Kingsmead School

Inspection of a good school: Kingsmead School 196 Southbury Road, Enfield EN1 1YQ

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Outcome

Kingsmead School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Kingsmead School is an ambitious environment for pupils. Leaders are keen to prepare pupils for their future lives. They have high expectations of pupils’ academic achievement. The school’s motto, ‘Practise to Perfect’, encourages all pupils to believe that they have the capacity to succeed if they are determined and work hard.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In Years 10 and 11, and in the sixth form, pupils can choose from a broad range of subjects. Leaders ensure that pupils study the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) subjects at GCSE: humanities and languages alongside English, mathematics and science. Performing arts subjects have a prominent place in the school’s curriculum. The school encourages pupils with an aptitude for performing and visual arts, including music, dance, drama and textiles, to develop their interest and creativity.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and are safe. Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils are polite and courteous. Through the Kingsmead Readiness curriculum, pupils are encouraged to respect those from different cultures and backgrounds. Pupils said that bullying is rare. If it does happen, staff are quick to deal with it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a range of opportunities to support pupils’ wider development. Pupils enjoy extra-curricular activity days, which include outings, workshops, careers fairs and enterprise challenges.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school’s curriculum has undergone significant development in recent years. Leaders have provided training for staff to support the redesign of the curriculum and make it more ambitious for pupils. Subject leaders have considered the knowledge they want pupils to know and remember. Leaders are keen to broaden pupils’ understanding of the cultural influences that have shaped the world around them. There is a focus on diversity in aspects of the school’s curriculum. For example, pupils in Year 7 study short stories written by refugees and immigrants in their English lessons. 26 and 27 April 2022

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The proportion of pupils who study the EBacc subjects is well above the national average. The school teaches a large range of GCSE subjects for pupils to choose from. These include Latin, photography, citizenship, dance and drama. In the sixth form, the academic and vocational courses on offer suit the needs and aspirations of students. The school supports pupils effectively with academic mentoring and intervention programmes.

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Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They present new information to pupils clearly. Lessons include opportunities for pupils to recall what they have already learned. Teachers use a range of assessments to check what pupils know and can do. However, assessment information is not used routinely to check that pupils understand key ideas, or to check whether they need more practice before moving on to new learning. This means teachers sometimes move on too quickly.

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Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school at breaktimes. They show positive attitudes to learning and are attentive to their teachers. Teachers apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently. This means that there is very little low-level disruption and pupils can focus on learning.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as their peers. Leaders have recently reviewed their procedures for identifying pupils with SEND. They have made improvements to the way they share information about how best to support these pupils in lessons. Curriculum leaders and teachers consider the needs of pupils with SEND when planning lessons.

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Reading is an increasing focus for the school. Leaders encourage pupils to read for pleasure. Having a reading book with them is part of the expected school equipment for all pupils. Leaders identify pupils who have weaker literacy skills and provide effective support so that they catch up and build fluency.

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Leaders have thought carefully about how they can support pupils’ wider development. The school uses the Readiness curriculum to involve pupils in mature debates about topical issues. Through this curriculum, pupils are encouraged to appreciate the viewpoints of others. A strong programme of careers education, advice and guidance complements the academic curriculum. Pupils hear from a wide range of education providers and professionals, and complete work experience in Year 10 and Year 12. This helps to inform pupils’ choices when deciding on their next steps in education.

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Leaders are passionate about school improvement. School staff share the vision and values of leaders and governors. Staff appreciate the investment the school has made in their professional development. Early career teachers feel well supported in developing their teaching skills. Staff recognise that changes to the school’s assessment model have helped to reduce the burden of assessment.

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Leaders are aware that the pace of curriculum change at times has created additional workload for staff. Leaders and governors have sought ways to engage with the views of staff, and to support staff in managing their workload. This includes scheduling time for curriculum development and changing the timings of the school day. However, some staff 26 and 27 April 2022

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felt that their workload has not been well managed and that this has impacted negatively on their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Members of the safeguarding team have a strong awareness of potential situations which may make pupils vulnerable. They have the necessary training and expertise to help make sure that vulnerable pupils and their families get the right support. Staff know the processes to follow to keep pupils safe. The school ensures that procedures for the safe recruitment of staff are robust.

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Safeguarding

The school teaches pupils to be safe through the Character curriculum. Pupils receive age- appropriate information on issues such as sexual harassment and consent. The school helps pupils to understand local risks to their safety and well-being, such as knife crime.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, some teachers move on to new learning too soon, before pupils have secured their understanding and built fluency. This leaves some pupils unable to complete more complex work. Leaders should ensure that all teachers use assessment information effectively to identify and address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge.  As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders have introduced changes to the curriculum in a shorter time frame than originally planned. This has resulted in additional workload pressures for staff. Some staff do not feel that leaders have given them enough support to manage these pressures. Leaders must ensure that all staff feel supported to manage their workload when implementing change.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2013. 26 and 27 April 2022

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 26 and 27 April 2022

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1522

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form

Date of previous inspection 14 June 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has appointed a new headteacher since the previous inspection.  The school uses two registered alternative providers.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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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. 26 and 27 April 2022

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 Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, the deputy headteachers and members of the wider leadership team. They also spoke to the chair of trustees, and the school improvement partner.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, art and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed curriculum thinking with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons across each key stage, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders of other curriculum areas and early career teachers.  Inspectors reviewed safeguarding arrangements by scrutinising documentation related to safeguarding, meeting with the leaders with responsibility for safeguarding and checking the school’s approach to staff recruitment.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents, including the school’s improvement plan, policies, the written records of trustees’ meetings and documents relating to

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behaviour and pupil movement.  During the inspection, the school had a scheduled extra-curricular day for all pupils. Inspectors visited the activities taking place during this day and spoke to pupils about their wider development.  Inspectors considered the views of staff and pupils through Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors also reviewed the responses that were submitted by parents to the Ofsted online survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Annabel Davies, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Moore Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 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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