Keldmarsh Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 6 May 2026

Pupils' learning, particularly for children in the early years, has been impacted negatively by recent turbulence at the school. This has led to a number of staffing changes in a short space of time. In the early years, children are not supported to achieve as well as they should. Children at this stage do not benefit from a curriculum and learning environment that meets their needs. By the end of Year 6, pupils typically achieve in line with pupils nationally. However, some pupils do not make the progress that they should from their starting points. Teachers sometimes have low expectations for what pupils can achieve. Teachers do not address gaps in pupils' reading and writing knowledge in a timely way. Current leaders have ensured that positive relationships between staff and pupils remain at the heart of their work. Pupils say that they feel safe and enjoy attending school. Pupils' behaviour is positive in lessons and at unstructured times such as playtimes. They understand and apply their ‘rainbow rules'. Pupils who require additional support for their behaviour receive this. However, this is not the case for all pupils. Some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not have their needs identified swiftly enough. The provision in place for these pupils does not always meet their specific needs. Pupils attend regularly. They enjoy spending time with their friends. They are proud of their school. Pupils value the range of pupil leadership roles they can undertake. These include sports crew, school councillors, sports captains and play leaders. These roles make a positive difference to pupils personally and to the wider school community. Pupils understand the process for securing these roles, including completing application forms and interviews. They recognise how this helps them to develop important skills for the future.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should develop the quality of education and provision in the early years, including developing staff understanding of the how children learn.
• Leaders should develop the curriculum in early years so that the knowledge that children should learn at each stage is clearly identified across the 7 areas of learning.
• Leaders should strengthen their strategic oversight of how well pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn, so that they can take appropriate action to reduce pupils' barriers to learning and improve their achievement.
• Staff should make appropriate adaptations to the curriculum so that pupils across year groups, including those with SEND, receive learning tasks that are well matched to their needs.
• Leaders should ensure that pupils at the early stages of reading and writing secure the foundational knowledge they need to be prepared for their next steps in learning.
• Governors should sharpen their approaches to self evaluation to assure themselves of the impact of leaders’ work in the school.
• Leaders should continue to develop their oversight of the work of the school through rigorous quality assurance systems.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)