Kingsmead Academy

Inspection of Kingsmead Academy Wiveliscombe, Taunton, Somerset TA4 2NE

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 21 and 22 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff are looking forward to the opening of a new school building after a prolonged period of disruption.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils study a wide range of subjects. This includes vocational subjects, such as agriculture. However, in Years 7, 8 and 9 pupils do not learn all the essential knowledge they need in some foundation subjects because there is a focus on examination content.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive effective pastoral support, including those who attend the welfare room. Pupils say that when reporting bullying or concerns, staff deal with them. However, a minority of pupils say that this is not always done promptly. Communication from parents is not always followed up in a timely way.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ expectations of pupils’ behaviour and conduct are not consistent. The behaviour system is not applied as effectively as it could be. A few pupils do not behave well around the site. Some pupils find this uncomfortable.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide opportunities for pupil leadership, such as the school council and sports leaders. Pupils broaden their horizons through educational trips. For example, Year 7 and 8 pupils are looking forward to summer residential trips.

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better?

Leaders have established an overall structure for the curriculum, but they have not consistently identified what they want pupils to learn and when. As a result, the sequence of learning in some subjects is not well thought through. This hinders pupils’ learning.

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better?

Leaders do not have clear oversight of what is being taught and when. Therefore, work in pupils’ books does not always show the planned curriculum. Pupils’ work is sometimes poorly attempted. In subjects that have an effective process for assessing pupils’ work, pupils know what they need to do to improve. However, leaders do not have an informed overview of the impact of assessment.

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better?

A tutor reading programme provides a school focus on reading. Even so, teachers do not know the reading ability of all pupils. Therefore, they are not able to effectively promote reading across the school.

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better?

In most lessons, pupils’ behaviour is calm. Pupils who find it difficult to meet the school’s behaviour expectations are given extra support outside of the classroom. However, a minority of pupils do not learn well because they miss too many lessons.

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better?

The careers programme provides pupils with good guidance. In addition to pupils attending further education colleges, the school supports many pupils in accessing a 21 and 22 June 2022

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range of apprenticeships. The personal, social, health and economic education curriculum is well planned. Pupils learn about relationships in a timely manner. They have opportunities to discuss different issues about keeping safe. Pupils attend a range of sports and art clubs. For example, pupils are rehearsing for a summer show. Pupils are proud of a long-term exchange programme with a school in Zambia.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not always receive the support they need. Teachers do not know the needs of the pupils well enough. As a result, in-class support is not given consistently. Leaders are ambitious for pupils with SEND. There is a large inclusion team who have specialist skills. This is an improving area of the school’s work.

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Leaders and governors do not have systematic approaches to checking how well areas of the school are performing. Therefore, leaders cannot assure themselves of the impact of some of their policies. This limits the effectiveness of their efforts to improve the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff train regularly in safeguarding and there is a specialist team in place. Staff and pupils know what to do if they have any concerns. There are effective systems in place for reporting issues. Leaders work with external agencies to support vulnerable pupils. Pupils learn about safeguarding risks through the curriculum, assemblies and the pastoral team.

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Safeguarding

Some pupils say they do not feel comfortable in some parts of the school, like the toilets or some of the narrow corridors. Leaders are aware of these places and have put actions in place to manage those areas.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned and sequenced in some subjects. Not all subjects have a clear progression of learning for pupils mapped out. Leaders should ensure there is time and training for staff to fully plan and develop subject curriculums.  Leaders and teachers do not have full knowledge of the reading ability of all pupils. As a result, teachers do not always have knowledge of what a pupil’s reading need might be. Leaders need to ensure there is support for all pupils and training for teachers.  Pupils with SEND do not consistently benefit from precisely identified support. This means that sometimes, pupils do not know and remember as much as they 21 and 22 June 2022

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could. Leaders must ensure that the quality of support and its impact is robustly reviewed so that these reliably meet the needs of all pupils with SEND.  A few pupils do not behave as well as they should. Staff do not always receive the support they need when dealing with behaviour. Leaders need to ensure the behaviour systems are applied consistently and staff are supported in managing pupil behaviour.  Leaders have not ensured school systems and policies are followed consistently. This means that systems of quality assurance are not embedded securely enough to have a clear impact. Leaders should refine their quality assurance processes to ensure that systems and policies are having a significant impact.  There is not a clear and consistent approach to communicating with parents. As a result, some parents do not feel well informed about their child’s education or how the school is supporting their child. Leaders need to communicate more

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effectively with parents so that they understand the work the school is doing with their children.

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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. 21 and 22 June 2022

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Date of previous inspection

9 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has been managing a significant building project and is in the process of moving to a new building on the school site. The current building will be removed.  The school uses three registered alternative provisions and one unregistered provision.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 11 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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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 school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 21 and 22 June 2022

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders, teachers, staff and pupils.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school.  Inspectors completed deep dives in the following subjects: English, science, modern foreign languages and music. 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 leader in charge of SEND and scrutinised documentation for pupils and observed support for these pupils.  Inspectors met with the leader in charge of safeguarding and scrutinised documentation and records for safeguarding.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documentation, including minutes of the governing body, school self-evaluation plans, policies and records for behaviour management, attendance, safeguarding and pupil alternative

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provision.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. Inspectors also viewed the responses to the pupil survey and the responses to the staff survey.  The lead inspector met with representatives from the local governing body, including the chair of governors.

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Inspection team

Rachel Hesketh, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

John Weeds Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 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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