Kings Kids Christian School

Kings Kids Christian School Independent school standard inspection report

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DfE registration number 209/6361 Unique Reference Number (URN) 133447 Inspection number 320361 Inspection dates 10–11 February 2011 Reporting inspector Jill Bainton achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you

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give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann’s Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk No. 090070 Independent school standard inspection report

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Purpose and scope of the inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Section 162A of the Education Act 2002, as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school. 1, 2

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Information about the school

Kings Kids Christian School is situated in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is a Christian school for pupils aged from three to 11 years of age. The school uses the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) curriculum, which follows the School of Tomorrow programme which seeks to develop the entire person for secular success and a life of Christian service. There are 20 pupils on roll who are taught in two mixed-age learning centres. There are six children in the Early Years Foundation Stage and all receive government funding. No pupils have a statement of special educational needs. The school opened in 2000 and had its last inspection in 2008 when it met all the regulations. It aims to provide its pupils with a Christian education.

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Evaluation of the school

Kings Kids Christian School provides a satisfactory quality of education and successfully achieves its aim of providing a Christian education. Through satisfactory teaching using both the ACE and National Curriculum guidance, pupils make satisfactory progress. The overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good and meets the needs of the children. The school makes good provision for safeguarding. The school has made some improvement since the last inspection in its schemes of work for a range of subjects and continues to meet all the regulations for its registration as an independent school.

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Quality of education

The curriculum is satisfactory. The Early Years Foundation Stage is effective in meeting the needs of the children through the use of an effective curriculum and good teaching. The use of the ACE curriculum in the school is a strength and it makes good provision for the development of basic skills in English and mathematics. In the morning sessions, pupils follow work set out in workbooks called Packages of Accelerated Christian Education (PACEs), which cover six core aspects of the curriculum: English, science, mathematics, word-building, social sciences, creative writing and literature.

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Quality of education

1 www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2002/ukpga_20020032_en_14#pt10-ch1-pb4-l1g162 2 www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2005/ukpga_20050018_en_15#sch8 Independent school standard inspection report The afternoon sessions comprise further subjects such as information and communication technology (ICT), which is also integrated into the morning sessions and is used well to check on the pupils’ progress in spelling and reading. In addition, there is provision for personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE), religious education (RE), practical science, history, geography and physical education (PE) which includes weekly swimming, as well as art and design and design and technology. These subjects offer opportunities to develop the pupils’ speaking and listening skills, through discussions and individual pupil presentations. The balance between individual (and usually silent) study during the morning and more class-

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Quality of education

based activities during the afternoon sessions ensures that the pupils have a range of different learning opportunities.

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Quality of education

Following a recommendation in the last inspection report, the PSHCE programme is now more effectively embedded throughout the school day and is also taught on a weekly basis. The PSHCE programme helps effectively to prepare pupils for their future lives and for learning how to keep themselves safe. The provision for the development of creative skills is mainly through art, creative writing in English and presentations. Music and drama are introduced when pupils prepare to celebrate religious festivals. Pupils have limited opportunities to engage in team sports because of the small numbers in the school. An increased number of visits outside the school has helped to enhance the pupils’ learning experiences.

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Quality of education

Teaching and assessment are satisfactory and the pupils make satisfactory progress overall. The supervision during the morning of the ACE curriculum is thorough and supportive. Pupils are given good guidance and a good grounding in basic skills. Staff are very confident in using the ACE materials and help pupils as they mark their own work, guiding them through the process if needed. They act in this role a ‘facilitators of learning’ but do so with care, patience and encouragement. The morning sessions are long but most pupils manage to stay on task and concentrate well. Pupils work diligently and make good progress when working through the PACE booklets, partly due to the quality of support they receive, but also because of their sustained efforts over time to master the basic skills. Pupils develop good skills in working independently through the PACEs. They make good progress, particularly in reading,

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Quality of education

writing and mathematics, from their various starting points. The PACEs allow pupils to proceed at a rate suitable for each individual. Extension work, such as more demanding reading or writing tasks, is given to more-able pupils, where appropriate. However, these good features are not all carried through when teaching other subjects in the afternoon sessions. Teachers’ planning in the non-ACE subjects although satisfactory, does not always take into consideration pupils’ ages and range of ability. As a result, pupils make satisfactory progress in the non-ACE subjects. Some higher-attaining pupils are not always challenged. Resources are good for the ACE curriculum and teachers draw on a range of commercial schemes for the non- ACE work.

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Quality of education

Although assessment is satisfactory overall, it is good in the ACE subjects. The PACEs provide regular, day-to-day, detailed feedback on how pupils are progressing in their Independent school standard inspection report learning. Pupils set themselves appropriate personal daily targets for work they will complete. Teachers monitor these, to ensure that pupils are suitably challenged. The school has made some improvements in the assessment procedures for the non-ACE subjects but this is not yet sufficiently embedded across all subjects. Pupils are now assessed on entry and the school is using standardised testing to ascertain the pupils’ capabilities. There are frequent, formal tests of pupils’ progress.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

The spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness of the pupils including the personal development of the children in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Pupils develop outstanding spiritual awareness through assemblies and times for prayer and reflection. From the earliest age they learn to demonstrate a sense of mutual respect and a tolerance for each other based on the strong spiritual ethos of the school. Lessons in RE help the pupils to develop an awareness of other religions and customs, and a range of visits to places of worship has enhanced their knowledge. Pupils participate in the life of their school and say that they are learning to develop independence and self-reliance as a result of using the ACE curriculum, where they have to become self-motivated and find out much for themselves. They confirm that they enjoy school, that everyone is friendly and that they have a lot of fun. There is an atmosphere of mutual respect.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

