Cirencester Kingshill School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

While pupils typically behave well, leaders' expectations of pupils' behaviour and attitudes are too variable. Leaders also do not have high enough expectations of what all pupils can achieve in their learning.

As a result, some pupils do not have consistently positive attitudes to learning.

Relationships between pupils and staff are generally warm and respectful. When bullying occurs, most pupils and parents are confident that staff will resolve it.

Most parents say that their child is happy and safe. Pupils say that they are encouraged to respect people from other backgrounds and to treat everyone equally. However, a small minority of pupils do not demonstr...ate enough respect for other pupils.

Pupils develop an understanding of democracy through voting opportunities. For example, they vote on which charities will receive the funds they have raised. Pupils benefit from a range of extra-curricular opportunities.

These include sport and drama. Some pupils are part of the school's sports leadership academy. They help to run sports and physical education (PE) events for primary-age pupils.

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

Leaders and trustees do not have a clear enough vision for a high-quality education. Leaders do not provide sufficient information to trustees so that they can ask well-informed questions and challenge robustly. As a result, the quality of education has not improved enough.

Leaders have not made sufficient improvements to the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders do not identify pupils' needs well enough. This means that teaching does not support pupils to follow the curriculum successfully.

Leaders are taking steps to improve the support provided for pupils with SEND, but the full impact of this is yet to be realised.

At key stage 4, many pupils choose to study the suite of subjects known as the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). Almost all pupils choose history or geography, for example.

Increasing numbers of pupils choose a modern foreign language. However, in key stage 3, a small minority of pupils do not follow a curriculum that is broad and ambitious enough.

Where the curriculum is strong, it is well planned and sequenced.

Teachers have subject expertise and present information clearly. In other subjects, the curriculum is not strong enough or taught as intended. This includes the curriculum for pupils in the early stages of learning to read.

The weaknesses in the early reading curriculum mean that some pupils do not gain a strong enough foundation for future learning.

Where assessment is used well, it helps pupils to remember and use their knowledge readily. However, the use of assessment is less well embedded in some subjects.

This means that pupils do not improve their knowledge and skills well enough.

Leaders have devised a personal, social and health education curriculum that is designed to develop pupils' understanding of healthy relationships. This includes raising pupils' awareness of protected characteristics.

However, the personal development curriculum is not consistently put into place as intended. Consequently, support for pupils' personal development is not strong enough.

There is an effective careers education, information, advice and guidance programme.

Pupils are confident about making their choices about post-16 education, employment or training. Pupils take part in meaningful work experience.

Leaders have designed a professional development programme to support teachers to refine their practice.

However, the programme has not had a consistent impact on improving the quality of education that pupils receive. Leaders have put strategies in place to manage staff workload and well-being. Nonetheless, some staff feel that leaders could do more to manage their workload and improve pupils' behaviour.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make timely referrals to safeguarding partners and collaborate effectively with external partners. This protects pupils.

When leaders consider external support to be insufficient, they escalate their concerns.

Leaders are aware of local contextual safeguarding issues. There are appropriate policies and practice to tackle sexual abuse and harassment in and out of school.

Leaders provide effective safeguarding training for staff. As a result, staff know how to identify and report concerns. Leaders ensure adults working in the school are suitable and have had appropriate checks.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Trustees and leaders do not have a clear enough vision for the quality of education. Trustees do not challenge leaders stringently enough. Leaders should ensure that trustees have the information they need to provide greater challenge so that pupils receive a good quality of education.

• Some aspects of the curriculum are not well planned and implemented. As a result, some pupils do not gain sufficient knowledge in some subjects. Leaders should ensure that all subject curriculums are well designed and put into place as intended.

• Leaders do not identify the needs of pupils with SEND well enough. Therefore, the curriculum is not adapted so that pupils with SEND can follow the curriculum successfully. Leaders should ensure that the needs of all pupils with SEND are identified and met.