Kenton School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. They want pupils to be aspirational and achieve well. This vision is beginning to be realised.

Pupils and staff recognise the improvements in several aspects of school life. However, the quality of pupils' experience in school varies. Although pupils benefit from a strong curriculum in some subjects, this is not consistently the case.

Despite its large size, the school has a community feel. Pupils and staff get on well. Pupils feel safe in school.

Bullying is addressed firmly by staff. Recent lessons to develop pupils' understanding of bullying have led to fewer bullying incidents. Frequent surveys invite pupils to give their... views on school life.

Leaders use pupils' feedback to make further improvements.

Staff are visible around school. Leaders have established well-understood routines.

These help to keep the atmosphere calm and orderly. Pupils know what is expected of them. Many reach the high standards that leaders set.

However, some pupils do not. Despite support, a minority of pupils keep making the same mistakes.

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

Much has improved in Kenton School.

Shrewd investment by the trust has increased leadership capacity. The arrival of new trust leadership has seen the rate of improvement gather pace. Leadership throughout the school has strengthened.

Leaders are taking staff with them on the school's improvement journey. Staff are proud to work at the school. Most are positive about the efforts of leaders to support them and consider their well-being.

Staff benefit from various programmes of training. They are more skilled and, as a result, pupils are getting a better education than they once were. Some previous weaknesses in the school have been transformed into real strengths.

The remaining areas of weakness identified by inspectors did not come as a surprise. Leaders, governors and trustees have an accurate view of what else needs to be done. Work to address remaining weaknesses is already underway.

More time is needed for recent changes to bear fruit to ensure that the school provides a consistently effective quality of education.

Senior and subject leaders have designed ambitious subject curriculums. Curriculum planning is typically clear and well sequenced.

However, because the curriculum has not been effective over time, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge in some subjects. There is more work to do to ensure that these gaps are addressed.

Clearer expectations from leaders have strengthened the teaching of the curriculum in a number of areas.

However, the use of assessment by teachers is variable. For example, leaders expect teachers to assess pupils' knowledge during lessons. Some teachers do this well.

They pick up on pupils' misconceptions and swiftly address them. Other teachers do not. They do not spot the mistakes that pupils make.

This hinders the progress that pupils make in learning the curriculum.

Sixth-form students have a rich educational experience. There is a wide offer of academic and vocational courses to choose from.

Students are enthused by their subjects. They make good progress on their programmes of study. The qualifications achieved by students support them to take their next step in education, employment or training.

Staff are adept at meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders provide valuable information about what works for individual pupils, and what does not. Teachers use this to help pupils with SEND to achieve well.

Pupils who attend the specially resourced provisions benefit from the support that they receive.

Behaviour has improved. Despite this, some pupils struggle to behave appropriately.

Over time, suspensions have been stubbornly high. There is a range of approaches taken to help pupils who receive sanctions for their behaviour. Although they value this support, some pupils still find it hard to turn things around.

There is more work to do to ensure that pupils behave consistently well across the school.

A significant minority of pupils do not attend school regularly. Recent systems to improve attendance have been introduced.

Although much is being done to improve attendance, it is too early to see the sustained impact of leaders' work.

The personal development offer in school is broad and well led. The programme is well designed.

Weekly lessons help develop pupils' understanding of important issues in society. Weaknesses in the previous personal development offer are now being addressed. For example, careers advice has been improved following some disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pupils from Year 7 upwards now get useful information about potential career routes.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders take a systematic approach to building staff's knowledge of safeguarding.

Staff report concerns in a timely manner. They know the importance of passing on minor concerns so that pastoral staff can build a clear picture around pupils. This supports leaders to swiftly identify pupils who may need help and to ensure that they get the support they require.

Leaders understand the community well. They identify emerging risks that pupils may face away from school. This feeds into the school's personal development programme so that pupils are taught how to keep safe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There is variation between some subjects in the effectiveness with which teachers deliver the curriculum. This means that some pupils do not learn as well as they should in some subjects. Leaders should continue to improve staff expertise so that there is greater consistency in the quality of education across the school.

• A minority of pupils do not behave as well as they should. This leads to repeated suspensions, which means that they miss lessons and fall behind. Leaders should take action to reduce the number of incidents of poor behaviour in school, including those leading to suspension.

• Some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, are absent from school too frequently. As a consequence, gaps in their knowledge develop over time. Leaders should ensure that new systems to improve attendance are carefully monitored and, if necessary, further developed, so that pupils attend school regularly.

Also at this postcode