Kingsbury High School

Inspection of a good school: Kingsbury High School Princes Avenue, Kingsbury, London NW9 9JR

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Inspection dates: 31 January and 1 February 2024

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Outcome

Kingsbury High School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Alex Thomas. This school is a single-academy trust. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sandra Ernstoff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has successfully created a vibrant, inclusive culture where pupils succeed. Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. A high value is placed on the ethos and values that pupils learn, for example as a Unicef Rights Respecting School.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel valued and listened to. The student leadership team members contribute positively to school decisions and develop valuable leadership skills in this role. Pupils attend school regularly, enjoy learning and are successful in their academic studies. Sixth- form students enjoy an exceptional educational experience. They are taught by highly knowledgeable teachers who are aspirational for their futures.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils’ achievement, and addresses any barriers faced by those who are vulnerable or disadvantaged in any way. Staff want the best for pupils. They have very warm working relationships with pupils and know them well. Typically, pupils behave well across the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and safe at school. Pupils know that they can talk with a member of staff if they have any concerns. Pupils’ health, welfare and well-being are well supported through the personal development programme.

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

The school has an ambitious and well-planned curriculum. It identifies the important knowledge that teachers want pupils to know. Pupils study a wide range of subjects that prepare them well for future education, training or employment. The school is well led and managed. Staff work in the best interests of pupils. They feel well supported by the school and they appreciate the training they receive. 31 January and 1 February 2024

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The school ensures that pupils achieve well. Sixth-form students are very well taught. Teachers teach complex ideas with clarity. As a result, sixth-form students achieve very high outcomes. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from a personalised approach focused on their needs. This is particularly strong for those in the Total Communication Resource for hearing-impaired pupils.

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In most subjects, teachers have excellent subject knowledge and teach with an enthusiasm that excites pupils. They plan activities that build on pupils’ prior learning. Staff check pupils’ knowledge and understanding regularly. In some subjects, the checking and addressing of pupils’ understanding are sometimes missed. This means that errors and misconceptions in pupils’ work continue. Pupils, particularly students in the sixth form, benefit from the help they get to improve their work and to learn independently.

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The school behaviour policy is well understood by pupils and staff. Pupils appreciate why good behaviour matters. They understand the ‘Kingsbury Way’, which focuses on respect for self, others and the environment. These approaches have contributed to the reduction in the number of pupils who are suspended from school. Most pupils behave well in lessons. When a small number of younger pupils struggle to behave as they should, staff respond fairly and consistently.

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The school has high expectations of pupils’ attendance. Leaders use a range of systems to support pupils to improve their attendance over time, which is very successful. Most pupils attend school regularly and attendance throughout the school is high. Leaders have a clear understanding of the school and its current strengths and areas for development. Governors are clear and confident about their roles and responsibilities.

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The personal development programme is comprehensive. Leaders have ensured that content covers issues which are relevant to pupils in the school. Pupils are taught how to look after their physical and mental health. Staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe. The programme for tutor time is well structured.

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The school provides a wide range of personal development activities. This includes the popular ‘move it’ club, which promotes physical activity and is delivered by students in the sixth form. While many pupils take advantage of extra-curricular activities, there is not yet a consistently strong take-up across the school. This means that pupils are not consistently benefiting from this excellent work.

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Pupils experience relevant and useful careers education which provides them with the skills to move on to the next stage in their education. For example, students in the sixth form benefit from work experience related to their interests. The school’s approach to careers education is integrated well into the curriculum. This enables pupils to understand how their studies support and inform their future aspirations.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 31 January and 1 February 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not consistently identify and address pupils’ misconceptions. As a result, errors can persist in pupils’ work. The school should ensure that teachers routinely check pupils’ understanding of what they have learned so that pupils’ understanding is deepened.  Systems to check that all pupils benefit from the school’s extra-curricular opportunities are not fully developed. This limits the school’s oversight of whether pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, fully participate in the available opportunities. The school needs to make sure that it checks carefully that all pupils can benefit from taking part in its excellent personal development offer.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2014.

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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. 31 January and 1 February 2024

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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 2,007

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form

Date of previous inspection 18 April 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders make use of two registered alternative providers.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND which caters specifically for pupils with hearing impairments. There are currently three pupils educated in the unit.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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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 held meetings with the headteacher, members of the governing board, members of the school leadership team and members of staff, as well as a range of pupils.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, Spanish and computer science. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors gathered the views of pupils, parents and carers, and staff through both discussions and responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Sam Johnson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

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

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