Kings Bournemouth

Kings Bournemouth 58 Braidley Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH2 6LD

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Sixth form provision Requires improvement Overall experiences and progress of children and young people in the boarding provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The sixth form requires improvement. Outcomes for those who are learning English solely as a foreign language (EFL) are not good.  Pupils’ and students’ personal, spiritual, moral and social development requires improvement, particularly in the EFL department. Some students do not understand enough about life in modern Britain.  Not all students are taught directly about the ‘Prevent’ duty and e-safety.  Record-keeping, the speed of involvement of other agencies, information to host families and restrictions in the boarding provision require improvement. Therefore, boarding and its leadership require improvement.  Some students, predominantly adults, do not attend regularly. The school has the following strengths

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school meets the independent school standards. Governors and leaders are enabling teaching and pupils’ outcomes to improve.  Pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare are good. Members of the school community are positive about their experiences and mutually supportive of one another’s work.  The leadership enables pupils and students to make good progress in their academic subjects.  Students who sit advanced-level examinations are successful in gaining places on courses, and at universities, of their choice.  Pupils and students feel safe and protected. They know how to make complaints, and feel confident in doing so. Staff follow up on matters raised.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

Compliance with regulatory requirements and national minimum standards for boarding schools

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent schools standards’), the national minimum standards for boarding schools and associated requirements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, particularly in the sixth form, by ensuring that: – the level of challenge enables students to reach their potential – pupils and students understand more about life in modern Britain – the curriculum provides more effective promotion of pupils’ and students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development – the personal, social and health education programme is enhanced as planned – all students are taught directly about the dangers related to e-safety, radicalisation and extremism – attendance and punctuality to school, and to lessons, continue to improve.  Ensure that record-keeping systems: – enable the school to demonstrate the prompt involvement of other agencies when needed – provide effective oversight of students who manage their own medication and care planning – identify clearly how each young person will be supported.  Improve the quality of information provided to host families prior to the student’s arrival.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the security system used in the boarding house does not exceed that reasonably expected in a family home.

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Requires improvement

 The boarding house provision is a relatively new aspect of the school’s residential provision. The national minimum standards for boarding schools are met. However, the leadership of the boarding provision requires improvement. Record-keeping, swift involvement of other agencies and the provision of information to host families require improvement. In addition, some of the physical restrictions related to the building unnecessarily exceed the expectations of the national minimum standards for boarding.  The leadership of the sixth form requires improvement. The improvements needed are mainly to ensure that those not on academic courses gain a good understanding of life in modern Britain. Also, the extent to which students’ and pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is promoted is too dependent on the individual tutor and on the course they are following.  There is a school council that is representative of the pupils and students attending the

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Requires improvement

school. As the council is still in its infancy, meetings have not yet been regularly established and the feedback from a recent survey has yet to be provided to the council by the school’s leaders.  Pupils and students have the opportunity to rate and comment on the courses they complete. Pupils and students reported to inspectors that they would like better communication from the school, especially about the surveys they answer. Nonetheless, course directors are now using the analysis of these surveys and the standards reached by participants to better identify teaching, learning and assessment strengths and where areas for development are needed. Changes are then made to improve the outcomes for participants.  Those students who are in the academic department have a much more rounded education and experience than those in the EFL department. The proprietor, leaders and those responsible for governance are determined that both departments will be equally

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Requires improvement

good and they are aspirational for the further development of the school to be the very best.  The principal and other school leaders are aware that schemes of work need to better promote students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. They have also targeted as development priorities more opportunities for critical thinking and creating greater links with the local environment. Schemes of work are currently being developed to enhance these areas.  The tracking of pupils’ and students’ progress has improved. The school leaders and managers have been working hard to monitor how much progress pupils and students have made. They have invented the ‘Kings Scale’ in order to help calibrate the sometimes small steps that participants make, for example when attending very short courses.  The leadership of the academic programmes throughout the school is a significant strength of the school. Good communication between staff and careful tracking of pupils’

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Requires improvement

and students’ achievements ensures that most participants on academic courses make good progress. There is effective external moderation with other schools to ensure consistency and to share best practice.

