Kimberley Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 September 2022

Leaders of Kimberley Primary School have high expectations of pupils. Pupils are expected to be kind, be prepared to learn and ensure that everyone feels safe. Pupils know this and do their very best to live up to it. Relationships are positive. Smiles are plentiful. Pupils are eager to do well and earn praise from staff. Staff look for the positive in all that pupils do. Pupils value the wide range of rewards that are on offer, including messages home, hot chocolate Friday and taking stars to the headteacher. These rewards motivate pupils to behave well and work hard. Pupils help shape the way that the school operates. They are proud of their roles as school councillors, members of the junior leadership team and the 'KPS Crew'. The sports crew leads games and activities for younger pupils. They do this with care and compassion. Pupils are respectful to each other. They do not tolerate any form of discrimination. They know the rights and responsibilities that all children should have. They have confidence in staff and leaders to address any issues or concerns that may arise. Pupils feel safe in school. Pupils, parents and carers and staff praise the work of the school.

What the school should improve

• A small number of curriculum subjects are at an early stage of development. These are not yet fully sequenced. They do not make clear the precise things that pupils are expected to know and remember. As a result, pupils do not learn and remember the full breadth of the curriculum as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is fully planned and sequenced, across all subjects, and makes clear the most important things that pupils need to know and remember, at each stage of their education. This is to ensure that all pupils are even better prepared for the next stage of their education.
• Pupils' rates of attendance have improved following the three national lockdowns. However, too many pupils, especially those that are disadvantaged, remain persistently absent. This means that they do not access the full breadth of the curriculum. Leaders should continue to tackle the high level of persistent absenteeism so that gaps in pupils' knowledge do not emerge because of missed learning.
• In a small number of subjects, and the early years, the criteria that teachers use to assess the progress that pupils make do not align closely enough to the content of the curriculum. This means that teachers cannot check accurately how well pupils are acquiring curriculum content. Leaders should ensure that assessments check closely how well pupils learn and remember curriculum content.

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