Kingsmead School

Age group 11–16 Inspection date(s) 22–23 March 2012 Inspection number 381879 Kingsmead School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 135345 Local authority Derby Inspection number 381879 Inspection dates 22–23 March 2012 Lead inspector Jeffery Plumb

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Special School category Community special Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 30 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sandra Fletcher Headteacher Sue Bradley Date of previous school inspection 12 November 2008 School address Bridge Street Derby DE1 3LB Telephone number 01332 715970 Fax number 01332 715975 Email address admin@kingsmead.derby.sch.uk 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

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you 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’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. Inspectors observed 12 teachers teaching 12 lessons. Five were joint observations with members of the senior leadership team. A learning walk focusing on the use of students’ targets in lesson planning was also carried out. Inspectors met formally and informally with students. Meetings were held with staff and the Chair of the Governing Body. They observed the school’s work and examined a number of documents, including progress and attainment data, attendance figures, safeguarding policies and risk assessments, equality and diversity policies, the most recent school improvement partner report, governing body minutes and the school improvement plan. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection. They also took account of three inspection questionnaires returned by parents and carers as well as those completed by staff and students.

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Information about the school

Kingsmead School forms part of an integrated provision for students with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties, which also includes The Kingsmead School Pupil Referral Unit. All students have a statement of special educational needs. Most students entering the school have missed much schooling previously, occasionally more than a year. Many have been excluded from mainstream and special schools in the city. The proportion of students known to be eligible for free school meals is above average. Almost all students are boys and they are mainly White British. Very few are from minority ethnic backgrounds. There are a very few looked after students. Students receive their education at the main school site, Kingsmead, as well as at other off-site bases across the city and in a range of external vocational provisions. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Information about the school

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 This is a satisfactory school. It is not better than that because of inconsistencies in the use of assessment to set suitably challenging targets in English and mathematics, in the quality of teaching and students’ progress. The attendance of some students is low.

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Key findings

 Students’ achievement is satisfactory. Students make satisfactory progress in English and mathematics. Key Stage 4 students make good progress on their vocational courses.

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Key findings

 Teaching is satisfactory. There is some good teaching, particularly on the vocational courses in Years 10 and 11. However, in some English and mathematics lessons, students are not always sufficiently challenged. Opportunities to develop students’ reading, writing and mathematics skills across the subjects taught are occasionally missed.

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Key findings

 Behaviour and safety are satisfactory. Incidents of inappropriate behaviour are on the decline. Exclusions are rare. Engagement with learning is good in most lessons, but a little inconsistency remains. Most students are adept at assessing risks and adopting safe practices in work-place environments.

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Key findings

 Senior leaders and the governing body, in recent years, have improved a number of aspects of the school. The proportion of Year 11 students achieving vocational qualifications and securing college courses on leaving the school has increased. The management of performance is more rigorous, especially in its effectiveness in monitoring teaching and providing targeted professional development. This contributes significantly to improving the quality of teaching where it is most needed. However, the use of assessment to set challenging targets and the frequency of review of those targets in order to plan to raise students’ achievement further is not as well developed.

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Key findings

A school whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve students’ progress and raise their attainment in English and mathematics by ensuring that:  assessments are used consistently to set challenging targets  teachers review these targets frequently and set students new targets once they are met  teachers consistently use these targets lesson by lesson to plan specific learning outcomes for students.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching by making sure that:  planned activities are consistently challenging and well matched to students’ most important learning needs  the marking of students’ work is consistent and that the improvement points they are given are followed through meticulously to ensure that they make the progress required  every opportunity is taken to develop students’ literacy and mathematical skills across all subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve students’ attendance by five percent over the next year so as to accelerate their learning, raise their attainment and enable even more Year 11 students than at present to access college courses, which equip them with the qualifications and job-readiness skills to become successful adults.

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Achievement of pupils

Students make satisfactory progress in English and mathematics. It is not better than that because their targets in these subjects are not consistently challenging. This is less positive than the view of most parents and carers who believe that their children make good progress. Most students’ learning accelerates through Key Stage 4 because of the rigour of their accredited vocational courses. In recent years, the number of Year 11 students gaining higher-level qualifications and securing a college place has increased. A few students who are too often absent from school do not achieve this goal. Attainment by the end of Year 11 is below average, reflecting students’ low starting points.

