Kents Hill Park all-through school

Inspection of Kents Hill Park all- through school Kents Hill Park, Kents Hill, Milton Keynes MK7 6BZ

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 4 and 5 October 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school, especially those who have attended since it opened. They embrace the school’s motto of ‘Work hard, be kind’ in lessons. Pupils work hard and are keen to achieve. From the very start of Reception, children benefit from a broad and rich curriculum. Staff use their strong subject knowledge to help pupils learn well across all subjects. Teachers help pupils to develop confidence. For example, older pupils enjoy supporting younger children to practise their reading skills.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff successfully help pupils to understand how they are expected to behave in lessons. Leaders encourage even the youngest pupils to be considerate of others through the ‘manners curriculum’. Consequently, pupils throughout the primary and secondary phases are respectful and polite.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils told inspectors that they feel safe and are happy at Kents Hill Park. Although bullying does happen sometimes, leaders take effective action to deal with any unkindness or concerns. A small minority of pupils and parents and carers told inspectors that they feel that staff do not deal with bullying effectively. Pupils feel they have staff whom they can talk to if they have a worry or concern.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in early years get off to the best possible start. Their learning space is vibrant and inspiring. It provides children with opportunities to learn vital knowledge and skills.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders ensure that the curriculum builds from early years and takes into account end-points beyond the school. The well-sequenced curriculum enables pupils to recall what they have learned before. Staff ensure that new learning builds on existing knowledge and skills.

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better?

Most staff regularly check pupils’ understanding of their work using school-wide assessment strategies. However, not all staff make detailed checks to ensure that pupils fully understand what they have learned. The most able pupils think deeply about their work. Leaders have ensured that pupils with SEND have individualised plans to support them in lessons. Teachers use this information to make adaptations to the curriculum to enable these pupils to succeed. Carefully targeted intervention helps many pupils catch up quickly, for example in mathematics and reading.

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better?

There is a consistent approach to the delivery of the curriculum throughout both the primary and secondary phases. This is because of the high-quality training staff receive. Staff welcome the weekly development time to discuss how to make learning more effective for pupils. Pupils of all ages study a broad range of subjects. The subjects that make up the English Baccalaureate are at the heart of the curriculum in the secondary phase. As this is a growing school, leaders have recently 4 and 5 October 2022

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strengthened the teaching of modern foreign languages to encourage more pupils to opt for these subjects in the future.

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Reading is a high priority throughout the school. From the minute they join the school, children in early years learn to read. Well-trained staff teach phonics. Children quickly pick up the sounds they need to know. Staff model effective reading habits. There is a focus on pupils developing fluency in their reading as soon as they can. There is an effective programme of support in place for older pupils who still find reading challenging. These pupils take part in specific activities to broaden their vocabulary, deepen their reading skills or improve their reading fluency. Mathematics teaching is systematic and strong. Children in early years develop mathematical confidence and fluency. Building on this, pupils in the secondary phase go on to learn complex mathematical reasoning and proof.

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Behaviour across the school is strong in lessons. Staff use a common approach to gain and maintain attention. The youngest children are taught how to cooperate and share. Staff set high expectations for behaviour in class. However, conduct outside lessons, especially in the secondary phase, is not as strong. A small number of pupils are noisy and do not take into account the narrowness of some corridors when they move between lessons.

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A comprehensive personal, health, social, citizenship and relationships education (PHSCRE) programme teaches pupils, among other things, about careers and future employment possibilities. Pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain. They learn about multicultural and multi-faith societies. A comprehensive range of assemblies, and trips and visits all contribute to the successful delivery of the PHSCRE programme.

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Governors provide effective support and challenge to leaders at the school. The trust provides extensive experience of developing new schools. Leaders at all levels benefit from coaching and professional development opportunities. Staff feel that leaders take their workload into account when they focus on improving standards for pupils. Governors have a detailed understanding of their statutory duties and ensure that leaders fulfil them effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a priority of this school. Leaders, including governors, are meticulous in how they protect children from harm. The experienced designated safeguarding lead is supported by knowledgeable pastoral staff. Staff know pupils well and are alert to the local risks faced by pupils.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive timely and appropriate training, so they know how to respond to safeguarding concerns. There are clear systems in place to record concerns, and leaders respond to these swiftly and in an effective manner. 4 and 5 October 2022

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There are many opportunities in the curriculum for pupils to learn how to stay safe. For example, in the PHSCRE curriculum, pupils are taught about online safety and safe relationships.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some staff do not check that pupils have learned the key content of the curriculum. Consequently, some pupils sometimes have gaps in their learning. Leaders should ensure that all teachers carefully check pupils’ understanding and support staff to swiftly identify and address misconceptions.  Some pupils’ behaviour outside lessons, especially in the secondary phase, does not meet leaders’ high expectations. This can sometimes interrupt the smooth movement of pupils around the school. Leaders should ensure that the systems to manage behaviour are consistently used by staff to promote positive behaviour at all times.  Some pupils and parents are concerned about the actions taken by leaders to address bullying. They are not confident that bullying is addressed, when in fact it is. Leaders should strengthen their work to promote the whole-school strategies to prevent bullying and explain the firm action they take when it occurs. As part

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

of this ongoing work, leaders should continue to consult with parents and pupils about how well they feel bullying is dealt with.

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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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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. 4 and 5 October 2022

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Kents Hill Park all-through school opened in September 2018 and is part of the Kingsbridge Educational Trust.  The school uses three registered and one unregistered 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 educational qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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 met with the headteacher, senior leaders, directors, governors and staff from the trust. 4 and 5 October 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in mathematics, science, early reading, geography, modern foreign languages and art. 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.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised the record of recruitment checks, and looked at training records and documentation related to safeguarding and behaviour. They met with the designated safeguarding lead. They also spoke to many staff and pupils to understand the safeguarding culture in the school.  An inspector telephoned the alternative providers used by the school.  Inspectors considered 123 responses to Ofsted Parent View and 55 written comments. Inspectors also spoke with parents on the morning of the second day of the inspection and by telephone.  Inspectors took account of 59 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey. Inspectors also

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took account of pupils’ views through meetings with them, conversations held during lesson visits and talking with them at break- and lunchtime.  Inspectors met with staff to gather their views about the school and took account of 57 responses to Ofsted’s confidential staff survey.

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Inspection team

Linda Culling, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Foster Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 October 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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