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Governance

 The proprietor set up an operations team just over a year ago. This team supports and challenges the school leaders for each of the ‘Kings’ schools nationwide. At Kings Bournemouth, they have been instrumental, along with the principal, in expanding the courses available and boarding provision provided. For example, links with Bournemouth University will, from January 2017, provide a range of courses that will further support the applications of those students interested in reading for a sports science degree. This follows the successful introduction of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme in September 2016.  The operations team and the proprietor are in frequent contact with the school and pay regular visits. As a result, they have a good knowledge of the school’s work and are able to help drive school improvement. The way that teachers’ performance is managed and measured is improving teaching and providing staff with regular evaluations of their work.

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Governance

This information is then used to celebrate success, share best practice and links to further training and staff development. During the inspection, they quickly addressed a number of issues identified that required swift action, finding suitable short- and long-term resolutions.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school meets all of the independent school standards. At the time of the inspection the school had a suitable safeguarding policy published on the school website. The contents of the policy were known and understood by staff.  Staff have received appropriate training, and they are aware of how to deal with any safeguarding concerns. In particular, staff are keenly aware of the risks of radicalisation and extremism and vigilant in ensuring that pupils and students are protected from such risks. However, they have not done enough to enable pupils and students to identify and articulate such risks for themselves.  The school uses other services and agencies to support its work to safeguard pupils and students. For example, pupils have lectures from police about how to keep safe when using online services.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The teaching, learning and assessment of academic courses are strengths of the school. Tests taken by pupils before and after they join the school, along with other information, ensure that teachers have a good grasp of each pupil’s knowledge and understanding.  Strong relationships of trust and care help teachers to support pupils to reach their academic potential, including the most able. As a result, academic results are steadily improving year on year.  Teachers have strong subject knowledge and accurately assess pupils’ work. Adults provide good-quality guidance on how work can and should be improved. As a result, most pupils understand their current standards and know what they need to do to achieve their target grades, which are generally the highest.  Teachers in the three Kings schools check each other’s work nationally to ensure consistency in the marking of the internally created courses. Through in-depth discussions

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

about pupils’ responses and close following of the marking schemes, standardisation is maintained across all three schools.  Some enrichment activities are less well developed than others. Where pupils’ understanding of English is strong, good discussions about employability and personal skills result in the construction of good-quality personal education and employment profiles. Where pupils’ level of English is less well developed, this aspect of their development is weaker.  Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can and should achieve are generally high, but this is not always consistent across the school. Occasionally, some pupils do not listen closely enough or are not encouraged by staff to act upon the guidance provided by teachers. As a result, they do not learn from their mistakes or improve their work as effectively as other pupils whose teachers demand more from them.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils gain self-confidence and they develop a good understanding of how to learn efficiently and effectively.  Attractive external play and recreational areas, and good quality food, enable pupils to develop healthy bodies and minds.  Pupils take time to help and support each other with their work. For example, when using practical apparatus in science lessons they work together collaboratively. Pupils, along with staff, pay good attention to health and safety guidelines using COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations and take good note of the risk assessments provided by the school leaders.  The school provides good quality impartial careers advice. Interview practices are organised with experienced external experts. These enable pupils to understand and prepare well for what is expected of them during an interview for an English university.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils are protected by staff from potential radicalisation and extremism. However, pupils themselves are less well informed about such risks than they should be.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. The school is successful in meeting its aim of creating a tolerant and courteous community. Pupils and students come from a wide range of backgrounds and countries. They willingly share an interest in each other’s cultures, accepting different beliefs and behaviours.  In this harmonious community, unkindness of any kind is rare. Pupils are aware of the different types of bullying and know to whom to turn if they were being bullied or treated unfairly.  There are numerous posters and leaflets around the school covering e-safety. Although it is expected that students, including those who are adults, will cover e-safety through tutorials, some students reported that this was not always the case. Nevertheless, pupils and students reported that they felt safe and well cared for.  Some students, mainly adults, do not attend school as often as they should. The school has improved the ways that attendance and punctuality are monitored, resulting in

