Kingsford Community School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that pupils are safe, nurtured and supported to achieve highly. Each pupil is encouraged to develop their interests and aim to be the best that they can be. Success of all kinds is celebrated.

Pupils are enthusiastic about being members of this school. They become confident speakers and play an active part in school life.

The curriculum is ambitious and offers opportunity for all.

Leaders and staff know pupils very well. They provide pupils with individual attention to help them succeed in their learning and next steps. Some pupils pursue academic routes, while others choose vocational pathways.

Irrespective of pupils' aspirations, the...y are guided and helped every step of the way. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well, and are taught to be ambitious about their futures.

Equality and tolerance are two key principles running through this school community.

Pupils learn to respect and celebrate individual difference. They said that the school is a safe place to be, whoever you are. Pupils and staff are proud to be a part of this school.

Pupils behave well. Very little learning time is lost to disruption in lessons. Where pupils struggle to manage their behaviour, leaders and staff are quick to help.

Bullying is rare but is dealt with effectively.

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

Leaders have put in place a curriculum that is broad and balanced for all. This includes for pupils with SEND, those who speak English as an additional language, or pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.

All pupils study the breadth and scope of the national curriculum. What pupils learn often goes beyond this, for example in their study of two languages, one of which is Mandarin. This enriches pupils' learning further.

Pursuing excellence guides leaders' actions to improve the school further. The work leaders do to support pupils' aspirations and broader development illustrates this. Pupils' readiness for and understanding of the wider world are carefully supported.

Throughout the school, pupils are helped to grow in confidence. They readily apply their knowledge in new and demanding contexts. For example, they take part in regular inter-school and external competitions, such as for Mandarin speaking.

Pupils select from a broad choice of GCSEs and other qualifications. From the start, staff encourage pupils to consider how each subject will help them pursue their interests. Leaders work carefully with pupils to ensure they make the right choice.

In each subject, leaders ensure that pupils learn and remember more over time. They make sure that staff are experts in their subjects, including through the provision of high-quality training. Leaders have also fostered links with local primary schools to ensure that what pupils are taught in Year 7 follows on well from their previous learning.

Where pupils arrive needing help to read fluently, leaders quickly identify this and provide suitable and effective extra support

Teachers are skilled. They sequence learning carefully. Most check that pupils have understood subject content and they address any misconceptions before moving on.

This means that pupils remember key information and are able to apply this to challenging tasks. In a few cases, this work is not fully embedded. Leaders' rigorous evaluation of the quality of education means that they are already taking steps to address this.

Pupils are helpful and polite. Success is celebrated, and it is rare for staff to need to remind pupils about behaviour expectations or use sanctions. Teachers understand and meet individual needs effectively, including the needs of pupils with SEND.

Positive behaviour and character traits are taught through a well-planned and comprehensive curriculum of personal, social and health education. All pupils are taught to articulate their views sensitively and with respect.

Pupils are very well prepared to succeed and flourish in modern Britain.

They are guided to become ambitious, confident and thoughtful. They also receive plentiful careers information, education, advice and guidance. This is tailored to each pupils' needs to inspire and foster high ambition.

Through the curriculum, pupils develop a wide-ranging awareness of local, national and global topics. They frequently lead assemblies related to these themes. Pupils can also become leaders in a range of ways, such as through the school council, prefect team or being a well-being ambassador.

Staff and governors are deeply committed to their school and community. Governors provide strong challenge and support to school leaders. Staff said that leaders support them, provide high-quality development, and consider workload carefully.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders provide comprehensive training for staff. This means that staff are vigilant and know how to report concerns.

Pupils in need are identified and supported promptly and effectively.

Leaders provide a range of pastoral support for pupils. This includes support from heads of year and specialist staff, who oversee well-being, behaviour and attendance.

Mentoring and counselling are used, when necessary, to further enhance the school's offer. Leaders liaise effectively with families and external agencies to support and protect pupils who are at risk.

Pupils learn how to keep safe.

They remember what they have been taught and are confident to report concerns.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Typically, the curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced towards pupils learning and remembering more. However, in a few cases, teachers do not check effectively how well pupils recall and understand knowledge.

This affects how well pupils are supported to remember their learning over the longer term. Leaders need to build on their current work to strengthen the delivery of the curriculum. This includes, for example, making sure that checks on learning are used consistently well to support pupils' recall of knowledge.