Kingsland Primary School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Kingsland Primary School Aberford Road, Stanley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF3 4BA

p.1

Outcome

Kingsland Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Kingsland is a school that operates on two sites, one located in the Stanley area of Wakefield and the other located within the Castleford area. This is a kind and caring school where pupils flourish. Pupils develop very strong relationships with staff. All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils achieve exceptionally well. Staff are highly attuned to, understand and address every individual pupil’s special educational need and/or disability. Leaders are determined that all pupils will have the skills that they need. They prioritise the school’s approach to supporting every pupil to reach their full potential. Therefore, pupils are well prepared for their future lives.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and secure. They love coming to school and learning. Staff notice pupils’ every achievement, talent or interest. They create opportunities to develop, showcase and nurture them. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school and describe it as ‘an amazing school’. The views of many parents were reflected by one who said that the staff ‘go above and beyond in all aspects of their work!’

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave exceptionally well and are aware of the high expectations for their behaviour. Pupils are supported to understand and communicate their needs by a caring and thoughtful approach from staff. Pupils expressed or demonstrated that they feel safe in school. They learn about making friends and interacting with others in positive ways.

p.1

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

Leaders and their staff team know their pupils extremely well. They are acutely aware that pupils have a wide range of specific needs. Some pupils need a highly specialised curriculum. They have designed four pathways which help pupils to experience their school journey in the way which best meets their needs. School staff work closely with a range of health professionals, therapists and their own specialist support workers to support individual pupils. The role of these experienced staff is woven into the school day to offer pupils and families support which goes beyond the academic curriculum. 11 and 12 July 2023

p.1

2

The curriculum is highly ambitious for all pupils. Leaders have ensured that the school’s curriculum makes it clear what individual pupils must know and be able to do. Leaders have thought carefully about the important knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn. They have made this accessible to pupils who have very complex special educational needs. Adults know their pupils well. They design lessons which are matched to individual needs. Assessment and tracking of progress is very detailed and linked to pupils’ specific needs, developmental goals and learning; for example, pupils learning about plants through sensory exploration in the school’s garden area and developing understanding of capacity through water play.

p.2

2

For those pupils who are at the early stages of reading phonics and early reading, skills are developed through a range of engaging activities which are matched to individual pupils’ needs.

p.2

2

Adults working with children in the early years have a detailed understanding of every child and their support plans. They have created a stimulating environment with very carefully selected equipment and resources. This provides the children with every opportunity to experience sensory stimulation or to engage with the environment around them.

p.2

2

Leaders and staff promote pupils’ personal development highly effectively. Pupils enjoy the enrichment activities offered to them. For instance, pupils enjoy cooking or going to the pantomime. Leaders provide pupils with many experiences outside of school. Pupils delight in these experiences, such as meeting the animals at Countryside Live.

p.2

2

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support they receive for their workload and well-being. Governors know the school extremely well. They offer high levels of support while also providing effective challenge to leaders.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

Safeguarding

Leaders and staff undertake extensive training to ensure that they can identify and respond to any concerns about pupils. Staff are vigilant and report concerns promptly. Leaders work effectively with a wide range of external agencies to provide support for pupils and their families.

p.2

Safeguarding

Governors make regular visits to review the school’s safeguarding procedures. Leaders make robust checks to ensure that adults are safe to work with pupils. Where appropriate for the pupils, they learn about keeping themselves healthy and safe. 11 and 12 July 2023

p.2

Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in March 2018.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

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. 11 and 12 July 2023

p.3

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.4

School details

Co-headteachers Amy Johnston and Paula Trow

p.4

School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 March 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.4

Information about this school

 The pupils are grouped into pathways which reflect the level of their special educational needs. Pupils are able to move between the pathways on their journey through the school.  The school does not use alternative education providers.

p.4

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors met with the headteachers, the assistant headteachers, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, the business manager and teachers. The inspectors also met with a number of the governors and the local authority representative.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and personal and social education. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with pathway and subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at evidence for learning.  Inspectors visited pupils across the school, including children in the early years foundation stage. 11 and 12 July 2023

p.4

5

 Inspectors met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead. The inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s single central record, which includes recruitment checks made on staff.  The responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, were also taken into account. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey but inspectors spoke to and observed pupils in school.

p.5

Inspection team

Catherine Beard, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.5

Inspection team

Michael Wardle His Majesty’s Inspector 11 and 12 July 2023

p.5

6

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.

p.6

6

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

6

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

6

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

6

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6