King's Academy Northern Parade (Infant)

Inspection of King’s Academy Northern Parade (Infant) Kipling Road, Hilsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO2 9NJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 5 and 6 April 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school and live up to the school motto of ‘Eager to learn’. They especially like the reading assemblies and are keen to read. Pupils follow the ‘Dragon values’, which help them to learn different skills, such as working independently. They know how these values help them to develop the right attitudes, such as being resilient. This helps them to persevere with their learning even if they find it challenging.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils usually behave well in lessons. Pupils say that bullying does sometimes happen. Staff quickly investigate any reports of unkind behaviour, but some pupils feel their concerns are not fully resolved. Most pupils say they feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff are keen for pupils to achieve well. Leaders have not, however, ensured that all pupils get off to a good enough start in learning to read. They have not made sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged are supported consistently well with their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy varied opportunities. These include leadership roles, like being a school council member. They like the different clubs, such as choir and gymnastics. Each class has contributed to anti-racism artwork displayed on Portsmouth seafront.

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better?

New leaders are determined to develop the school. Their ambitions are beginning to be realised, but much of the improvement work is at an early stage. Governors are supportive of leaders. They know what the school does well but are less clear about the areas that need development. Trustees provide effective challenge and have a clear understanding of the priorities for improvement. They have put leaders and systems in place to support improvements to the school.

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better?

Staff prioritise reading to pupils. In the Reception class, children typically join the school with weaker speaking and listening skills than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic. Listening to stories helps to develop their understanding and vocabulary. Older pupils are enthusiastic about the books that staff read to them. Among other things, this helps them to understand their emotions, and how to manage them.

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better?

The teaching of reading is effective for most pupils, but not all. Leaders have introduced a new phonics scheme but not all staff have been trained to use it. Often, it is staff who have not received training who support the weaker readers. Struggling readers are not always given the extra practice to help them to keep up. Pupils do not read books that match the sounds they have already learned. Consequently, weaker readers are not helped to learn to read quickly enough.

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better?

The mathematics curriculum is better. Leaders have introduced a new programme to support staff and have prioritised training for teachers to develop their subject 5 and 6 April 2022

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knowledge. As a result, staff ensure that pupils learn age-appropriate knowledge and strategies. They use effective questioning to check pupils’ understanding in lessons and accurately model how to use key mathematical vocabulary. Leaders continue to support teachers to ensure every mathematics lesson is appropriately challenging.

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Leaders’ plans to develop the curriculum in other subjects are still a work in progress. Much is falling to senior leaders as most subject leaders are new to their role. That said, subject planning in Years 1 and 2 mostly identifies the key knowledge and skills for pupils to learn over a series of lessons. However, staff are not skilled at checking that pupils have learned and remembered the most important content before they move on. They do not always ensure that all pupils fully concentrate on their learning. Leaders’ thinking about the Reception curriculum is not as far along. Not all subject leads understand how learning in their subject begins in early years.

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The support for vulnerable pupils, including those with SEND and those who are disadvantaged, is inconsistent. The special educational needs coordinators work with parents, staff and external agencies to quickly identify pupils who might have additional needs. However, not all staff are equipped with the skills and knowledge to understand how to support pupils effectively. As a result, not all pupils with SEND are supported well to achieve their individual targets or to learn well across different subjects.

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Too many pupils, especially those who are disadvantaged, do not attend school regularly enough. Leaders have recently appointed new staff to work with families to improve attendance. This is beginning to improve the attendance of some pupils.

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Pupils learn to appreciate different cultures and religions. For example, children in Reception confidently compare Easter and Ramadan. Leaders’ work to promote some other aspects of personal development is at an early stage.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Minor weaknesses were identified in the management of safeguarding during the inspection. Leaders have not checked that staff have a secure knowledge of all aspects of safeguarding. They understand how to address these concerns.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn to keep themselves safe. Reception children, for example, understand how to manage risks in the outdoor area. Older pupils learn how to cross roads safely.

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Safeguarding

The pastoral team provides highly valued extra support for vulnerable pupils and families. This includes providing advice to parents to help them manage their child’s behaviour at home. 5 and 6 April 2022

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Governors and leaders ensure that safer recruitment procedures are followed to make sure that only appropriate adults work with children.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Not all pupils get off to a strong start when learning to read. Leaders should ensure that all staff are fully trained, that pupils read books which match the sounds they have learned and that weaker readers have the time and practice they need to help them to keep up.  Vulnerable pupils, including those with SEND and those who are disadvantaged, are not always learning as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that staff know how to adapt their teaching so they help pupils overcome any barriers and learn well in all subjects.  Most subject leaders are new and inexperienced in their role. Leaders should continue their work to ensure that new subject leaders are equipped with the skills and knowledge to refine curriculum thinking from Reception onwards. Furthermore, they should ensure that teachers check that pupils have learned and remembered the key knowledge and skills.  Not all staff have a secure understanding of every aspect of safeguarding.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Leaders should ensure that staff receive high-quality training and then routinely check their understanding.

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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. 5 and 6 April 2022

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 King’s Academy Northern Parade (Infant) converted to become an academy school in February 2018 as part of King’s Group Academies. When its predecessor school, Northern Parade Infant School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The headteacher was previously the head of school of King’s Academy Northern Parade (Junior). In September 2021, he started as headteacher of both schools. The deputy headteacher also started her post in September 2021.  An executive headteacher has been in post part time for two years.  A significant number of staff have joined the school since the school converted to become an academy.  An interim governing body was in place for the autumn term 2019, as the previous governing body was dissolved. In January 2020, a new governing body was established across the two schools. In September 2021, this amalgamated with the governing body of King’s Academy College Park, another infant and

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Information about this school

junior school in the trust.  The school shares a resourced provision with the junior school for four pupils with visual and hearing impairment. 5 and 6 April 2022

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 The governing body manages before- and after-school childcare provision.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other school staff.  The lead inspector also met with members of the local governing body, including the chair, and spoke to a group of trustees.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, history and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum planning, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors also looked at curriculum planning from some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors spoke with staff and

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Information about this inspection

pupils. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding leads to review their knowledge, records and actions. The inspectors also looked at safeguarding records and actions and reviewed information about the safer recruitment of staff.  To make wider judgements, inspectors spoke to staff and groups of pupils from different year groups and observed behaviour in classrooms and at lunchtime.  The views of staff and pupils, including responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys, were considered.  The responses to Ofsted Parent View, including written responses, and a phone call with a parent were also taken into account.

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Inspection team

Laurie Anderson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lorraine Phillips Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 April 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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