Kings Mill School

Inspection of a good school: Kings Mill School Victoria Road, Driffield YO25 6UG

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Outcome

Kings Mill School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A strong community ethos makes this school a positive and nurturing place to learn. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Staff know pupils well. There are warm, caring relationships. Pupils know they are valued and that their opinions matter in this inclusive school. Consistent and high expectations for behaviour help pupils to feel safe. The environment is calm. Pupils behave well. Staff provide high-quality support and care.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans sit at the heart of each pupil’s curriculum pathway. The curriculum is carefully tailored to pupils’ individual needs. Pupils access learning in ways that meet their sensory and physical needs well. They enjoy one-to-one and small-group teaching.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. There is a strong focus on developing pupils’ communication skills and widening their understanding of the world. Pupils experience a broad curriculum enhanced by a variety of enrichment activities. Pupils enjoy their learning, which is designed to stimulate their interests, develop their independence and prepare them for adulthood well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like holding positions of responsibility, such as school councillors. They enjoy the many sporting opportunities. The school nurtures pupils’ musical talents. Pupils develop confidence through their musical performances. They are particularly proud of the achievements of the school’s ‘signing’ choir.

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

Staff assess pupils’ needs impressively and use the information contained in their EHC plans to inform teaching and learning. Pupils’ individual education plans identify precise targets for them to achieve. The school has meticulous procedures for checking that staff provide effective learning and support to meet the requirements of pupils’ EHC plans. Pupils make positive progress towards achieving the outcomes stated in their EHC plans. 25 to 27 June 2024

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The needs of pupils with complex, profound and physical difficulties are met well. Classrooms are equipped to support the intimate care of pupils fully. Sensory rooms and calm, safe spaces are available for pupils with high anxiety and sensory needs. Staff use a range of strategies confidently to support pupils with communication difficulties. Pupils learn to use signs, symbols and digital devices to clarify meaning and to communicate their needs and opinions.

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Since the last inspection, the profile of pupils’ special educational needs has changed. Leaders have redesigned some aspects of the curriculum to better meet the more diverse needs of pupils. For example, a new personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum is in place. Leaders have considered carefully the ages and stages of pupils and the need for pupils to revisit learning for important topics such as online safety.

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The knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn are clearly identified across the school’s two curriculum pathways. Leaders are currently developing the curriculum further in response to more pupils entering the school who have the potential to attain a broader range of qualifications. The school has suitable plans in place to ensure the formal curriculum will support more pupils to achieve ambitious outcomes. However, this work is in the early stages of implementation.

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Reading is of high priority in school. Staff teach phonics well. They provide extra phonics support for pupils when needed. The joy of reading permeates topics of learning. Pupils read every day. They benefit from borrowing books during their visits to the local library. Children in the early years relish listening to stories and joining in with songs and rhymes. Staff use signing and objects to help children to understand and enjoy stories, songs and rhymes. Children in the early years and those with profound and multiple learning needs particularly enjoy and benefit from sensory stories.

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Some subject leaders are new to their roles. They are enthusiastic and have a secure grasp of what pupils need to learn, why and when. However, the quality of subject leadership across the school is inconsistent. The school is not sure that teaching is effective in all curriculum areas.

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Pupils, including those in the sixth form, attend school regularly. Leaders analyse the attendance of individuals and groups of pupils with precision. They ensure that any absence is followed up promptly and check that pupils who are not in school are safe and well. The importance of regular attendance is highlighted to parents, carers and pupils.

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Provision to support pupils’ wider personal development is a strength of the school. The diverse range of enrichment opportunities is remarkable. Pupils enjoy activities including horse riding, swimming and cricket. Their knowledge and skills are developed during trips to local amenities, theatre performances, camping and other residential experiences. Sixth-form students’ skills develop while running the school’s café at the local church in Driffield. Pupils learn about diversity and the importance of positive relationships and respect for others. They develop their understanding of different faiths and cultures well. The school has a strong reputation for its music provision. The ‘signing’ choir has performed competently at various local events. The school is looking forward to the upcoming ‘Battle of the Bands’ concert, where pupils will showcase their musical talents. 25 to 27 June 2024

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Leaders provide pupils with independent careers guidance. Sixth-form students are supported with college placements. There is a suitable programme in place to promote further education, employment and training options for pupils.

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Staff enjoy working at the school. Most appreciate that leaders are mindful of their workload. Staff are valued and enjoy the well-being days that the school provides.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Subject leadership is inconsistent across the school. This means that the school’s strengths and areas that require further development are not identified precisely. The school should ensure that all staff are trained to check regularly on the progress being made in the subjects they lead.  The range of accredited courses provided by the school is not wide enough. This means that some pupils do not achieve the qualifications they are capable of achieving. The school should ensure that pupils can access a range of relevant qualification options, to help them to achieve their best.

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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 January 2015.

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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. 25 to 27 June 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). 25 to 27 June 2024

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School details

Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire

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Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection 24 October 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Kings Mill school is a special school for pupils with autism; multi-sensory impairments; speech, language and communication difficulties; social, emotional and mental health difficulties; physical disabilities; and profound and multiple learning difficulties. All pupils have an EHC plan.  Since the last inspection, the number of pupils attending the school has increased.  There are currently no children under the age of three attending the school.  Sixth-form students attend the school’s student centre, which is in the grounds of Driffield School and Sixth Form. The address for the student centre is Manorfield Road, Driffield, East Yorkshire YO25 5HR.  The school has residential provision. This is also managed by the governing body. The provision was last inspected by Ofsted in May 2023.  The school does not use any alternative education providers. 25 to 27 June 2024

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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.  This inspection was carried out at the same time as an inspection of the residential provision.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the two assistant headteachers, the designated safeguarding leads, the school business manager and some curriculum leaders. They met with some members of staff and some pupils. The lead inspector held separate meetings with the chair of governors and a school improvement partner for East Riding of Yorkshire local authority. The lead inspector also met with an NHS speech and language therapist who works with the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into communication, language and literacy, including

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Information about this inspection

reading, physical education and PSHE. Inspectors looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons, spoke to teaching staff and spoke to some pupils about their learning. Inspectors also looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects, including mathematics and music.  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 safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for parents and carers, pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Stephanie Innes-Taylor, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tricia Stevens Ofsted Inspector 25 to 27 June 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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