Kings Langley School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

The headteacher and senior leaders have created a school in which students learn to develop the qualities of character and the academic skills to become successful citizens. Standards have risen in this improving school. The proportion of students attaining five or more GCSE passes at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics, is above the national average.

Students make good progress across a wide range of subjects. This is because they have excellent attitudes to learning. They learn not to give up and to support each other.

Achievement is typically good in all year groups because of regularly good teaching. This has i...mproved as a result of carefully targeted training and support by school leaders. The sixth form is good.

Students are well prepared for higher education, training or employment. Strong support for literacy skills, and a popular library at the heart of the school, successfully encourage a love of reading. The school's work in promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of students leads to outstanding behaviour.

Highly positive relationships among students and between staff and students create a calm, friendly and purposeful place of work. Students see school as a very safe place to be, and they learn exceptionally well how to keep themselves and others safe. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Standards and progress in science have improved but still remain below the expected levels.

This is because too much of the teaching in this subject lacks continuity and consistency. While the learning of the most able students is generally good in English and mathematics, not all teachers ensure that students in Years 7 to 11 have the opportunity to reach the highest standards in all subjects.

Information about this school

Kings Langley School converted to become an academy school on 1 December 2012.

When its predecessor school, Kings Langley School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good. Kings Langley School is larger than the average-sized secondary school. The very large majority of students are from White British backgrounds.

The proportion of disadvantaged students, less than a fifth, who are supported through the pupil premium (which provides additional funding for students in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is below the national average. The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs, at around one quarter, is above average. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students' attainment and progress in English and mathematics at the end of Year 11.

The school acts as a 'hub' for the Dacorum Family of Schools, providing extended services and family support. The school is working in partnership with the University of Birmingham's Jubilee Centre on a research programme, 'Schools of Character', which is looking at how to develop character education. Some sixth form students go off site to attend courses at The Hemel Hempstead School, The Cavendish School and John F Kennedy Catholic School.

Some Key Stage 4 students go off site to attend courses for one day a week at West Herts College, Watford. A very small number of students attend full time at the Dacorum Education Support Centre, Hemel Hempstead. Work on the complete re-development of the school site under the Priority School Building Programme is targeted to be complete in 2016.