Kingsdale Foundation School

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection:

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Good 2

Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is a good school

 The headteacher and other leaders, including governors, have high expectations of how well students should achieve and develop personal skills. They have had to manage some exceptionally challenging issues over the past 18 months and have a clear plan for continuing improvement.  All groups of students, including those with additional needs and those supported by the pupil premium, make good progress in their learning and achieve well.  The quality of teaching is good. Teachers are enthusiastic, have good subject knowledge and plan interesting lessons. There are very good relationships between staff and students.  Students are very proud of their school and behaviour in and out of lessons is excellent. Students are very considerate and respectful to one another and state that they feel very safe in school.  The sixth form is good. Students achieve well due to good teaching.  Senior staff and members of the governing

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This is a good school

body undertake regular checks on all aspects of school life. As a result, they have a clear picture of the quality of teaching and students’ achievement. They take effective action to address areas of concern.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching does not always ensure students develop their skills to work things out for themselves or provide the highest level of challenge for all students, particularly the more able.  Written feedback to students does not consistently provide them with clear and detailed information about how they could improve their work.  Students’ reading, writing and communication skills are not developed consistently well in all subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 42 lessons, taught by 42 teachers, of which 18 were observed jointly with a member of the school’s leadership team. One school assembly, in Year 8, was also observed.  Meetings were held with students, the Chair of the Governing Body and three other governors, school staff, including the headteacher, senior and middle leaders. A meeting was held with an independent external adviser to the school.  Inspectors took account of the 122 responses to the on-line questionanire for parents and carers (Parent View). They also held a meeting with a small group of parents. The school chose not to make use of Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.  Inspectors observed the school’s work, including students’ books, and looked at a range of documents, including the school’s evaluation of how well it is doing, its plan for improvement, records related to the behaviour and safety of students, attendance and assessment information

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Inspection team

Peter Sanderson, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Anne Duffy Her Majesty’s Inspector Kevin Jane Her Majesty’s Inspector Robert Pyner Her Majesty’s Inspector Kekshan Salaria Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 Kingsdale Foundation School is larger than the average-sized secondary school.  The school opened a sixth form in September 2010.  The school became an academy converter in November 2010. When its predecessor school, also called Kingsdale Foundation School, was last inspected in March 2010, it was judged to be an outstanding school.  The school received a section 8 monitoring inspection in February 2012.  Around one in three students is of Black and Black British heritage and around one in three is of White British heritage. Other students are from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of students who have a first language that is not English is well above the national average.  A higher proportion of students than seen nationally joins the school at times other than the start of Year 7.  The proportion of students who are known to be eligible for additional government funding,

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Information about this school

known as the pupil premium, is above the national average.  The proportion of disabled students or those with special educational needs that are supported through school action or school action plus is similar to the national average. The proportion of students with statements of special educational needs is also similar to that found nationally.  There are partnerships with three alternative education providers.  The school has specialist status in mathematics and the performing arts.  The school met the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress in 2011.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the overall quality of teaching from good to outstanding in order to raise students’ achievement in Years 7 to 11 and the sixth form further by ensuring that: – all teachers make highly effective use of available information on students’ attainment and progress to plan and deliver lesson activities that are sufficiently demanding for all students, particularly the more able – students are regularly provided with activities which involve them actively in learning and allow them to work independently – students are always given clear and detailed written feedback, so that they know what they need to do to improve – opportunities for students to practise and develop their reading, writing and communication skills are securely in place in all subjects .