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Achievement of pupils

Overall, students make satisfactory progress. In some lessons, their progress is good. In an English lesson, focusing on developing descriptive writing skills, each student made good progress because assessments of their prior learning were used to plan new and challenging learning outcomes for them. In a few lessons, students Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

continue with activities to develop skills they have already mastered. This slows their progress. For example, a few students have as their target, ‘start each sentence with a capital letter and finish it with a full stop’. Once competent in this skill, they are not always set a new target quickly enough. It is a similar picture in mathematics lessons.

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Achievement of pupils

Equality of opportunity is a core value, but there are some inconsistencies in the rate of progress students make. Not all teachers match activities to the needs of students. Most do, but in some lessons this is not the case. There is good practice in science. But in some humanities lessons, all students do the same work; progress for some of them is slow. The development of students’ literacy and numeracy skills across subjects is variable. A new strategy aimed at improving students’ reading skills benefits some, but not all, because the reading targets set are sometimes too vague.

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Quality of teaching

Relationships between teachers and students are good. Teachers’ skilful behaviour management captures students’ interest at the start of most lessons. As students gain in confidence and respond to new challenges, their learning accelerates. Committed to equality of access to learning, teachers refuse to give up on a student. Failure in a subject in a previous school is put aside; every student makes a fresh start. This is why parents and carers believe that their children are taught well. While it is the case that students are taught well in some lessons, it is not consistently the case in all. Students think their teaching is variable and inspection evidence confirms this view. There is some inconsistency in the teaching of English and mathematics. Assessment is not always used to plan new learning outcomes and activities are not always sufficiently matched to students’ learning needs. Occasionally, students spend

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Quality of teaching

too long working towards the same targets when they are ready to be challenged with new ones. This slows their progress. Marking is inconsistent: it does not consistently support students in improving their work.

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Quality of teaching

The curriculum provides a good basis for interesting and relevant teaching. Tailored and highly individualised curriculum programmes successfully re-engage most students with learning. Teaching of vocational subjects is strong. It equips students with work-related skills. Across other subjects, teaching is variable. Some teaching in humanities is too teacher led and so students do not have sufficient opportunity to take responsibility for their learning. Yet, in other lessons, flexibility and on-the-spot creativity by teachers successfully involve students in their learning. For example, in a science lesson, the teacher responded to students’ interest in how natural energy can be used to power machines. Going off at a tangent, he deepened their understanding, developed their language skills and enabled them to think critically. Teachers promote students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.

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Quality of teaching

Students have many opportunities to reflect and meditate. They reflected with amazement at the birth of animals on visits to a farm; and fell silent as they meditated on the horror of the Holocaust. They asked deep questions as they considered the ascetic lifestyle of Buddhist monks compared with magazines promoting global fashion. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Students’ attitudes to learning are mostly good because they usually enjoy their lessons. Small classes and lessons broken up into 45-minute slots help students to concentrate on their work. A few students at Key Stage 3 sometimes struggle to engage with writing or solving mathematical problems out of fear of failure. Mostly, they are skilfully supported through these times of self-doubt and by Year 10, begin to tackle new learning challenges because their fear of failure dissipates. Some students do not attend regularly and so do not develop a thirst for learning. This is why engagement with learning is no better than satisfactory.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Parents and carers say that the standard of behaviour at school is good. Overwhelmingly, they say that their children are safe. Students say that their behaviour is much better in this school than it was in their previous schools. They feel safe and have complete confidence in talking over anything that troubles them with their key workers. No racist or bullying incidents have been logged in recent years. Students’ understanding of cyber bullying and homophobic bullying is good. They say that, ‘It is out of order to have a go at anyone’ on social network sites. Occasionally, fights break out but they are dealt with swiftly. Students like the school’s restorative approach, which helps them to reconcile disputes. There has been a reduction in the number of incidents of unacceptable behaviour. Students are effectively supported through therapeutic programmes and become more able to manage their feelings of anger. The vast majority of students are polite and

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Students understand that involvement with a gang will lead them into crime. They know how to keep safe when using the internet and are aware of the health risks associated with the misuse of drugs. They understand the importance of handling tools safely and wearing a helmet when working on a building site. Attendance is low for some students, but much better than in their previous schools.

