Kelmscott School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Kelmscott School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Kelmscott are happy and kept safe and develop as confident and resilient learners. They are well supported to meet the school's high expectations.

They talk with enthusiasm about the school values of self-control, tolerance, optimism, resilience and motivation. Pupils move around the school sensibly and safely. They enjoy warm relationships with staff and with each other.

They are very polite and welcoming to visitors.

Pupils are rightly proud of their school. They describe it as a creative, safe and inclusiv...e place to learn.

Pupils display highly positive attitudes to learning and, in most subjects, achieve well.

There are an extensive range of opportunities to support pupils' personal development. This includes visits to museums and other places of interest.

Pupils have access to numerous activities to develop their talents and interests. These include creative writing, debating, LGBTQ+, basketball and art. Pupils benefit from a range of workshops and visiting speakers, who deliver important messages about climate change, online safety and inclusion.

Pupils are eager to take on additional responsibilities, including as members of the school council, 'neurodiversity' or 'climate ambassadors'. Pupils discuss with confidence the key issues they are passionate about in assemblies. They also make a positive contribution by raising money for charities as well as for improvements to their school environment.

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

The school provides a broad and highly ambitious curriculum that meets, and sometimes exceeds, what is expected nationally. For example, pupils in key stage 3 learn about ancient Greek and Roman languages, literature, history and culture. The school also offers an extensive range of subject options at key stage 4.

This means pupils have a wide choice of studying subjects that interest them, and which will help prepare them for their futures.

The curriculum is well designed to ensure that pupils learn the knowledge they need in clearly defined steps. This enables them to secure their understanding before learning more complex ideas later.

For example, in mathematics, pupils consolidate their understanding of fractions from primary school in Year 7 in readiness for work on scale factors and ratio in Year 8.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. In most subjects, they explain ideas clearly and check that pupils have understood what they are learning.

Staff typically use assessment information to adapt future learning based on pupils' needs. There are, however, times when this is less effective. In these instances, assessment is not used as well to identify and address pupils' misconceptions.

As a result, there are gaps in some pupils' knowledge that prevents them from developing the deep body of knowledge they need to understand and move through the intended curriculum.

The school has adapted quickly to support the number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school ensures their needs are identified swiftly and appropriate strategies are put in place.

These are shared effectively with staff. Pupils with SEND learn successfully alongside their peers and typically access the same ambitious curriculum, wherever this is possible.

The school has prioritised reading for every pupil.

There is a comprehensive reading programme in place, where pupils read ambitious texts with their tutor group. Specific reading interventions provide additional support for those whose need support to read with more accuracy and fluency. This helps them to catch up.

The school supports the high number of pupils who speak English as an additional language to read and write with confidence.

The school manages attendance effectively. Well-developed systems enable leaders to check pupil attendance and identify patterns and any barriers preventing pupils from attending school.

Staff work well with the local authority, families, and other agencies to support pupils to overcome these barriers. Behaviour is exemplary. The school has embedded a rewards and sanctions policy that is consistently applied and understood by pupils and staff.

Pupils who have struggled to regulate their behaviour in the past, feel well supported to improve.

The school has ensured that pupils have an extensive range of enriching experiences to prepare them for life beyond school. Pupils are taught how to keep healthy and safe in the community and online.

They also receive wide-ranging and beneficial careers advice and guidance. This helps them make informed choices, when considering their next steps for education, employment or training.

Since the previous inspection, leaders, including those responsible for governance, have taken effective action to develop the curriculum and establish excellent behaviour expectations.

Staff are highly positive about the way leaders support their well-being and workload. Parents and carers are rightly very positive about the work of the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some instances, assessment is not used consistently to check if pupils are learning the intended curriculum. This leads to gaps in some pupils' knowledge and what they learn over time. The school must ensure that there is a consistent approach to ensuring pupils learn and remember the intended curriculum.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in January 2020.