Kingsgate School

Inspection of Kingsgate School 239 West Street, Fareham, Hampshire PO16 0HZ

p.1

Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel very happy and safe as part of the ‘Kingsgate family’. This is a calm and nurturing school where pupils’ social, emotional and mental health needs are expertly supported. Leaders and staff work closely with therapists to help pupils understand themselves. Pupils learn how to communicate their feelings while staying calm. Pupils are proud that they can do this even when they find a situation tricky to manage.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop warm, respectful and trusting relationships with adults. Pupils form healthy friendships with each other and celebrate each other’s successes readily. Parents are full of praise for the positive difference the school makes, in particular how pupils’ self-esteem grows as they quickly gain confidence. Several said that family lives are happier because staff communicate with parents extremely well, helping parents to support their child’s social and emotional needs outside of school.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Adults know each pupil’s needs, aptitudes and abilities exceptionally well. This knowledge underpins the very high expectations the school has for each pupil’s academic learning and personal development. Pupils are eager to meet these expectations. They thrive in the school’s positive atmosphere. One parent summed up the views of many: ‘My child is celebrated, encouraged, respected, challenged and, most of all, happy.’

p.2

better?

Some pupils who join Kingsgate have previously had long periods of absence from school, sometimes over many years. A carefully thought-through induction period helps pupils to feel safe and ready to re-enter a school environment. Adults help pupils build up their time in school so that they are quickly able to attend regularly.

p.2

better?

As a result of the school’s nurturing approach, pupils are rarely absent from school. Should a pupil’s medical or health needs require a period of absence, adults keep in close contact with families and provide appropriate learning remotely.

p.2

better?

Pupils study a highly ambitious and well-organised curriculum which leads to pupils taking a suite of GCSE, functional skills and other vocational qualifications by the end of Year 11. Leaders have made sure that the content of each subject is suitably designed and sequenced to build up pupils’ knowledge step by step. Staff expertly adapt what they teach to meet pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and to fill prior gaps in learning. Resources are well matched to pupils’ SEND needs. Staff know just the right questions to ask to check that pupils have learned what they have been taught. Adults make further adaptations and revisit learning to ensure new knowledge is thoroughly embedded in pupils’ memories.

p.2

better?

Staff make sure that learning broadens pupils’ horizons and experiences and that pupils learn how to be themselves. Leaders make sure that pupils are able to follow their talents, such as in music, cooking and drama. Pupils regularly go into the 21 to 23 May 2024 community to learn, for example buying food in a shop or going for a nature walk. Pupils learn about healthy friendships, how to be safe online and how to celebrate diversity. The vocal school council is passionate about raising money for local and international charities. Regular careers education includes visiting local colleges in preparation for leaving the school at the end of Year 11. Through all of this, pupils’ confidence, self-esteem and self-worth rise.

p.2

better?

Pupils make excellent progress in managing their emotions. Adults, including expert therapists, help pupils unpick how they respond in different situations. Pupils learn to recognise their own triggers and develop a ‘toolkit’ of techniques that they use to minimise any extreme or heightened behaviour and return themselves to being calm and focused on learning. Impressively, pupils quickly learn to vocalise their emotions while remaining calm.

p.3

better?

Reading is prioritised throughout the school. At whatever age pupils join the school, adults check for any gaps in phonics knowledge and make sure that these get filled quickly. The curriculum as a whole provides pupils with lots of opportunities to write about what they learn. For many, this involves staff skilfully building up pupils’ self- confidence so that they write and spell more readily, frequently and with more stamina.

p.3

better?

The proprietor is determined that pupils get the best education possible so that they can be successful in future life. It has made sure that governors are well qualified and challenge the school to achieve more. In particular, leaders have made sure that staff receive high-quality professional development and training so that they know the needs of pupils with SEND extremely well, as well as how to organise a curriculum and adapt teaching to meet these needs. The proprietor cares for its staff. It has implemented some creative and very popular ways of prioritising staff well-being. Leaders make sure that workloads are manageable. This feeds into the happy, family feel of the school.

p.3

better?

The proprietor has applied for a material change which was considered during this standard inspection. This is to increase the maximum number of pupils from 24 to 26 and to increase the age range of pupils from 16 to 18. This is to allow some pupils who have been out of education for a significant period the extra time they need to gain qualifications and be ready to attend mainstream further education independently. The proprietor intends to extend the current bespoke key stage 4 curriculum offer for these pupils. The site has enough space to accommodate two extra pupils. Therefore, all aspects of the requirements of the independent school standards are likely to be met if the proposed changes are approved.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 21 to 23 May 2024

p.3

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 21 to 23 May 2024

p.4

School details

Type of school Other independent special school

p.5

School details

School category Independent special school

p.5

School details

Email address admin@kingsgateschool.co.uk

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 3 to 5 March 2020 21 to 23 May 2024

p.5

Information about this school

 Kingsgate School is an independent special school which caters for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. Some pupils have associated complex learning difficulties. Several have been out of education for some time before joining this school. The school’s stated aims are to provide education and therapy for pupils in a small-scale and welcoming environment.  All pupils have an education, health and care plan. All pupils are placed by local authorities.  The school has increased in size and age range since the previous standard inspection in March 2020. This is a result of a material change inspection which took place on 4 July 2022.  The school makes use of one registered and three unregistered alternative provisions.

p.6

Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

p.6

Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgment about the quality of a school’s educational provision.

p.6

Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

p.6

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school 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 headteacher, who is also one of the proprietors, other senior leaders and staff.  The lead inspector met with governors and held a meeting with both members of the proprietor body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics and technology, focusing on food technology. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, 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 explored pupils’ learning in personal, social and health education.  Inspectors spoke with pupils throughout the inspection to gain their views about

p.6

Information about this inspection

the school. 21 to 23 May 2024  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record and other safeguarding records; took account of the views of leaders, staff, pupils and parents; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.’  Inspectors toured the school site and checked a range of policies and documents. The lead inspector reviewed the school’s website and other records regarding the welfare, health and safety of pupils and staff linked to the independent school standards.  Inspectors gathered evidence to explore the impact of pupils’ behaviour, the school’s wider curriculum offer and how leaders support staff with their workload.  Inspectors considered the views of parents who submitted letters to Ofsted and who completed Ofsted’s confidential survey, Ofsted Parent View.

p.6

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors considered the views of staff who completed a confidential survey and gathered their views when meeting with staff.

p.7

The school’s proposed change to the age range of pupils and the

maximum number of pupils. The school has applied to the Department for Education (DfE) to make a ‘material change’ to its registration. At the DfE’s request, we checked whether the school is likely to meet the relevant independent school standards if the DfE decides to approve the change. This part of the inspection was carried out under section 162(4) of the Education Act 2002.  The outcome of this part of the inspection is : the school is likely to meet the

p.7

Information about the material change inspection

 The lead inspector discussed the reasons for the proposed material change with the proprietor.  The lead inspector toured the site to check that there is capacity for an additional two pupils.  The lead inspector scrutinised curriculum and other documents relating to the proposed rise in age of pupils to 18.

p.7

Inspection team

Catherine Old, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.7

Inspection team

Mark Bagust Ofsted Inspector 21 to 23 May 2024 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.7

Inspection team

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.8

Inspection team

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.8

Inspection team

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

p.8

Inspection team

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

p.8