Kingsbury High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Kingsbury High School continues to be a good school.

The headteacher of this school is Alex Thomas. This school is a single-academy trust.

The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sandra Ernstoff.

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has successfully created a vibrant, inclusive culture where pupils succeed. Leaders have high expectations for all pupils.

A high value is placed on the ethos and values that pupils learn, for example as a Unicef Rights Respecting School.

Pupils feel valued and listened to. The student leadership team members contribute positively to school decisions and develop valuable leadership skills in this ...role.

Pupils attend school regularly, enjoy learning and are successful in their academic studies. Sixth-form students enjoy an exceptional educational experience. They are taught by highly knowledgeable teachers who are aspirational for their futures.

The school has high expectations for all pupils' achievement, and addresses any barriers faced by those who are vulnerable or disadvantaged in any way. Staff want the best for pupils. They have very warm working relationships with pupils and know them well.

Typically, pupils behave well across the school.

Pupils feel happy and safe at school. Pupils know that they can talk with a member of staff if they have any concerns.

Pupils' health, welfare and well-being are well supported through the personal development programme.

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

The school has an ambitious and well-planned curriculum. It identifies the important knowledge that teachers want pupils to know.

Pupils study a wide range of subjects that prepare them well for future education, training or employment. The school is well led and managed. Staff work in the best interests of pupils.

They feel well supported by the school and they appreciate the training they receive.

The school ensures that pupils achieve well. Sixth-form students are very well taught.

Teachers teach complex ideas with clarity. As a result, sixth-form students achieve very high outcomes. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from a personalised approach focused on their needs.

This is particularly strong for those in the Total Communication Resource for hearing-impaired pupils.

In most subjects, teachers have excellent subject knowledge and teach with an enthusiasm that excites pupils. They plan activities that build on pupils' prior learning.

Staff check pupils' knowledge and understanding regularly. In some subjects, the checking and addressing of pupils' understanding are sometimes missed. This means that errors and misconceptions in pupils' work continue.

Pupils, particularly students in the sixth form, benefit from the help they get to improve their work and to learn independently.

The school behaviour policy is well understood by pupils and staff. Pupils appreciate why good behaviour matters.

They understand the 'Kingsbury Way', which focuses on respect for self, others and the environment. These approaches have contributed to the reduction in the number of pupils who are suspended from school. Most pupils behave well in lessons.

When a small number of younger pupils struggle to behave as they should, staff respond fairly and consistently.

The school has high expectations of pupils' attendance. Leaders use a range of systems to support pupils to improve their attendance over time, which is very successful.

Most pupils attend school regularly and attendance throughout the school is high. Leaders have a clear understanding of the school and its current strengths and areas for development. Governors are clear and confident about their roles and responsibilities.

The personal development programme is comprehensive. Leaders have ensured that content covers issues which are relevant to pupils in the school. Pupils are taught how to look after their physical and mental health.

Staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe. The programme for tutor time is well structured.

The school provides a wide range of personal development activities.

This includes the popular 'move it' club, which promotes physical activity and is delivered by students in the sixth form. While many pupils take advantage of extra-curricular activities, there is not yet a consistently strong take-up across the school. This means that pupils are not consistently benefiting from this excellent work.

Pupils experience relevant and useful careers education which provides them with the skills to move on to the next stage in their education. For example, students in the sixth form benefit from work experience related to their interests. The school's approach to careers education is integrated well into the curriculum.

This enables pupils to understand how their studies support and inform their future aspirations.

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 subjects, teachers do not consistently identify and address pupils' misconceptions.

As a result, errors can persist in pupils' work. The school should ensure that teachers routinely check pupils' understanding of what they have learned so that pupils' understanding is deepened. ? Systems to check that all pupils benefit from the school's extra-curricular opportunities are not fully developed.

This limits the school's oversight of whether pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, fully participate in the available opportunities. The school needs to make sure that it checks carefully that all pupils can benefit from taking part in its excellent personal development offer.

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 September 2014.

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