Kingsham Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 June 2025

Familiar morning routines set the positive tone for the day. Staff on the gate and at the classroom doors greet pupils by name and with a welcoming smile. They are ready to hear what is going on in pupils' lives beyond school, answer parents' and carers' questions and sort out any worries. From Reception upwards, early morning tasks make the most of the time with activities designed to reinforce learning or practise skills. Three simple rules, 'ready, respectful and safe', underpin the upbeat atmosphere in classrooms, around school and at breaktimes. Pupils learn about choice and consequence. They are welcoming to new classmates and see diversity and difference as normal. The school's 'CROWN' values nurture the important attributes pupils need to be successful learners. They rise to these expectations, learning many new facts and skills. Pupils are, as the school promises, 'transported beyond the walls of the academy' to give them experiences that they might not otherwise have and to broaden their horizons. Great care is taken to nurture pupils' empathy and awareness of issues facing people wherever they may be in the world. They come to understand the importance of, and the part they can play in, for example, tackling homelessness, treating people fairly and caring for the planet.

What the school should improve

• At times, the tasks that teachers design do not take sufficient account of whether pupils have the foundational knowledge they need to undertake them. The school's focus on oracy to check and extend pupils' understanding is not consistent. Where this is the case, pupils' learning is not consolidated. The school needs to make sure that the teaching of the intended curriculum is consistently high quality.
• The curriculum in the foundation subjects does not distinguish clearly enough between what is interesting and what is essential learning. Pupils do not, therefore, readily recall important learning from the past. The school should ensure that teachers are clear about the essential learning pupils should already know before a series of lessons and what they ought to understand by the end. Furthermore, it should continue its work to ensure that teachers have the necessary expertise to help pupils embed and then retrieve key knowledge and skills from their long-term memory.

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