their personal development, as well as in their academic achievements. There are many opportunities for pupils to broaden their personal skills.

For example, all pupils take part in forest school, where they are encouraged to explore and problem-solve in the outdoors. Pupils have a good understanding of faiths and cultures that are different from their own. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Pupils understand that families are not all the same. Pupils work with the 'All Sorts' charity to develop awareness of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. As one pupil said, 'We are all different, and difference is good.'



Staff feel well supported and valued by the headteacher. They are confident that leaders genuinely care about their workload and well-being. They feel that they are listened to.

Staff are proud to work at the school and feel motivated and inspired.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school.

Staff are well trained to recognise the signs that pupils may be at risk of harm. They know each pupil well. Staff know to report any concerns, even if they appear minor.

Leaders closely monitor records to help them spot any emerging patterns. They are quick to engage with external support when needed to ensure the right help is in place for vulnerable pupils and their families.

Pupils say they feel safe in school.

They know that they can speak to a trusted adult on their 'helping hand' if they are worried or uncomfortable about anything. Pupils are confident that staff will listen and respond to their concerns.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, teachers are not yet familiar with the sequencing of knowledge and skills, or the essential knowledge that pupils must remember.

This means learning is not as strong as it is in other subjects. Leaders need to ensure that teachers are sufficiently well trained in these subjects.

Background

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

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

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2013.

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