Kingsford Community School

Inspection of Kingsford Community School Kingsford Way, Beckton, London, E6 5JG

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 October 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 18 and 19 October 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that pupils are safe, nurtured and supported to achieve highly. Each pupil is encouraged to develop their interests and aim to be the best that they can be. Success of all kinds is celebrated. Pupils are enthusiastic about being members of this school. They become confident speakers and play an active part in school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is ambitious and offers opportunity for all. Leaders and staff know pupils very well. They provide pupils with individual attention to help them succeed in their learning and next steps. Some pupils pursue academic routes, while others choose vocational pathways. Irrespective of pupils’ aspirations, they are guided and helped every step of the way. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well, and are taught to be ambitious about their futures.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Equality and tolerance are two key principles running through this school community. Pupils learn to respect and celebrate individual difference. They said that the school is a safe place to be, whoever you are. Pupils and staff are proud to be a part of this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. Very little learning time is lost to disruption in lessons. Where pupils struggle to manage their behaviour, leaders and staff are quick to help. Bullying is rare but is dealt with effectively.

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better?

Leaders have put in place a curriculum that is broad and balanced for all. This includes for pupils with SEND, those who speak English as an additional language, or pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. All pupils study the breadth and scope of the national curriculum. What pupils learn often goes beyond this, for example in their study of two languages, one of which is Mandarin. This enriches pupils’ learning further.

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better?

Pursuing excellence guides leaders’ actions to improve the school further. The work leaders do to support pupils’ aspirations and broader development illustrates this. Pupils’ readiness for and understanding of the wider world are carefully supported. Throughout the school, pupils are helped to grow in confidence. They readily apply their knowledge in new and demanding contexts. For example, they take part in regular inter-school and external competitions, such as for Mandarin speaking.

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better?

Pupils select from a broad choice of GCSEs and other qualifications. From the start, staff encourage pupils to consider how each subject will help them pursue their interests. Leaders work carefully with pupils to ensure they make the right choice.

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better?

In each subject, leaders ensure that pupils learn and remember more over time. They make sure that staff are experts in their subjects, including through the 18 and 19 October 2022

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provision of high-quality training. Leaders have also fostered links with local primary schools to ensure that what pupils are taught in Year 7 follows on well from their previous learning. Where pupils arrive needing help to read fluently, leaders quickly identify this and provide suitable and effective extra support

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Teachers are skilled. They sequence learning carefully. Most check that pupils have understood subject content and they address any misconceptions before moving on. This means that pupils remember key information and are able to apply this to challenging tasks. In a few cases, this work is not fully embedded. Leaders’ rigorous evaluation of the quality of education means that they are already taking steps to address this.

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Pupils are helpful and polite. Success is celebrated, and it is rare for staff to need to remind pupils about behaviour expectations or use sanctions. Teachers understand and meet individual needs effectively, including the needs of pupils with SEND.

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Positive behaviour and character traits are taught through a well-planned and comprehensive curriculum of personal, social and health education. All pupils are taught to articulate their views sensitively and with respect.

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Pupils are very well prepared to succeed and flourish in modern Britain. They are guided to become ambitious, confident and thoughtful. They also receive plentiful careers information, education, advice and guidance. This is tailored to each pupils’ needs to inspire and foster high ambition.

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Through the curriculum, pupils develop a wide-ranging awareness of local, national and global topics. They frequently lead assemblies related to these themes. Pupils can also become leaders in a range of ways, such as through the school council, prefect team or being a well-being ambassador.

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Staff and governors are deeply committed to their school and community. Governors provide strong challenge and support to school leaders. Staff said that leaders support them, provide high-quality development, and consider workload carefully.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide comprehensive training for staff. This means that staff are vigilant and know how to report concerns. Pupils in need are identified and supported promptly and effectively.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide a range of pastoral support for pupils. This includes support from heads of year and specialist staff, who oversee well-being, behaviour and attendance. Mentoring and counselling are used, when necessary, to further enhance the school’s offer. Leaders liaise effectively with families and external agencies to support and protect pupils who are at risk. 18 and 19 October 2022

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Pupils learn how to keep safe. They remember what they have been taught and are confident to report concerns.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Typically, the curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced towards pupils learning and remembering more. However, in a few cases, teachers do not check effectively how well pupils recall and understand knowledge. This affects how well pupils are supported to remember their learning over the longer term. Leaders need to build on their current work to strengthen the delivery of the curriculum. This includes, for example, making sure that checks on learning are used consistently well to support pupils’ recall of knowledge.

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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. 18 and 19 October 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10243035 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive School category Community

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1522

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.kingsfordschool.org.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders make use of one alternative provider, which is registered as a school.  Careers guidance meets the requirement 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

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 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 spoke with the headteacher and other members of the leadership team. They also spoke to school improvement partners and members of the governing body. 18 and 19 October 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: science, English, history, music, and languages. 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 also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects and visited other lessons. They spoke to staff who lead in the areas of literacy and special educational needs.  Inspectors spoke to pupils formally and informally to find out about their views on school life, including how leaders and staff promote their well-being and high standards of behaviour. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at social times and during lessons. They spoke to pastoral leaders and considered evidence around behaviour and attendance.  In considering safeguarding, inspectors met with pastoral and safeguarding

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leaders, spoke to staff, looked at the single central record, and met with governors. Documentation related to safeguarding and behaviour was reviewed.  The responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff, pupils and parents were also considered.

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Inspection team

Alice Clay, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Rebecca Iles-Smith His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Brenda Watson Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 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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