Kingsley Community School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Kingsley Community School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

At Kingsley Community School, diversity is celebrated, and everyone is accepted for who they are. Pupils and their families develop strong relationships with staff from the moment they join the school. Pupils trust the adults who work with them.

This helps them to feel safe and happy.

Pupils understand and appreciate that teachers have extremely high expectations, both of their behaviour and their academic success. Pupils and children in the early years settle quickly into the clear routines that leaders provide for them.

Leaders deal with bullying quickly and effective...ly. Pupils who spoke to the inspector said that staff never tolerate it. Pupils treat each other with patience and respect.

They enjoy the praise and recognition that they receive for their achievements.

Lessons and social times are calm and orderly. Pupils relish the challenge of learning, even when it is demanding.

They rise to meet the ambition of the curriculum that leaders provide and, as a result, they achieve well.

Pupils and children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from the wide range of extra-curricular opportunities. These experiences help pupils to develop their language skills as well as their wider understanding of the world.

For example, pupils attend regular trips and visits, and have time dedicated to learning surrounded by nature outdoors. Children in the early years benefit from regular mornings of 'stay and play' with their parents and carers.

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

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is broad and ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND.

They have thought carefully about the construction of the curriculum to ensure that it meets the needs of all pupils. For example, there is a focus in all subjects on developing language and vocabulary from the early years and throughout the rest of the school. Teachers are adept at identifying any additional needs pupils may have.

Staff enable pupils, including those with SEND, to have access to the same curriculum as their peers.

In most subjects, leaders have considered the important knowledge that they want children and pupils to know from the Nursery class, including the provision for two-year-old children, to Year 6. The learning is carefully ordered so that pupils can build on what they already know.

However, in a small number of subjects, teachers are still finalising the precise knowledge that pupils should learn. In these subjects, some pupils do not build on their prior learning as securely as they should. In addition, a very small number of pupils have access to their curriculum in a different way.

This is so that they can receive additional support for their social and emotional needs. Leaders are in the process of refining this approach to ensure that these pupils receive the support that they need while accessing the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.

Teachers and teaching assistants have the subject knowledge and expertise they need to teach the curriculum effectively.

Across the curriculum, they use this expertise to check for misconceptions that pupils may have. They also use it to shape future teaching and fill in gaps in learning over time. This helps pupils, and children in the early years, to know more and to be able to do more.

Leaders prioritise reading. They dedicate time daily for pupils to read for pleasure, from the early years to Year 6. They have invested in a rich variety of fiction and non-fiction texts, to which pupils have access in their classroom libraries.

Leaders have selected these carefully to ensure that they reflect pupils' interests and lives. Pupils told the inspector how they value, and are inspired by, the stories and people that they read about.

Teachers implement a phonics programme from the start of the Reception class.

All staff are well trained to teach this with confidence. The books that pupils read match the sounds that they learn in class. Any pupils who struggle, or fall behind, receive immediate help to catch up.

This means that pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language, gain the phonics knowledge they need to become confident and fluent readers.

Pupils behave well. They value learning.

They are polite and kind to each other. The atmosphere around school is calm and purposeful. In lessons, pupils respond to their teachers' requests sensibly.

They work hard. Staff use strong behaviour systems to support a minority of pupils who need help to regulate their behaviour.

Leaders place a strong emphasis on the wider curriculum for pupils' personal, social and health education.

This begins in the early years, for example when children are taught to share and take turns. Older pupils learn about healthy relationships and the dangers of online social media. In addition, leaders place emphasis on pupils' transition beyond the school.

Members of the school alumni are invited to return and talk to pupils about their careers and successes. This helps pupils to think about their next steps and future aspirations.

The school is well led and managed.

Staff feel valued. They appreciate the consideration that leaders give to their workload and well-being. Newly appointed governors are contributing additional expertise to the school.

They support and challenge leaders effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding.

They work closely with parents to develop trust and offer support. This includes those who enter the school midway through the school year. This means that staff develop secure relationships with pupils and families.

Staff are trained to be vigilant. They report any concerns swiftly.

Safeguarding leads offer in-school support, such as play therapy and pupil counselling, to address potential safeguarding concerns.

Leaders make timely referrals to external agencies when needed. They are tenacious in escalating concerns and advocating for pupils and families to ensure that they have access to the support they need.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, leaders are still refining the exact knowledge that they want pupils to know and the order in which it should be taught.

This means that some pupils are not able to build on their previous learning as well as they should. Leaders should finalise their curriculum thinking so that all teachers are clear about the precise knowledge that pupils will learn and remember from the early years to Year 6.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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2017.