Kingsford Community School

Kingsford Community School Kingsford Way, Beckton, London, E6 5JG

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Inspection dates 28 February−1 March 2013

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The school is a harmonious community in which everyone lives and breathes the school’s values of aspiration, achievement and excellence.  The leadership and management of the school, including that of the governors, are outstanding. There have been significant improvements since the last inspection because of the determined drive of the inspirational headteacher, other leaders and governors to make sure that students do well.  From low starting points, students make good and often very good progress so that they achieve well in their GCSEs, and exceptionally well in some subjects, including English.  Helped by an outstanding curriculum, enriched by many opportunities to attend extra clubs and classes, and by strong partnerships and international links, students develop confidence in themselves and their abilities and are well prepared for their adult lives.  Teachers make lessons interesting, challenging

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

and enjoyable. They are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their subjects.  Students enjoy coming to school. Their behaviour is outstanding, their attendance is good, they want to learn and they work hard in their lessons.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 A small but significant group of students do not make the progress that they should, especially in mathematics.  Teachers do not always make sure that students respond to marking or use questioning well enough to challenge students and develop their thinking.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 47 part lessons, six jointly with senior staff. They also listened to students read.  Inspectors observed behaviour around the school and in the playground and visited the breakfast club and early morning study sessions in the library. They visited lessons to look at the support for literacy and students’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, groups of staff, the Chair of the Governing Body, two other members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority. Discussions took place with groups of students, both formally and informally.  The inspection team scrutinised school documents, including the school’s own evaluation of how it is doing, the school development plan, local authority reviews, internal teaching and learning observations and statistical information about students’ achievement, attendance and exclusions.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors considered the 81 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) along with a summary of the results of a questionnaire distributed to parents by the school. They analysed 125 completed staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Ann Short, Lead inspector Additional inspector Ann Sydney Additional inspector Babrul Matin Additional inspector Heather Leatt Additional inspector Anna Ljumovic Additional inspector Clifford Walker Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is a larger-than-average secondary school.  A much higher-than-average proportion of the students are eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for students known to be eligible for free school meals, children in the care of the local authority and those from service families. There are five students from who are looked after.  Most students are from minority ethnic backgrounds: the main groups are African, Bangladeshi and Any Other White. A small minority are from White British backgrounds.  The proportions of disabled students and those with special educational needs who are supported at school action and those at school action plus with a statement of special educational need are much higher than average. The largest proportion of these students have behavioural, emotional or social difficulties, moderate learning difficulties or communication difficulties.

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Information about this school

 Well over half of the students speak English as an additional language. Many of these are fluent English speakers, with a small proportion in the early stages of learning to speak English.  A very small number of students in Years 10 and 11 attend construction courses at the Building Crafts College for part of the week.  The school is a Leading Edge partner school and a specialist language college, and has Confucius Classroom status. It has recently won an award as the best Confucius Classroom in the world.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum level expected for students’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make teaching outstanding in every lesson by ensuring that teachers:  plan work which fully challenges all students, including those who learn more quickly  check carefully that every student responds actively to marking  use questioning to help students to think deeply and explain their thinking.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate students’ progress even further, particularly in mathematics, by continuing to focus closely on the achievement of any underperforming groups.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The majority of the students join the school with below-average attainment. They then make good and often very good progress throughout the school. They make exceptional progress in some subjects, including English.  The proportion of students gaining five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and mathematics has improved significantly since the last inspection and has been above the national average for the last two years. Preliminary data indicate that these results will rise further in 2013 as a result of the rigorous approach of the school to raising achievement.  Students supported by the pupil premium also make good progress. Students’ average point scores reveal that there was a gap between the achievement of those eligible for the funding and those who were not in 2012, in both English and mathematics, but this gap is now closing rapidly. The funding is wisely spent on raising standards of literacy and numeracy as well as

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The achievement of pupils is good

creating opportunities which raise the aspirations of these students.  A small minority of White British students, despite determined efforts by the school, are not making the progress they could, especially in mathematics.  Disabled students and those with special educational needs make good progress overall. Although some make slower rates of progress than their classmates, they compare well with similar groups of students nationally. They are well supported through the curriculum, good classroom teaching and skilled extra help from teachers and other adults.  Students who speak English as an additional language also make good progress, although some of these students who speak English fluently do not achieve quite as highly as they might in their written work. This is mainly due to the time lag between appearing to speak fluently and writing well that is common among learners of an additional language.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Some students are entered early for GCSEs in mathematics and some aspects of English. This is used to support good achievement and any student who does not reach the expected grade is given another opportunity to take the examination.  The small number of students attending courses off site are kept safe, attend regularly, behave well and achieve well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved significantly since the last inspection because teachers have been well supported to evaluate and develop their skills. Teaching is good or outstanding in the vast majority of lessons.  Students are motivated by enthusiastic teachers who have strong subject knowledge and use a variety of teaching methods and resources to help the students to learn and achieve well.  Teachers mostly use assessment information very well to plan lessons which meet the needs of all the students in the class. They know how well each student is doing and provide additional challenge when they think students could do better. In a few lessons, teachers’ planning is not closely enough matched to the students, some of whom are insufficiently challenged.  Students learn well together in groups and pairs and develop their skills in speaking and listening. Students who speak English as an additional language are well supported in this way.

