Kingsley Community School

Inspection of a good school: Kingsley Community School Eversley Street, Liverpool, Merseyside L8 2TG

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 December 2022

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Outcome

Kingsley Community School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

At Kingsley Community School, diversity is celebrated, and everyone is accepted for who they are. Pupils and their families develop strong relationships with staff from the moment they join the school. Pupils trust the adults who work with them. This helps them to feel safe and happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand and appreciate that teachers have extremely high expectations, both of their behaviour and their academic success. Pupils and children in the early years settle quickly into the clear routines that leaders provide for them. Leaders deal with bullying quickly and effectively. Pupils who spoke to the inspector said that staff never tolerate it. Pupils treat each other with patience and respect. They enjoy the praise and recognition that they receive for their achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lessons and social times are calm and orderly. Pupils relish the challenge of learning, even when it is demanding. They rise to meet the ambition of the curriculum that leaders provide and, as a result, they achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from the wide range of extra-curricular opportunities. These experiences help pupils to develop their language skills as well as their wider understanding of the world. For example, pupils attend regular trips and visits, and have time dedicated to learning surrounded by nature outdoors. Children in the early years benefit from regular mornings of ‘stay and play’ with their parents and carers.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is broad and ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND. They have thought carefully about the construction of the curriculum to ensure that it meets the needs of all pupils. For example, there is a focus in all subjects on developing language and vocabulary from the early years and throughout the rest of the school. Teachers are adept at identifying any additional needs pupils may have. Staff 13 and 14 December 2022

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enable pupils, including those with SEND, to have access to the same curriculum as their peers.

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In most subjects, leaders have considered the important knowledge that they want children and pupils to know from the Nursery class, including the provision for two-year- old children, to Year 6. The learning is carefully ordered so that pupils can build on what they already know. However, in a small number of subjects, teachers are still finalising the precise knowledge that pupils should learn. In these subjects, some pupils do not build on their prior learning as securely as they should. In addition, a very small number of pupils have access to their curriculum in a different way. This is so that they can receive additional support for their social and emotional needs. Leaders are in the process of refining this approach to ensure that these pupils receive the support that they need while accessing the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.

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Teachers and teaching assistants have the subject knowledge and expertise they need to teach the curriculum effectively. Across the curriculum, they use this expertise to check for misconceptions that pupils may have. They also use it to shape future teaching and fill in gaps in learning over time. This helps pupils, and children in the early years, to know more and to be able to do more.

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Leaders prioritise reading. They dedicate time daily for pupils to read for pleasure, from the early years to Year 6. They have invested in a rich variety of fiction and non-fiction texts, to which pupils have access in their classroom libraries. Leaders have selected these carefully to ensure that they reflect pupils’ interests and lives. Pupils told the inspector how they value, and are inspired by, the stories and people that they read about.

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Teachers implement a phonics programme from the start of the Reception class. All staff are well trained to teach this with confidence. The books that pupils read match the sounds that they learn in class. Any pupils who struggle, or fall behind, receive immediate help to catch up. This means that pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language, gain the phonics knowledge they need to become confident and fluent readers.

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Pupils behave well. They value learning. They are polite and kind to each other. The atmosphere around school is calm and purposeful. In lessons, pupils respond to their teachers’ requests sensibly. They work hard. Staff use strong behaviour systems to support a minority of pupils who need help to regulate their behaviour.

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Leaders place a strong emphasis on the wider curriculum for pupils’ personal, social and health education. This begins in the early years, for example when children are taught to share and take turns. Older pupils learn about healthy relationships and the dangers of online social media. In addition, leaders place emphasis on pupils’ transition beyond the school. Members of the school alumni are invited to return and talk to pupils about their careers and successes. This helps pupils to think about their next steps and future aspirations.

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The school is well led and managed. Staff feel valued. They appreciate the consideration that leaders give to their workload and well-being. Newly appointed governors are 13 and 14 December 2022

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contributing additional expertise to the school. They support and challenge leaders effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding. They work closely with parents to develop trust and offer support. This includes those who enter the school midway through the school year. This means that staff develop secure relationships with pupils and families. Staff are trained to be vigilant. They report any concerns swiftly.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding leads offer in-school support, such as play therapy and pupil counselling, to address potential safeguarding concerns. Leaders make timely referrals to external agencies when needed. They are tenacious in escalating concerns and advocating for pupils and families to ensure that they have access to the support they need.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders are still refining the exact knowledge that they want pupils to know and the order in which it should be taught. This means that some pupils are not able to build on their previous learning as well as they should. Leaders should finalise their curriculum thinking so that all teachers are clear about the precise knowledge that pupils will learn and remember from the early years to Year 6.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2017. 13 and 14 December 2022

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 13 and 14 December 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Jennifer Murshid

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 28 and 29 November 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new chair of governors and several other new governors have recently been appointed to the governing body.  School leaders do not make use of any alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, she met 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. She observed pupils reading to a familiar adult. She also spoke with leaders about the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspector considered the views expressed by parents in their responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text comments. 13 and 14 December 2022

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 The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils. She also spoke with some pupils about school life.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation about safeguarding. She also spoke with staff to understand how they keep children safe.  The inspector spoke with some parents at the start of the day. She also spoke with staff to discuss leaders’ support for them.

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Inspection team

Amanda Downing, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 December 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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