The John Wallis Church of England Academy

Inspection of The John Wallis Church of England Academy Millbank Road, Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent TN23 3HG

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Inspection dates: 31 January and 1 February 2024

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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 Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

The principal of this school is Damian McBeath. This school is part of The John Wallis Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Rupert Evenett. 31 January and 1 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that the school has high expectations of what everyone will achieve. The new behaviour rules that have recently been put in place make it clear to pupils their role in helping to make the school a calm place to learn. Each day, pupils reflect on how they can promote Christian ‘light’ values such as integrity and tolerance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils follow the school rules and treat each other respectfully. Pupils who need additional help to manage their behaviour receive appropriate, thoughtful support. For pupils who need it, therapeutic alternative education helps to develop pupils’ resilience and engagement with learning. They learn social skills that they can apply in school to interact more positively with education and their peers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn a broad range of subjects to prepare them for an ambitious future. The curriculum has been carefully designed to be accessible to all. This means all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can learn the skills and knowledge they need. For example, in physical education, pupils can demonstrate learning by talking about what they know even if they cannot demonstrate physical skills.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Sixth-form students speak highly of the support that they receive from their teachers. A range of ambitious qualification options and effective pastoral guidance prepares them well for success.

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better?

The curriculum has been recently reviewed and replanned for each stage of pupils’ education. It carefully identifies the important facts and skills pupils need to know in a logical order. Plans cover concepts in sufficient depth to help pupils form a deep understanding. Pupils regularly practise important skills, such as multiplication tables in mathematics. This helps pupils remember and apply learning with increased ease and fluency. The ambition of the curriculum is high. The teaching of modern foreign languages starts very early, in Year 1. Pupils learn common greetings and how to count in French and Spanish. This means pupils are increasingly better prepared to achieve a qualification in languages. An increasing number of pupils are now studying a language in key stage 4 as part of the English Baccalaureate.

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better?

Some parts of the curriculum are newer. When this is the case, teachers do not always check what pupils can remember from prior learning. Therefore, teaching can move too quickly through topics before pupils have a confident grasp of new ideas. Learning is not always sufficiently revisited. This can limit how well some pupils fully understand concepts and can use these in their learning.

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better?

Children in Reception secure the foundational knowledge needed to be curious learners. Learning is carefully designed to promote secure numeracy and reading skills. Each day, children carefully practise new letters and words. Expertly trained 31 January and 1 February 2024

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staff help them to read with increasing fluency and understanding. In each class, pupils who need additional help to read confidently receive effective support. Consequently, most pupils use their reading skills to learn well in other subjects.

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Most pupils understand their role in making the school a happy and inclusive place to learn. Lessons are typically calm and purposeful. Teachers can get on with helping pupils to learn well. The school provides additional help for those pupils who do not attend school well. For some pupils, this support has improved attendance to school. Leaders recognise that there is still work to do to provide the right assistance for those who need it.

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Sixth-form students are role models for other pupils. Nurturing relationships between students and staff focus on helping everyone to realise their full potential. A wide offer of qualifications matches students’ ambitions. An extensive programme of enrichment supplements academic learning and raises aspirations. Work experience and volunteering opportunities enrich the school’s effective careers programme. This helps to prepare students for adulthood.

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The new ‘Expanding Horizons’ programme develops pupils’ many skills and talents. A wealth of extra-curricular clubs and trips helps pupils to experience new activities such as abseiling. Student leadership provides pupils with a way to contribute to school life. Sixth-forms students help younger pupils to practise reading aloud. Pupils learn to keep themselves safe and healthy. Most pupils model mutual respect, which is actively promoted by the school. Therefore, pupils are increasingly well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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The school regularly reviews support plans to help pupils with SEND to learn successfully in class. Leaders provide training to help staff use the strategies set out in these plans. Leaders regularly review how well support meets pupils’ individual needs. The school recognises there is more they can do to keep parents and carers informed about how their child’s SEND needs are being met. Leaders have taken steps to improve this. Newsletters, open mornings to discuss support and a recent ‘Phonics and Pizza’ session help parents to support their child’s learning at home.

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The school rigorously monitors and reviews its improvement plans. Staff understand their role in the school’s improvement journey. They feel part of a united team to provide the best care so that pupils continue to thrive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not always check that pupils understand concepts accurately or in sufficient detail. This can limit how well pupils can apply what they know to new 31 January and 1 February 2024

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learning. Leaders must continue to ensure that all staff have the training needed so they can help pupils know and remember more over time.  Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This puts them at risk of missing out on vital education and risk further disengaging them with learning. The school must continue to work with services to ensure that pupils attend school regularly.  A minority of parents have a negative perception of the support for pupils who need additional help. This means some parents do not always know how to work constructively with the school to support their child’s education. The school must continue to work with parents to ensure pupils receive the most appropriate help to achieve well.

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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' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 31 January and 1 February 2024

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,777

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 11 September 2018

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Information about this school

 This school is a single academy trust.  The school uses three registered providers of alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, 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

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 31 January and 1 February 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, staff and pupils. The lead inspector also met with the representatives from the board of trustees, including the chair of trustees. These trustees are referred to as governors in this school.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, English, mathematics, modern foreign languages, physical education and history. They discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, teachers and pupils, visited lessons and looked at samples of pupils’ work. An inspector also listened to pupils read. Inspectors also looked at other aspects of the school’s curriculum.  Inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire,

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including the free-text comments. They also took account of the responses to the confidential staff survey and gathered the views of both staff and pupils throughout the inspection.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed and scrutinised a range of the school’s documentation, including leaders’ plans for improving the school, minutes of governor meetings and records of attendance and behaviour incidents.

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Inspection team

Michelle Payne, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jason Philipsz Ofsted Inspector 31 January and 1 February 2024

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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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