King's House Moorlands

Inspection of King’s House Moorlands King’s House, High Street Leagrave, Luton LU4 9JY

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this friendly school. They behave exceptionally well and have high expectations of how they and others should behave. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning. They participate enthusiastically in lessons and strive to do their best. Bullying is extremely rare. Any minor disagreements are resolved quickly. Pupils trust staff to sort out any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They are well cared for by staff. Pupils show small acts of kindness to others without prompting.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers encourage pupils to aim high and pupils respond well to this. Pupils work hard and improve the quality of their work. They achieve well in a range of subjects and are well prepared for the next stage of their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respect and celebrate their differences. They enjoy learning about different cultures. Pupils appreciate the range of trips and visiting speakers that help them learn about life in British society and future employment opportunities. Pupils participate in a range of clubs and activities that enable them to pursue their interests. They would like a wider range of sports clubs to be available. Pupils aspire to take on responsibilities such as prefects, house captains, school councillors and monitors.

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better?

Leaders have established a culture of high aspirations. Pupils want to achieve their best academically. Teachers help pupils to aim for higher standards and grow in confidence. Leaders have designed a curriculum that gives pupils a foundation for future learning across a broad range of subjects and prepares them well for life outside of school.

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better?

Leaders have organised the curriculum well. In most subjects, the important knowledge that pupils will learn is clearly identified for each year and leaders’ planning shows how pupils gain an understanding of more-complex ideas over time. Leaders know the few subjects where this is not the case and where pupils find it harder to remember and use important subject knowledge.

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better?

Staff have secure knowledge of the subjects that they teach. Teachers explain things well and check on pupils’ understanding effectively. They routinely teach important subject knowledge in an order that helps pupils remember it. This builds on what pupils know and can do from lesson to lesson. Occasionally, teachers plan activities that do not build upon or use what pupils know and can do. In these cases, pupils remember the activity rather than important subject knowledge. However, over time, pupils know and understand more in the subjects they study.

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better?

Leaders ensure that staff have the expertise to teach reading and phonics effectively. Pupils use their phonics knowledge confidently to read unfamiliar words. 8–10 March 2022 Teachers match pupils’ reading books to the sounds they know. Pupils can read confidently and with understanding. Staff use their regular checks on pupils’ reading to spot any pupils who are falling behind. They ensure that these pupils get the help that they need to catch up.

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better?

Teachers provide pupils with many opportunities to read. They ensure pupils read a variety of text types. Children in the Reception class learn about stories, books and rhymes from the very start. Pupils enjoy the books that they read in class. They like discussing the themes that these books include. Pupils develop a genuine love of reading. As they get older, pupils can explain reasons for their choices of favourite books and authors.

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better?

Staff have the same high aspirations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) as for other pupils. Each pupil with SEND has an individual learning plan that identifies their needs, targets for learning and strategies that teachers should use. In a few cases, some of these strategies are not precise enough to help teachers adapt activities as effectively as they could. However, overall pupils with SEND get the help they need to make strong progress in their learning and independence.

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better?

Pupils understand staff’s high expectations of behaviour. Children in the Reception class quickly settle into routines. Adults show how members of the school are expected to behave and speak to others. Pupils’ excellent behaviour and attitudes support learning. Pupils are helpful, respectful and polite to others. They give a warm welcome to visitors and those who are new to the school.

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better?

Leaders have carefully considered pupils’ personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) curriculum. Lessons are complemented by a well-designed programme of assemblies which promote pupils’ personal development well. Pupils learn about why it is important to respect difference in modern Britain. Leaders ensure that pupils are introduced to the world of work and learn about different careers from an early age.

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better?

Members of the proprietor body have the mix of expertise and skills required to fulfil their roles effectively. Leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and what needs to further improve. Staff feel well supported by leaders. They say that leaders consider staff well-being.

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better?

The proprietor body has ensured that all the independent school standards are met. The school site is safe because health and safety policies and procedures are followed rigorously. The school’s website provides parents with the information they require, such as the school’s safeguarding policy and complaints procedure. The proprietor body ensures that the school complies with the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 8–10 March 2022 Leaders ensure that the curriculum helps pupils learn how to stay safe and recognise risks. For example, pupils learn how to spot harmful relationships and friendships in PSHE. Pupils learn about online safety in PSHE and computing lessons.