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The quality of teaching is good

In an English lesson, students successfully took the part of the teacher, making groups of their peers think carefully about what they had learned and explain this to others in the class, so that all made exceptional progress.  Because students feel safe in a supportive learning environment, they are not afraid to make mistakes. This helps them to make good progress in many lessons. They speak aloud in different languages, contribute to class discussions and assess each other in a range of subjects. One student explained how her work in dance helped her to ‘let the inside out’ and become more confident.  Teachers’ questioning in most lessons checks understanding and develops thinking well. In a religious education lesson, for example, challenging questions forced students to rethink and articulate their views of evil and suffering. In a few lessons, teachers do not use questioning enough to develop thinking in this way and to make sure that all understand.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking and assessment have improved since the last inspection. Marking is regular, giving students clear guidance about what they are doing well and what they need to do to improve, although students are sometimes not given enough chance to respond. Students know what their targets are and what they need to do to achieve them.  Homework is purposeful and regularly set and marked. Good use is made of a number of learning packages available through the internet. This contributes to the independent learning which is giving students the skills to achieve highly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Students enjoy school and have very positive attitudes to learning. They are enthusiastic in lessons and work well with their classmates, showing respect to each other and to adults. Attendance is above the national average and students arrive at school and at lessons on time. Many students take advantage of the opportunities to study in school before and after the official school day, and on Saturdays and in the holidays.  No time in lessons is wasted in managing behaviour. Teachers plan lessons to ensure that students who have difficulty in managing their own behaviour can engage in learning, and these students are given additional support to motivate them. There are very few exclusions from school.  Because of the large number of students, the corridors are sometimes crowded, but movement around the building is very well managed so that it is orderly and purposeful. Students mix well together when they are not in lessons and enjoy the company of friends from many different

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

backgrounds. They are polite and helpful to visitors.  Students all said that they feel safe in school. As one student said, ‘Everywhere is safe as there are always teachers around.’ They talked to inspectors about calm and peaceful places where they are able to go, like the library and the breakfast club, to meet and to talk about their work. There is very little bullying. One student reported, ‘We treat each other well.’ Any bullying that is reported is dealt with quickly. Students have a very good understanding of how to keep themselves safe, for example, when using the internet.  All staff, students and nearly all parents agreed that behaviour is good in the school, that it is well managed and that any cases of bullying are dealt with effectively.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher’s ambition to improve the life chances of the students by raising teachers’ expectations and students’ aspirations and self-confidence is inspirational and shared by the whole school community. Her determination that all must be able to succeed has resulted in rapid improvements since the last inspection. Staff and parents all agree that the school is very well led.  Leaders and managers at all levels are energetically driving forward improvements to teaching with a collaborative approach which balances the sharing of ideas and good practice with rigorous monitoring. Teachers’ professional development is closely matched to the classroom needs of individuals and their progression up the salary scale is linked to their success in improving their teaching and raising students’ achievement.  Highly effective systems for checking the quality of teaching and the progress of students are

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The leadership and management are outstanding

making make sure that action is taken quickly if students are falling behind.  The local authority has provided good support which has contributed to improvements in teaching and learning.  The outstanding curriculum meets the needs of all students and promotes high levels of achievement and enjoyment. It is reviewed on a regular basis. There is a strong focus on literacy and numeracy so that students are well prepared to go on to the next stage in their education. The older students are given clear guidance about how their choices will help them in their futures.  The school offers an exciting choice of additional activities, for example, debating, contributing to radio programmes, and engaging in sporting and musical activities. Students’ social, moral, cultural and spiritual development is at the heart of everything the school does and is furthered by the vision and ethos shared in assemblies and on prominent wall displays.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school uses the benefits of being a language college to teach Mandarin and to encourage students to benefit from opportunities to take part in work experience in China, France and Spain.  There are a number of innovative partnerships with other schools and institutions which further increase opportunities for the students. For example, links with independent schools have helped some students in their university applications.  Leaders are very accurate in their evaluation of the school. The school improvement plan has a clear focus on what will make a difference to the achievement of students. The school is aware that some small groups of students do not do as well as others and has adopted strategies to tackle this.  The school works very well with parents to involve them in the learning of their children and in innovative activities to create the sense of a community which is working together.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school has excellent procedures for safeguarding the welfare of students.  The governance of the school:  The governing body plays an active part in promoting the further success of the school. Governors know the school well and are very well informed about all aspects of its performance, including the quality of teaching, so that they can provide highly effective support and challenge. They believe that all students should aspire to excellence and they monitor the impact of the pupil premium in closing gaps in achievement. They oversee the tight links between appraisal targets for all staff and the salary structure as well as managing rigorously the performance management of the headteacher. Training sessions are held for all governors to improve the effectiveness of the governing body as a whole and governors also attend training in particular areas of responsibility. They have a secure overview of the

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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 132058 Local authority Newham Inspection number 406465

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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 Secondary School category Community Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1,450 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Dr William Bolton Headteacher Joan Deslandes Date of previous school inspection 30−31 March 2011 Telephone number 020 7467 4700 Fax number 020 7473 9696 Email address admin@kingsford.newham.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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