Kingsway Junior School

Inspection of Kingsway Junior School Briar Road, Watford, Hertfordshire WD25 0JH

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 7 and 8 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Kingsway Junior School are proud to call their school inclusive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils instinctively share the school pledge and in this state that they ‘will show respect and kindness to others’. This commitment is evident in their actions. As a result, pupils learn and play happily alongside each other throughout the school site. They show respect for adults in school and follow instructions in a considerate way. They choose to behave this way because they care about being part of a happy community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have lots of opportunities to use and develop their speaking skills. This is helping them to gain confidence in their voice and a broad vocabulary. This also supports them to show leadership in a range of school roles. These include opportunities for pupils to be peer mentors and members of the school council.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils show strong understanding of the differences that exist among themselves and see this as positive. They celebrate uniqueness and say that discrimination is never tolerated. Pupils say that bullying is not a normal feature of their school life. If it does happen, pupils are confident that adults respond and deal with it straightaway. They describe adults in school as ‘trusted’ and having these adults around makes pupils feel safe.

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better?

Leaders have designed a curriculum that engages all pupils. This is presented through an ambitious range of subject lessons. The knowledge that pupils must learn is set out in precise steps on curriculum plans. Teachers follow these with care. They present new concepts well, providing clear instruction. This helps pupils know how to succeed. Teachers use assessment well to check what pupils can remember. They use this information to make changes to lessons and provide more time for pupils to practise, if needed. As a result, all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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better?

On the whole, provision for pupils with SEND works well. Staff have the knowledge to identify pupils’ barriers to learning. Leaders have specific expertise to help teachers with this. This leads to the provision of precisely identified support that some pupils need to access the curriculum. However, for a small number of pupils, the support agreed is not always in place when it needs to be. Leaders’ work to address this has started, but is not complete.

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better?

Leaders prioritise the teaching of reading. They know that pupils’ reading ability transforms their capacity to learn, both now and in the future. Leaders provide pupils with a wide range of interesting texts to discover and explore. Pupils enjoy daily opportunities to read and reflect on the content of their books. Leaders have also introduced a new phonics programme. This is supporting many pupils to build accuracy and fluency when reading. Through daily reading activities, staff identify 7 and 8 June 2022

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pupils who have gaps in their reading knowledge. They make sure that this is addressed immediately so that pupils have no barriers to learning. There is some minor variation in support for pupils needing extra help with reading. This is because some staff are still developing the specific expertise needed to make best use of the phonics programme. Leaders are already acting effectively to address this.

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Pupils are being supported to develop their wider understanding of the world in which they live. Pupils show high levels of empathy. Lessons make time and space for pupils to debate their opinions and discuss cultures and faiths. This supports them to grow in a respectful environment where the needs of others can be listened to and understood. Pupils’ mature attitudes and conduct support everyone to be able to think and focus on classroom activities.

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Leaders, with the support of governors, have been steadfast in seeking the views of parents and carers and pupils. They have responded to improve the behaviour of pupils. This has made a positive difference to the experience that pupils have in school. This is widely acknowledged, and both pupils and parents appreciate the dedication of staff in bringing about this change.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff have been trained very effectively to understand their safeguarding responsibilities. Their knowledge of important issues is up to date and relevant. Staff follow clear routines to communicate any concerns they have about a pupil. Leaders swiftly respond and take action to ensure that pupils receive support and are kept safe.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when using technology. Visits from outside agencies, including the police, help to educate pupils about wider risks to which they should be alert. Leaders also communicate important information to parents that supports them in protecting their own children. This includes information about online games that their children might access at home.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Targeted support provided for a small number of pupils with SEND does not always accurately reflect the identified needs in their plans. This can result in these pupils missing important opportunities to practise the agreed skills and knowledge they need to prioritise. Leaders must monitor provision for pupils with SEND carefully, providing additional training for staff where needed, to ensure that all pupils achieve the best they possibly can. 7 and 8 June 2022

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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. 7 and 8 June 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Nicola Santamaria

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Date of previous inspection

21 May 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school makes use of one alternative provision to meet the needs of pupils.

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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 had 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.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the lower key stage phase leader and the inclusion coordinator. A meeting was also held with an improvement partner from the local authority.  Inspectors met with three members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, science, mathematics and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum documentation, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning, and, where relevant, looked at samples of 7 and 8 June 2022

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pupils’ work. An inspector also listened to a sample of pupils reading to a familiar adult.  The lead inspector met with two designated safeguarding leads, the school’s office manager and other staff to discuss safeguarding.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation during the inspection, including curriculum plans, school development plans, and safeguarding and behaviour records.  Inspectors considered 37 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and 36 free-text comments. Inspectors also considered the 17 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  Inspectors also spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences of school life and their learning in lessons to understand what it is like to be a pupil in their school. Inspectors considered 104 responses to a pupil survey and also observed the behaviour of pupils across the school site.

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Inspection team

Kristian Hewitt, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Caroline Dawes Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 June 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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