Kingsland CofE Academy

Inspection of Kingsland CofE Academy Werrington Road, Bucknall, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST2 9AS

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 1 and 2 February 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

The Christian ethos permeates the school. Pupils feel safe and cared for. They have warm and trusting relationships with adults in the school. Pupils hold the school chaplain in high regard. Pupils can share their concerns and worries with him. As one pupil said, ‘We know there is always someone there for us.’ Pupils say that bullying does sometimes happen but that adults deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well during lessons. Some pupils say that occasionally learning is disturbed but that teachers put a stop to it quickly. At certain times, if behaviour in the corridor is boisterous, it is managed well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils do well because leaders and staff expect them to attend regularly, work hard and do their best. Most pupils rise to these high expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and their families are at the heart of the school community. Leaders work hard to engage with parents. Parents appreciate the variety of courses run in the school’s lighthouse centre. Parents are positive about learning ways to support their children’s learning. However, some parents raised concerns about not knowing how well their child is doing in school due to a lack of communication.

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better?

Leaders have worked well to support the pupils through the pandemic. They recognise that pupils’ progress has been negatively affected due to extensive staff and pupil absence. Leaders have identified gaps in pupils’ learning. Leaders have carefully adapted the curriculum in response. Some of these changes are new and not yet consistent across the school. Leaders have not yet evaluated the impact of the changes they have made to subjects.

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better?

Reading is prioritised across the school. Children quickly learn to read because staff deliver the phonics programme well. Pupils develop their reading skills through the well-chosen books that match the letter sounds they are learning. Teachers introduce pupils to books that are challenging and engaging.

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better?

Pupils enjoy mathematics and their knowledge builds over time because the mathematics curriculum is well sequenced. Pupils remember and apply their mathematical skills because teachers frequently revisit previous learning. For example, pupils can solve increasingly difficult problems in number, geometry and algebra. Pupils know and understand a wide range of mathematical vocabulary. They use this terminology accurately.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well because of the effective curriculum and high-quality support they get in lessons. Most staff understand pupils’ needs well and use this information to identify and address pupils’ gaps in learning. However, in some classes planned interventions do not 1 and 2 February 2022

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target the key gaps in knowledge effectively enough to support all of the pupils to catch up quickly enough.

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Children get off to a good start in early years. For example, children learn new vocabulary and develop their speaking and listening skills because of well-planned activities and staff’s effective questioning. Gaps in children’s learning are dealt with well through experiences that are matched to children’s needs. In addition, children’s physical development and emotional and social skills are enhanced well through the school’s sensory area, barefoot walk and story chair. Children learn how to eat healthily by, for example, carrying out food tasting linked to Chinese New Year.

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Pupils have active roles in the wider community. They learn about people who inspire them in ‘courageous advocacy week’, they fundraise for local charities and sing carols in the local area. Pupils take pride in the leadership roles they have, such as sports leaders, worship monitors and junior leaders.

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Leaders have identified the characteristics they want pupils to develop and the issues of which they need to be aware. Consequently, most pupils are resilient, self- confident and know how to deal with difficult situations they may encounter in and out of school.

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Pupils’ attendance has improved because of the school’s effective work with pupils and their families. Most families now understand the importance of good attendance and support the school’s continuing drive to make sure pupils are in school and learning.

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Trustees and governors visit the school regularly. They provide an appropriate balance of support and challenge for leaders. The trust supports the school well. They ensure that leaders get the support they need. Leaders ensure that staff well- being and workload are carefully monitored. Workload is considered by leaders when making decisions about curriculum developments. Staff appreciate this.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Effective systems are in place to identify pupils who are at risk of harm. Staff are well trained in spotting the signs of neglect, radicalisation and exploitation. Staff ensure that pupils and families get the support they need.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make referrals to appropriate agencies when needed. They work closely with other local authorities to support those pupils who are looked after.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about the dangers they may face outside of school. For example, visitors to school teach pupils about the dangers of gang culture and keeping safe near the railway. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe when using the internet. 1 and 2 February 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have refined the curriculum to help pupils remember more of their learning. Some of these changes are new. Subject leaders need to evaluate the impact of the recent changes made to their subjects to ensure they are supporting pupils to remember the planned curriculum.  In some classes, teachers do not help pupils catch up with missed learning, address misunderstandings and misconceptions or to fill the gaps in their learning. This means that some pupils, including those with SEND, are not catching up on learning quickly enough. Leaders need to make sure that all staff use assessment effectively to modify the curriculum or to plan additional support to help pupils catch up quickly.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 1 and 2 February 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212178 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Kingsland CofE Academy school converted to become an academy school and jointed St Bart’s multi-academy trust in September 2017.  Kingsland CofE Academy is a Church of England school. It is part of the Diocese of Lichfield.  Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They restarted in September 2021. The next inspection will be within eight years of the last section 48 inspection.  The school does not make use of any alternative providers.  The school has a café and community centre located on site.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 1 and 2 February 2022

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 Inspectors held meetings with the principal, vice principal, early years leader and the special educational needs coordinator.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, computing and science. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead and checked safeguarding documents, including the checks made on staff. They also examined documentation relating to pupils’ attendance and behaviour.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the views of staff recorded in Ofsted’s online survey. Inspectors spoke with some parents before the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Eve Morris, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Susan Ray Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 February 2022

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regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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