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Behaviour

reduced absences from school or lateness to lessons.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 All GCSE work in the subjects offered by the school builds on the skills taught in earlier lower-level courses, with the result that pupils make good progress, including the most able, in all academic subjects. The standards that pupils reach are in line with the accurate predictions made by staff. All work is well presented, representing the pride that pupils take in their work.  Work in pupils’ books shows that in GCSE English pupils practise extended writing, which develops their individual skills, for example in paragraph construction and the accurate use of verbs in sentences.  On the accelerated GCSE courses, which cover English, and information and communication technology (ICT), the course content is covered quickly. The regular end- of-unit tests show that pupils make rapid progress in a short space of time.  Pupils’ artwork demonstrates a wide range of different types of art forms and analysis of

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Outcomes for pupils Good

them. Sketch books reveal good progress over time for most pupils, for example in developing skills in perspective drawing and painting.  Pupils review their own work, make corrections where needed and most learn from their mistakes. Their confidence in using English across all subjects steadily grows as their command of English improves.  Fluency in the use of English is the main barrier to progress in subjects across the curriculum. The lack of understanding of vocabulary in context means that sometimes pupils find some learning difficult. Where this occurs, pupils are occasionally distracted from the task at hand.  Pupils readily read for academic purposes, but few reported that they read for pleasure.

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Sixth form provision Requires improvement

 Many new initiatives have recently been introduced and have not had sufficient time to be embedded fully. Attendance has rightly been a focus, and, although improving, some students’ punctuality still needs to be better. New methods of measuring and assessing students’ progress have also been introduced. Again, these are at the early stages of development and implementation. The school leaders are aware that all students should have a greater understanding of life in modern Britain and alterations to the curriculum provided are already in hand.  The principal and other leaders are acutely aware that some students do not attend school as often as they should. Clear systems are in place to ensure that students attend school, and that any absence will be followed up. To help improve punctuality the school has introduced a ‘punctuality patrol’, which enables leaders to spot where staff are not reinforcing, or students are not following, the school’s rules.

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Sixth form provision Requires improvement

 Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education provision for students tends to focus mainly on careers advice and university applications, to the exclusion of personal, social and cultural provision. Students do not discuss and explore aspects of extremism or to develop fully their understanding of fundamental British values.  Students say they feel safe and are kept safe. They value the support provided by the school’s welfare officer and other members of staff.  Although all students can have access to external and impartial careers advice, the entitlement is not as obvious to students in the EFL department as it is to those in academic department, who have it timetabled as part of their course.  Students following academic courses make good progress from their various starting points, including the most able. In practical lessons, such as in science, students are able to work independently of adults and can justify why they are using a particular approach

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Sixth form provision Requires improvement

or piece of apparatus. They are hard-working and determined students, who want to succeed in their courses at the highest level and go on to universities. The school is successful in helping them reach their aims.  Opportunities are provided for those who wish to undertake work experience. Those intending a career in medicine report that this and practice interviews support their applications to the university of their choice and help to raise their levels of self- confidence.  Very high standards are reached in a range of subjects, including chemistry, physics, mathematics and art. In art, students successfully experiment with lots of different resources and styles. Students are highly motivated and their written reflections and reviews show that they develop finely honed analytical skills. They do, however, struggle sometimes with the 3,000-word essay at A2 level.

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Requires improvement

 Systems to monitor the quality of boarding are not embedded well. They do not assess the impact effectively enough to improve the quality of the service, particularly in relation to health and welfare and staff supervision.  In the past, safeguarding concerns were not always reported to external agencies as quickly as they could be. The filing systems for safeguarding investigations lacked a comprehensive chronology of all contacts made during each case. Policy documents have been revised to ensure that this error is not repeated.  Students receive support to help them to develop confidence and to develop skills for adulthood. Students have good opportunities to learn about English traditions and other cultures from around the world.  Boarding staff form good relations with students. Students’ views are sought formally through the use of questionnaires and house meetings. There is a culture of listening to

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Requires improvement

students that is integral to the day-to-day operation of boarding.  The quality of accommodation is very good. The boarding house is well resourced, modern and clean.