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The percentage of students attaining five or more GCSE A* to C grades including English and mathematics was slightly above the national average in 2010 and 2011. Given the students’ well- below-average attainment on entry to the school, this indicates that they made good progress between Years 7 and 11. The progress made by students in English and mathematics was at least good.  The school leadership team had to deal with some exceptionally challenging issues in the last academic year. In tackling these issues robustly, bold decisions were made to switch the courses being followed by some Year 11 students. In addition, circumstances led to a significant reduction in the amount of additional support and revision sessions that had, in the past, taken place beyond the school day. This change, plus staff absence in some key subjects, such as science, led to a significant dip in Year 11 students’ attainment and achievement in 2012. This

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The achievement of pupils is good

was particularly the case for boys.  During this inspection, all groups of students were making good progress in the large majority of lessons and outstanding progress in some lessons. Changes to the courses available made last year are now fully in place and beginning to have a positive impact on students’ progress. Issues that led to a reduction in the range of support and revision sessions have also been resolved. As a result, the progress made by all students, including boys, has now returned to the good levels seen in the past and attainment is rising rapidly across the school, particularly in English, mathematics and science.  The school’s policy of entering students for GCSE mathematics in Year 10 and then also providing an opportunity for them to retake the examination in Year 11 is having a positive impact on their achievement.  External partnerships provide a very small proportion of Key Stage 4 students with work-related

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The achievement of pupils is good

courses that are matched to their learning needs well. Students achieve well on these courses.  Extra funding received for the students who are eligible for the pupil premium is spent effectively on a range of in-class support and out-of-classroom help for students to catch up. These students make better rates of progress than other students in the school. However, their overall level of attainment at the end of Year 11, which the government measures by average point scores, remains below that of other students in the school.  Teachers are careful to ensure that disabled students and those with special educational needs, as well as those whose first language is not English, are fully involved and enjoy learning. Staff know these students well and adapt what they study to maximise their learning. As a result, these groups of students make good progress.  School leaders ensure that the progress of students from different heritages is tracked carefully,

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The achievement of pupils is good

and ensure they all make equally good progress.  Students achieve well in the sixth form, although there is some variability in subject and course outcomes. Good-quality advice and guidance mean that students stay the course and move on to higher education, further training or employment. Students are typically taught well and this makes a strong contribution to their success in meeting their personal aspirations.  The proportion of students leaving school and entering employment, education or training is well above the national average.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is typically good in the school, although it is not yet consistently strong enough to be outstanding.  In the lessons with good or outstanding teaching, students respond particularly well to enthusiastic teachers who have a good understanding of the subject and lessons proceed at a good pace. In these lessons, teachers match work accurately to the ability levels of all students.  In the better lessons, teachers ask searching questions that probe students’ understanding and encourage them to check their own and each other’s work. In an outstanding art lesson, the teacher encouraged students to evaluate their own work and that of their classmates and ensured they knew how to do this very well, so as to achieve higher grades.  A strong feature of the best lessons is the quality of relationships, which helps to give students the confidence to express ideas, justify their answers and extend their understanding of complex

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The quality of teaching is good

issues. These features were illustrated well in a geography lesson which explored the impact of industrialisation on developing countries. In religious education lessons, students expressed their views about euthanasia and abortion with maturity. These examples illustrate also how the best lessons make a strong contribution to the spiritual, social, moral and cultural development of the students.  Teachers are provided with helpful information regarding the learning needs of those students with disabilities, those who have special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language. The small-class-size policy ensures that students receive good individual support from teachers and additional adults, helping all students to make good progress in their learning.  In lessons where teaching requires improvement, teachers do not always set work that is hard enough, or builds on students’ previous learning, especially that of more-able students.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In a few lessons, teachers spend too long explaining things, rather than allowing students enough time to learn by finding things out for themselves.  Students know their targets and how well they are doing. Most teachers mark work regularly and provide clear and detailed advice to students about how to improve. However, this good practice is not consistent across the school.  The development of students’ reading, writing and communication skills was a key feature in the majority of lessons observed. However, this was not always the case in all lessons and across all subjects. Increasing the opportunity for students to practise and develop these skills is, rightly, an identified priority in the school’s plan for improvement.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Students behave exceptionally well in lessons and around the school site. They respond to the very high expectations for behaviour and show respect and courtesy to one another and staff.  Students are very proud of their school and happy to share their achievements in subjects and learning activities outside those timetabled. They say that they know that every adult at the school wants to help them achieve their best. As one student said, ‘You do not need to have a statement to get extra support in lessons. The teachers and teaching assistants work together to help everyone.’  Students say that they feel very safe and secure in school and parents and carers responding to Parent View strongly agree. Students are cared for extremely well.  The school is justifiably proud of its track record of success in its individual support for students with additional learning needs of varying kinds. Students receive high-quality provision through