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Safeguarding

Leaders’ safeguarding policies and procedures follow the latest guidance and are published on the school’s website. Leaders ensure that the required checks on adults who work in the school are carried out thoroughly and accurately recorded. Staff have regular safeguarding training. They know how and when to report concerns. Leaders act upon concerns promptly and appropriately to ensure that pupils are safe.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In many subjects and year groups, leaders’ curriculum planning identifies the important subject knowledge that pupils should know, and organises the teaching of this knowledge in a logical way. In a small number of subjects, such as computing, curriculum plans do not identify precisely enough the important knowledge that pupils should learn or how knowledge builds on what pupils already know from one year to another. This means it is harder for pupils to remember and use important subject knowledge. Leaders should ensure that all curriculum plans consistently identify the important knowledge that pupils should learn and order this in a way that helps pupils to know and remember more.  Occasionally, teachers plan activities that do not focus on the subject knowledge that pupils need to remember or build effectively on what pupils should know or be able to do. Pupils remember the activity but not the intended learning. This

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

slows pupils’ progress. Leaders should ensure that teachers plan activities that implement leaders’ intended curriculum highly effectively.  Pupils with SEND access the full curriculum. They work towards the same challenging learning goals as their classmates. For some pupils with SEND, their learning support plans do not identify precisely enough all the provision that pupils should receive. This means that teachers do not adapt their teaching as well as they could to meet pupils’ needs. Leaders should ensure that staff receive clear guidance so that teachers adapt their plans well to meet the needs of all pupils with SEND.

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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. 8–10 March 2022 If you are the provider and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 8–10 March 2022

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School details

Unique reference number 109726 DfE registration number 821/6000

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School details

Inspection number 10212839 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Proprietor King’s House Moorlands Education Trust

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School details

Email address enquiries@kingshouseschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected 8–10 March 2022

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Information about this school

 King’s House Moorlands is an independent school that is currently registered to educate up to 170 pupils from age four to 13 years. It opened in 1891. It has previously been known as Moorlands School and King’s House Preparatory School and Nursery. The school moved into its current premises in 2011. The principal was previously known as headteacher. He changed his title to principal when the school opened to Year 7 pupils in September 2021. At this time, the deputy headteacher took the title of headteacher and is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of the primary provision.  The school is owned by The King’s House Moorlands Education Trust. The proprietor body acquired the school in 1994. The principal and headteacher are trustees of the proprietor body that provides the governance of the school. At the time of the inspection an acting chair of the proprietor body, who is already a trustee, was in place. The proprietor body had contacted the Department for

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Information about this school

Education (DfE) to make them aware of this change.  The proprietor body is also responsible for a nursery provision, Tots Academy, located at 140 High Street, Leagrave, Luton, LU4 9LJ. The nursery is separately registered and inspected by Ofsted.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is below average. No pupils with SEND have an education, health and care plan.  Pupils come from a range of ethnic backgrounds. Most pupils speak English as an additional language but there are no pupils who are in the early stages of speaking English.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  In May 2021, Ofsted conducted a material change inspection as the school requested to increase its upper age range to 13 years. The inspection judged that the school was likely to meet the relevant independent school standards if the change was granted. The DfE approved the change in June 2021. The school started providing education for its first cohort of Year 7 pupils in September 2021.

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Information about this school

 The DfE commissioned a monitoring inspection of the school in February 2019. This was to consider the progress the school had made regarding previously unmet standards judged at its previous Independent Schools Inspectorate Regulatory Compliance Inspection in June 2018. All standards checked during the monitoring inspection were judged to be met.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school. 8–10 March 2022 The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the principal, headteacher and acting chair of the proprietor body. Inspectors also spoke to members of staff and considered the 13 responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey.  To evaluate the quality of education, inspectors carried out deep dives into early reading, mathematics, computing and PSHE. These included visiting lessons, looking at pupils’ work, checking curriculum plans and talking to staff and pupils. Inspectors also looked at pupils’ work and curriculum plans and visited lessons in several other subjects.  The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead and headteacher to discuss their work to safeguard pupils. Inspectors also scrutinised records, policies and procedures relating to safeguarding and pupils’ welfare and well-being.  Inspectors reviewed a range of policies, documents and records, including those for attendance and behaviour.  To gather pupils’ views, inspectors held meetings with groups of pupils and spoke

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Information about this inspection

to pupils when visiting lessons and during break and lunchtimes. An inspector also spoke to pupils attending the before-school club. Inspectors reviewed the 37 responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  Inspectors considered the nine responses and free-text comments to the online parent survey, Ofsted Parent View. An inspector also spoke to parents at the end of the school day and analysed the responses to a recent parental survey carried out by school leaders.

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Inspection team

Paul Wilson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Charlie Fordham Her Majesty’s Inspector 8–10 March 2022 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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