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Quality of care and support in the boarding provision Requires improvement

 The approach to identifying and helping students who may require additional support lacks focus. Some students would benefit from the implementation of clearer care plans, to direct the team in how to provide care in a more coordinated way.  The quality of information provided to host families prior to a student’s arrival is, in some cases, very limited. Further attention to this would assist host families to be better prepared to support students’ needs and interests.  Boarding accommodation is of a very good standard, modern, warm and clean. However, the imposition of restrictions, such as locking down at night and the use of security cameras, detracts from what would otherwise be a comfortable place to stay.  All members of the school work cooperatively to ensure that students receive support. Close links are established with host families, boarding staff and guardians. These ensure good channels of communication and a shared approach.

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Quality of care and support in the boarding provision Requires improvement

 Students are treated with kindness and respect. Relationships between staff and students are positive and good-humoured. Students feel safe.  Students are provided with high-quality, nourishing meals, which they enjoy. The kitchen is the hub of the home. The cook is a real asset and caters for individual needs. Through her consultation with students, she creates a range of dishes from around the world.

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School details

Social care unique reference number 1233894 DfE registration number 837/6009

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, 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. The inspection of boarding provision was carried out under the Children Act 1989, as amended by the Care Standards Act 2000, having regard to the national minimum standards for boarding schools.

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School details

School category Independent boarding school

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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School details

Of which, number on roll in sixth form 199

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School details

Annual fees (boarders) Academic £7,616–£22,848 EFL £339–£4,048

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School details

Email address dermot.tobin@kingscolleges.com

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Kings Bournemouth is part of a group of schools that offers international students English language tuition and preparation for university entrance in Great Britain and the United States of America. It is owned and operated by Prime Education and Training.  Founded in 1957 as an international language college, it continues to offer English language tuition to students with varying levels of ability. In 2012, it was registered as an independent school to take up to 300 students aged between 14 and 25 years. A range of home-stay, boarding and residential provision is provided by the school.  The number of students on roll, their age range, level of academic ability, and use of English as additional language, varies throughout the year because the number, type and length of courses on offer differs throughout the year. During the inspection there were 206 male and female international students on roll, aged between 15 and 37. A small

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Information about this school

number of pupils who are under the age of 16 were in the school’s academic department. Most of those who are over the age of 16 are in the school’s other department and are learning English as a foreign language. Most students are over 19 years of age. All those attending the school are from a wide range of countries around the world.  There are no pupils or students with registered disabilities or special educational needs. None has a statement of special educational needs, or an education, health and care plan. There are no disadvantaged pupils or students.  The school uses three main buildings. Two are across the road from each other in a residential area of Bournemouth with private gardens. The third is in the centre of Bournemouth and is housed above one of the residential provisions. The school uses other local amenities, including a local church hall and public sports facilities. The school

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Information about this school

does not make use of alternative off-site providers.  The school states that its mission is ‘to provide a general and linguistic education for young people from all over the world intent on studying in an Anglophone environment’ so that they can ‘make ambitious, well-informed and broad-minded choices about the way they lead their future lives’.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first integrated inspection of the boarding and education provisions. This was the first inspection of the boarding provision for those up to 18 years of age. This was the second full education inspection. The first was conducted on 22–24 May 2013, when the school was judged to be good.  Inspectors observed lessons in the four buildings used by the school, including joint observations with the directors from both departments. The inspectors checked the school’s compliance with the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent schools standards’), the national minimum standards for boarding schools and associated requirements.  The team looked at pupils’ and students’ work, talked with them about their studies and life in England, and reviewed records of their progress. An inspector met with the school council. Inspectors considered the school survey responses provided by course

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Information about this inspection

participants after the completion of the various courses held throughout the year. The Ofsted survey responses from 49 staff were taken into account. There were no responses from parents, carers or students to the online Ofsted questionnaire Parent View.  The inspectors held discussions with a range of school staff, including the principal, subject leaders, course leaders and directors, and members of the administrative, support and operational teams. In addition, they met with those responsible for welfare, boarding, boarding staff, and a sample of representatives from home-stay families.

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Inspection team

Steffi Penny, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sharron Escott Social Care Regulatory Inspector

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Inspection team

Michelle Oxley Social Care Regulatory Inspection Manager

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Inspection team

Tracey Zimmerman Her Majesty’s Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

Parent View 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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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