West Kidlington Primary and Nursery School in Oxfordshire is delighted with its latest Ofsted report, following an inspection on 3rd and 4th of June. 
 
The primary school, part of The White Horse Federation (TWHF), has been judged to have maintained the standards identified in its previous inspection when the school was rated ‘Good’ for overall effectiveness (and ‘Outstanding’ for personal development specifically).
 
The new report highlights many strengths including the high expectations the school has for pupils to achieve well, mentioning that “the golden thread of 'be kind and do your best’ is evident throughout the school.” 
 
Staff are mentioned as rewarding positive behaviour, which creates a “happy and focused” environment. 
 
Inspectors recognised the school’s “ambitious” curriculum as being well sequenced in all subjects. They highlighted that children in the early years have a strong start with well organised activities that engage them, meaning that “children focus on activities for long periods”.
 
The report also notes that pupils behave well, are calm and play well together, with older pupils supporting younger pupils with different games. 
 
Other highlights include:

  • Reading is a priority. Pupils begin learning phonics as soon as they start school and books are at the heart of the curriculum. This encourages pupils to develop a love of reading.
  • The school has high expectations about how pupils conduct themselves in and around the school. There is no disruption to learning.
  • West Kidlington identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. The school then makes suitable adaptations for these pupils. The support that the school provides for the most vulnerable pupils helps them to achieve well.
  • Pupils access a wide range of opportunities. They compete in sports events in the local area and enjoy attending a range of school trips. 
  • In Year 6, pupils take on responsibilities in the school. This creates an environment where they are excellent citizens in their community.
  • Staff feel well supported by the school and they appreciate that their workload is taken into account when decisions are made.
  • Trust leaders work alongside the school to support its continued improvement.

 
Simon Isherwood, Headteacher at West Kidlington Primary and Nursery School, said:


“We are delighted that this report demonstrates that West Kidlington is a caring and ambitious place for children to learn and grow. We are very grateful for the hard work and support of our staff, pupils, families and the whole school community. Thank you all. We are excited to continue improving, developing new learning activities to support our ambitious curriculum.“

 

Simon Cowley, Director of Education at The White Horse Federation, said:

 
“Congratulations to everyone at West Kidlington. It is excellent to see that this report reflects the calm, supportive nature of the school and its many areas of strength.
“We will continue to support West Kidlington’s clear ambition to deliver the best learning experience possible for every child.”
 

Read the full report here