Pupils’ moral awareness is good. They have a strong sense of the difference between right and wrong, continually reinforced through assemblies, lessons and times for play. For example, in a PSHCE lesson pupils learnt about character traits and then acted out short dramas to illustrate them. They did this with maturity and composure, which reflected the very positive role models they see in the staff. Pupil’s behaviour and attendance are good. Pupils are encouraged to behave responsibly and to show consideration for others; instances of bullying are very rare. The school is a sociable community and the pupils all play very well together. Older pupils are given responsibilities within the class and help to look after the younger ones. All members of the school are encouraged to think of the needs of the wider world and they raise money for charities each year. Pupils are well prepared for their future lives.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

Racial tolerance and harmony are effectively promoted. Pupils learn about their own cultural backgrounds and are learning more about other traditions. They are encouraged to think about their cultural heritage and, through a wider range of visits, have increased their understanding of living in the culturally diverse area of Lewisham. Since the previous inspection pupils have visited many places of interest in London to develop their knowledge of English services and institutions, such as the Houses of Parliament, the Royal Courts of Justice and the Science Museum.

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Welfare, health and safety of pupils

The welfare, health and safety of the pupils in the school and of the children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are good. The school provides an orderly, calm Independent school standard inspection report environment in which pupils feel safe and cared for well. The school has devised and implemented a range of policies, which include anti-bullying, health and safety on visits outside school and for safeguarding. The named person responsible for child protection has been trained at the appropriate level as have the rest of the staff. The policy for child protection is implemented effectively. The precautions for fire prevention are good with well-documented fire drills and a fire risk assessment has been carried out. Risk assessments are carried out on activities both within school and for visits outside the school. The first-aid policy is fully implemented and staff are trained in first aid.

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Welfare, health and safety of pupils

Pupils develop a good understanding of what constitutes healthy eating and a balanced diet. They have sufficient physical exercise during the school day and make good use of other local facilities. The family atmosphere created by the school enables them to enjoy a very high level of well-being. Pupils are very well supervised at all times. The attendance and admission registers are kept according to the regulations. The school fulfils its duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, as amended, and has devised a suitable three-year accessibility plan.

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Suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors

The school checks the suitability of all staff to work with children and holds the information, as required, on a single central register of staff appointments.

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Premises of and accommodation at the school

The accommodation provides a suitable environment for learning, with two large classrooms and a spacious hall. The premises are warm, welcoming and maintained well. There is a small outside area. Older pupils use the hall at break times.

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Provision of information

The information provided for parents and carers is good; in such a small school there is close daily contact. Parents and carers receive all the required information. Parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire were positive in their response, making comments such as, ‘My child has been transformed since attending… my journey with the school has been good.’ Termly reports on progress are sent to parents and carers.

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Manner in which complaints are to be handled

The school has a set of procedures, which meet the regulations. Independent school standard inspection report

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Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

The overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Children enjoy their education, which is a planned combination of the ACE system and Early Years Foundation Stage guidelines. Children’s individual starting points are broadly as expected for children of this age and they make good progress. By the time they enter Year 1 their skills and abilities are broadly as expected in the required six areas of learning. Relationships are good and children generally work and play together harmoniously. Children make good progress in their personal and social development and this is reflected in their good attitudes to learning.

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Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

Provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Staff ensure that all children know how to proceed with ACE tasks and that they are continually engaged. There is a good emphasis on developing basic communication, language and literacy skills. Staff make regular observations on the children’s progress, which are recorded in their profile folder, but some of these details are not consistently dated. Staff provide positive role models and ensure that children are secure and cared for well. Although classroom resources are adequate overall, some of the toys are not as clean as they should be. Outcomes for the children are good. They gain valuable experiences in all of the required areas of learning. There is a good balance between adult-led activities, self-motivated ACE tasks and those that children choose for themselves. Parents are involved in their children’s education, feel well informed and are

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Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

considered part of the school ‘family’. The leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. The leader has a good understanding of its strengths and areas for development.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The proprietor has ensured that the school meets The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010, schedule 1 (‘the Regulations’).

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What the school could do to improve further

While not required by regulations, the school might wish to consider the following points for development:

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What the school could do to improve further

 further develop and effectively implement the non-ACE curriculum

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What the school could do to improve further

 further develop and fully implement the assessment system for the non- ACE subjects

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What the school could do to improve further

 ensure that all the observations on the children in Early Years Foundation Stage are dated and that all resources are clean. Independent school standard inspection report Inspection judgements outstanding

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The quality of education

How well the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of pupils 

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The quality of education

How effective teaching and assessment are in meeting the full range of pupils’ needs 

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The quality of education

How well pupils make progress in their learning 

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The quality of education

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Quality of provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 

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Welfare, health and safety of pupils

The overall welfare, health and safety of pupils 

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The quality of the Early Years Foundation Stage provision

Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage 

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The quality of the Early Years Foundation Stage provision

The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 

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The quality of the Early Years Foundation Stage provision

The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage 

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The quality of the Early Years Foundation Stage provision

Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage  Independent school standard inspection report

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School details

Number on roll (full-time pupils) Boys: 14 Girls: 6 Total: 20

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School details

Number of pupils with a statement of special educational needs Boys: 0 Girls: 0 Total: 0

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School details

Address of school 100 Woodpecker Road New Cross, London SE14 6EU

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