King's Academy Binfield

Inspection of King’s Academy Binfield St Georges Park, Binfield, Bracknell, Berkshire RG42 4FS

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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 1 and 2 November 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this school. They achieve well academically and socially. From the youngest children in Nursery to the oldest studying for their GCSEs, pupils enjoy learning and take it very seriously. As one parent said, ‘The school works hard to build a community spirit and a sense of belonging. My child feels connected to his classmates and takes responsibility for his learning.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

The vast majority of pupils model the school’s ‘DARE’ values of determination, aspiration, respect and enthusiasm. Pupils of all ages enthuse about the range of activities on offer. Badminton and drama clubs are particularly popular. Pupils especially relish opportunities to work together across the primary and secondary age range. For example, older pupils love listening to the youngest pupils read.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is typically very good. Leaders deal with any cases of bullying effectively. Pupils welcome the care taken to investigate issues fairly. Most pupils appreciate that the school’s high expectations are because staff want them to do very well. As one pupil said, ‘Teachers have unashamedly high standards. They believe in us and know that we can reach them.’

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better?

Leaders’ ambition is to provide a challenging curriculum that seamlessly shapes pupils’ learning and development from childhood to adulthood. They are well on the way to achieving this aim. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well in an impressive range of subjects right from the start. Leaders and staff are rightly proud of the school’s first set of key stage 1 outcomes. Nearly all pupils take the English Baccalaureate range of subjects at GCSE level.

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better?

The curriculum is typically very well ordered and sequenced. Leaders and teachers use their strong subject understanding to set out clearly the knowledge and skills pupils need to learn. In some subjects, leaders are still fine-tuning their planning. This includes knowing precisely how new learning introduced in early years feeds into the different subjects at key stage 1.

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better?

Pupils learn effectively because teachers deliver the curriculum consistently well. Leaders prioritise making sure that teachers’ skills are well developed. Teachers relish opportunities to work together to further expand their subject knowledge and deepen their professional skills. Consequently, consistent approaches to checking pupils’ understanding and filling gaps in their knowledge are being developed well across the whole school.

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better?

Reading is highly prioritised for the youngest pupils. Children in Nursery learn to love reading through joining in with the stories and rhymes adults teach them. In Reception and key stage 1, pupils follow a well-planned and delivered phonics programme. Extra help is provided for those who need it. As a result, most of these 1 and 2 November 2022

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pupils learn to read quickly. However, there is not currently an effective strategic approach to teaching the weakest pupils of secondary age to read. Although these older pupils do get some extra help, they are not being taught to be accurate, speedy readers quickly enough.

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Leaders rightly place a strong focus on pupils’ personal development. They make sure that pupils participate in a wealth of clubs and activities. As a result, pupils develop strong social and communication skills. Pupils’ understanding of equalities and respect for others is honed through an effective personal, social and health education curriculum. In particular, pupils display a well-developed understanding of the importance of healthy relationships and an age-appropriate understanding of consent. Leaders are in the process of making sure that careers education is well organised. Older pupils attend careers fairs and are introduced to the range of college courses and apprenticeships on offer in the local areas. However, opportunities for good-quality, meaningful work experience are not fully in place.

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Leadership from the trust, local governors and senior leaders is impressive. Collectively, they have worked hard and successfully to set up this brand-new school. Leaders at all levels know the school’s strengths well, and use the information they gather to focus sharply on any areas for further development. They are rightly revising some of the school’s strategic policies and procedures. This is so that the school continues to run effectively as it grows. For example, the behaviour policy is under review to make sure that it is applied effectively across the whole school. Importantly, leaders recognise the extra pressures placed on staff workload when setting up a new school. Staff appreciate recent approaches to make sure that their workload is balanced fairly and their well-being considered carefully.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is taken extremely seriously. Leaders and staff are very well trained. They are alert to the potential risks for children of all ages. Record-keeping is meticulous. It shows that staff understand the importance of recording small bits of information that may add to a bigger picture about a pupil’s well-being. Safer recruitment procedures are followed rigorously.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are well informed about safeguarding, including risks in the community and online. Pupils feel safe. They are rightly confident that staff will listen and act promptly if a child needs help. Leaders liaise well with external safeguarding partners. 1 and 2 November 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Learning to read is not prioritised well enough for pupils in Years 7 to 11 who are in the early stages of reading. Consequently, these pupils do not gain quickly enough the phonics knowledge and language comprehension that are necessary in order to read. This means that they do not have the foundations for future learning. Leaders need to ensure that there is a rigorous and sequential approach to learning to read for these pupils, so that reading gaps are addressed quickly and effectively.  Careers provision is not fully in place. In particular, there are not enough good- quality, meaningful opportunities for pupils to encounter the world of work. As a result, pupils are not well enough prepared for future success in education, employment or training. Leaders need to ensure that there is an effective careers strategy that includes sufficient provision for pupils to undertake good-quality, meaningful work experience.

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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. 1 and 2 November 2022

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,051

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School details

Principal Katie Moore (Executive Principal)

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 King’s Academy Binfield is currently a two-form-entry primary provision with two Nursery classes and a seven-form-entry secondary provision.  The school opened for pupils in Year 7 in September 2018 and for children in early years the following year. The school has added additional year groups to early years and Year 7 each September since it opened.  The current cohort is Nursery to Year 3 in the primary provision and Year 7 to Year 11 in the secondary provision. The school intends to continue to expand until the age range of the school is from Nursery to Year 13.  The school intends to open a specially resourced provision for up to 40 pupils with autism spectrum disorder in September 2023.  The school uses one registered provider of education and two unregistered providers of education.  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

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Information about this school

education qualifications and apprenticeships. 1 and 2 November 2022

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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 executive principal, the head of the primary provision and other senior leaders, including the special educational needs coordinators. The lead inspector also met with governors, representatives of the trust and a trustee.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, English, mathematics, design technology, science and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also met with leaders and staff about provision for personal development, behaviour and attitudes and for pupils with SEND.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with leaders and staff to discuss how the curriculum is organised and how leaders ensure that teaching is of a high quality. Inspectors also met with a group of early career teachers.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors discussed safeguarding with leaders, governors, trustees, staff and pupils. Inspectors checked the single central record and the school’s records relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors considered the responses from the confidential staff survey. They took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the free-text comments. Leaders considered the views of pupils shared in the confidential pupil survey and through discussions with pupils throughout the school.

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Inspection team

Catherine Old, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Cathy Reid Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 November 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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