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

the learning support faculty, the conflict resolution centre, and in-school support through ‘the annexe’. This means that students with particular needs receive individual learning and personal support programmes. As a result, there have been no permanent or fixed-term exclusions for the last three years.  Students spoken to say they know what constitutes bullying and the different kinds that may occur, such as homophobic and cyber bullying. They are clear that the school deals effectively with any bullying incidents. They undertake programmes of work on cyber bullying in information and communication technology lessons, particularly in Year 7.  There are very effective systems for ensuring students’ regular attendance and, as a result, it is well-above average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has high expectations of what staff and students alike can achieve and sets a clear direction for the school’s further improvement. He is supported well by his committed team of leaders and managers. Together they have secured a common sense of purpose among staff.  The monitoring inspection of the school in February 2012 identified that some staff had concerns regarding aspects of the school’s leadership and management. However, during this inspection, staff were positive about the support and direction provided to them by senior leaders.  Responses to the on-line questionnaire, Parent View, indicate that, despite the significant challenges the school has faced over the past 18 months, the leaders of the school still command the confidence and support of the very large majority of parents and carers.  The school has revised its approach to checking the quality of teaching and learning to ensure

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The leadership and management are good

that they are, at least, consistently good throughout the school and aim for the highest quality. Ambition and expectations of high quality are clear, although the impact is not yet resulting in the consistency and quality required to make teaching outstanding.  The management of staff performance and the link to salary progression are rigorous and robust. For example, no member of staff has received a performance related incremental pay increase this year because whole-school targets were not met.  Systems for checking and evaluating the school’s whole performance are robust and school leaders have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas in need of improvement. A good plan is in place to drive improvement.  The range of subjects and topics taught is imaginative, well constructed and contributes well to students’ good achievement and their outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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The leadership and management are good

development. Numerous opportunities for students to reflect on their work, relationships and behaviour are woven seamlessly into their learning. A wide range of departments provides a large variety of very popular learning opportunities beyond those in lessons.  There is a good range of courses available to students in Key Stage 4 and in the sixth form. Courses offered are reviewed regularly and developed in response to the ability and needs of the changing student intake.  The strong commitment to equality of opportunity by school leaders ensures that no group is overlooked and the school ensures that all make similar progress in their learning. Discrimination in any form is not tolerated and this is evident in the courtesy and respect that both staff and students demonstrate for each other.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is well informed and has a good grasp of available performance

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The leadership and management are good

information about students’ progress and achievement. Governors ensure that they keep their skills and knowledge up to date through appropriate training. They ask challenging questions of the headteacher and senior staff and rigorously hold the school to account for teaching quality and students’ achievement. Governors keep a clear overview of the school’s salary structures and how managers set targets for teachers. A finance sub-committee meets regularly and resources are used efficiently to promote learning through, for example, maintaining small class sizes. Governors authorise how pupil premium funding is used to aid eligible students’ learning and confirm the benefits from the good progress made by these students. The governing body ensures that the school fulfils its statutory responsibilities in relation to safeguarding.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 136309 Local authority N/A Inspection number 409403

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Academy converter School category Non-maintained Age range of pupils 11–19 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1438 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 151 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Norma Gibbes Headteacher Steve Morrison Date of previous school inspection N/A Telephone number 020 8670 7575 Fax number 020 8766 7051 Email address info@kingsdale.southwark.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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. 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

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School details

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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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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