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Leadership and management

Self-evaluation is robust so that senior leaders and the governing body are clear about the strengths of the school and the areas in need of development. They have successfully made a number of improvements in recent years. Monitoring of teaching and the targeted use of subject leaders in providing professional development to teachers and teaching assistants has improved the quality of provision. This has enabled more teachers to increase their subject knowledge and significantly enhanced the contribution teaching assistants make to students’ learning and achievement. The Key Stage 4 vocational curriculum has improved and so more Year 11 students gain higher qualifications and secure a place on college courses. Recent action taken to improve attendance is beginning to have a positive impact. The governing body rigorously supports the senior leadership team in managing change which brings about improvements for the students. Throughout this period, the high

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Leadership and management

quality of care for students and their families through links with external health Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

professionals and the Youth Offending Team has been sustained. Inconsistencies in the teaching of English and mathematics remain because senior leaders have not ensured that all teachers use assessment data to set and regularly review students’ targets with the same consistency. Leaders have rightly identified the need to improve target-setting for students, although the plan to achieve this has not been implemented fully. The capacity for improvement is satisfactory.

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Leadership and management

Tackling all forms of discrimination lies at the heart of this school. Through the curriculum, prejudice based on religion, race and sexual preference is actively challenged. But, a little inconsistency in the use of assessment to raise students’ achievement remains and so equality of opportunity is satisfactory. The curriculum promotes students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Students experience moments of awe as they watch chicks hatch and lambs being born on visits to a farm and visits to places of worship such as a mandir and gurdwara increase their awareness of cultural diversity. Work-related learning develops students’ social skills well. The curriculum is broad, balanced and relevant. Particular strengths include health education, aspects of the themed curriculum that raise students’ awareness of cultural diversity and the vocational programme in Key Stage 4. The range of vocational options is extensive and successfully motivates most

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Leadership and management

students to learn and succeed. Parents and carers are supported well, but the school has not successfully engaged all of them in encouraging their children to attend more regularly. Management systems to ensure students are safe and secure are robust. Child protection procedures are excellent and risk assessments are exceptionally thorough and detailed.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Kingsmead School, Derby, DE1 3LB

Thank you for welcoming me and my colleagues to your school. The school is satisfactory and this means that another inspector may visit to see if improvements are made.

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Inspection of Kingsmead School, Derby, DE1 3LB

 By the end of Year 11, most of you achieve vocational qualifications which enable you to go to college and equip yourselves with valuable work-related skills. You make satisfactory progress in English and mathematics. Most of you now manage your feelings of anger well and are determined to keep out of trouble, work hard and become responsible young citizens.  Although attendance is improving, it remains too low for some of you. You feel safe and trust your key workers. Most of you are keen to behave well. You know how to keep yourselves safe in the work-place and understand that getting involved in a gang would get you into trouble.  Teaching is mostly satisfactory. Some teaching, particularly on your vocational programmes is good. We have asked your teachers to set you challenging and interesting activities, which support you in doing your very best in all lessons. We have particularly asked them to set each of you challenging targets in

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Inspection of Kingsmead School, Derby, DE1 3LB

English and mathematics, to raise your achievement in these subjects and prepare you even better than at present to cope with the challenge of being successful in the adult world.  Your headteacher, staff and governing body work successfully to make improvements for you. The quality of care and support they give you is very good. We have asked that they speed up actions to improve teaching in English and mathematics, to accelerate your progress in those subjects and improve your attendance.

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Inspection of Kingsmead School, Derby, DE1 3LB

Please help your school to improve by attending regularly, behaving sensibly and doing your very best work in all of your lessons.

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Inspection of Kingsmead School, Derby, DE1 3LB

Jeffery Plumb Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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