Kingfisher School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Kingfisher School continues to be a good school.

The headteacher of this school is Lorraine Wilson.

This school is part of The Propeller Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Tom Pegler, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Jane Edwards.

What is it like to attend this school?

Kingfisher School is a special community.

Those who work in the school are well trained to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff show enormous care and kindness to every pupil. This means that pupils love coming to school because... they feel happy and safe.

Parents are very positive about their child's experiences. One parent echoed the sentiments of others, saying, 'You walk down the corridor and look in the classes and all have a smile on their faces. The teachers go above and beyond with the children.

I am so lucky to have found a school where my SEN child is happy, relaxed and improving every single day.'

The school has high expectations and is ambitious for what pupils can achieve. The primary aim is to develop effective communication.

The school ensures that pupils are able to use a variety of resources and strategies so they can express their thoughts and wishes. Staff know their pupils well, and they give them the time and space to be as independent as possible. Pupils have all the help they need to manage their feelings and emotions.

As a result, behaviour across the school is calm and purposeful.

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

The curriculum is ambitious and well planned to support pupils' learning. Different learning pathways enable pupils to learn in a way that best suits their needs.

For example, one pathway is for those with speech, language and communication needs. Across the curriculum, subject knowledge is broken down into small, well-sequenced steps. Students in the sixth form study a varied curriculum that gives them opportunities to work towards a range of qualifications.

Subject leadership in many subjects is strong, although in a few subjects this is still developing. This impacts on the school's oversight of pupils' learning in these subjects.

Staff support pupils well to engage in their learning.

They work with a range of specialists, including speech and language therapists and occupational therapists, to plan each pupil's targets. They ensure that pupils have many opportunities to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding. Checks of what pupils know and remember in many subjects are effective.

This enables staff to move pupils on to the next step in their learning. However, the school recognises that, for some subjects, this is not yet fully in place.

Communication skills are well taught.

This enables pupils to express themselves with increasing proficiency. All pupils develop a love of stories, whether through song or 'sensory' or 'massage stories'. Reading is a priority in the school.

Staff are well trained and expertly deliver phonics lessons. Many pupils learn skills such as letter sounds and blending. They go on to become confident readers with strong comprehension skills.

The school promotes pupils' broader development well. It succeeds in its mission to 'prepare pupils to be happy, active and lifelong integral members of the community'. Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is well planned.

The school takes the time to develop pupils' specific talents and interests. Recently, this has been through activities such as riding, snake handling or karaoke. The school provides many opportunities to get involved in the community, whether this is through helping at a community food bank or a charity shop.

Staff follow a coherent programme to teach pupils how to stay safe, such as when online. The school's swimming pool is well used to support those with complex physical needs. During their time at the school, all pupils become increasingly proficient in water.

Students in the sixth form achieve well. The curriculum develops students' life skills carefully. Cookery skills, for example, are developed through food shopping and making nutritious meals.

Some students take part in The Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, which promotes independence and resilience. The school provides clear careers information, education, advice and guidance. This gives students a detailed understanding of the opportunities open to them for their future education and/or employment.

Students are encouraged to learn about enterprise. They enjoy designing and selling clothing. Other students recently hosted a very successful 'Bacon Roll Day'.

Leaders analyse attendance information carefully. They work closely with families and follow up on any unexplained absences quickly. Pupils behave well.

They show respect and kindness towards one another. All pupils have plans that help them to understand their emotions. The school's sensory garden provides an inviting and calm space where pupils can relax, touch and smell the different herbs.

Staff speak highly of the school. They praise the sense of teamwork that leaders encourage. Staff say their workload is always considered before any changes are put in place.

Those with governance responsibilities, including the local governing body and trustees, fulfil their roles effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, systems for checking what pupils know, remember and can do are still developing.

This means that staff do not have always have a clear picture about whether pupils have learned and remembered the intended curriculum. The school should continue its work to implement a clear system for assessing what pupils know and understand in these subjects. ? Subject leadership in a few subjects is not yet fully developed.

This means that, in these subjects, the school does not always have sufficient oversight of pupils' learning. The school needs to further refine subject leadership so that staff have a precise understanding of how well pupils are learning across the curriculum.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2014.

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