King's Academy Ringmer

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: King’s Academy Ringmer Lewes Road, Ringmer, Lewes, East Sussex BN8 5RB

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 November 2024

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Outcome

King’s Academy Ringmer has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Chris Harvey. This school is part of King’s Group Academies, which means that other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Nick Cross, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ben Williams.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school goes above and beyond to prepare its pupils for their next steps. Well- designed extra-curricular activities foster awareness of global and local issues. There is an exceptional programme of enrichment, designed to appeal to all. As one pupil said, representing the views of many, ‘This is a school with something for everyone.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a very happy and safe school. Staff know their pupils well and relationships are strong. Pupils have confidence in staff to sort out problems if they occur. A reinvigorated behaviour policy has reaped huge rewards. Staff make sure that pupils behave well. Rules are applied rigorously, but fairly. Learning is rarely disrupted by poor behaviour. Pupils now attend more regularly and get to lessons on time. The school has a culture of courtesy and respect. Pupils look out for each other and bullying is extremely rare.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has set high standards in class. Pupils are expected to work hard and commit to their learning. There is a demanding curriculum and pupils achieve well. The school has been especially successful with pupils who attained less well at primary school. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, gain knowledge securely. 12 and 13 November 2024

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

Trustees, governors and multi-academy trust officers provide wise counsel and clear direction. They help the school focus on what matters most. Staff appreciate how leaders streamline workload to make it more manageable.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious for all its pupils. It builds character as well as academic knowledge. Departments ensure that subject content is well planned and matches these goals. Examination courses build logically on what came before. They lay robust foundations for new learning. Staff know their pupils well. They match lesson content skilfully to pupils’ interests, making it more memorable. The school has excellent systems to support pupils with SEND. Teachers apply these rigorously, helping those pupils to achieve their potential.

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

Reading is paramount in this school. The mantra is that ‘every teacher is a teacher of reading.’ Pupils routinely and explicitly learn new vocabulary. They revisit it regularly until they are fluent. This can be seen across all subjects. For example, in geography, pupils learn about megacities around the world. In modern foreign languages, they repeat new words until they have got exactly the right pronunciation. Pupils who have fallen behind with their reading get additional support to catch up. They then make swift progress to close the gap. Most pupils succeed in public examinations, but those who needed extra help with their reading perform exceptionally well.

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

Teachers present topics clearly. They show pupils how to shape and redraft their work. Most teachers give precise feedback and correct misconceptions quickly. On occasion, teachers do not explore in enough detail how far pupils have understood a topic. In these cases, pupils produce work that is less detailed or less accurate.

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

Following the pandemic, pupils were not attending school regularly enough. This was especially true for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and pupils with SEND. The school has gone to great lengths to improve this. Pupils now attend well.

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

The school has raised the bar for pupils’ conduct in recent years. Higher expectations of good behaviour have paid dividends. Pupils treat staff, and each other, with respect. As a result, pupils get on with their learning with little interruption.

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

The school wants its pupils to be ‘world ready’ and offers an exceptional extra-curricular programme to achieve this. The personal, social and health education course gives pupils detailed knowledge and a strong understanding of what it means to be a citizen. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. They show tolerance and respect for people who are different from them. The school’s ‘super-curriculum’ ensures that all its key stage 3 pupils participate in exciting and interesting clubs. Older pupils take a lead in mock elections, international visits, eco-clubs, school performances and events in the local community. 12 and 13 November 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding well enough to correct misconceptions. As a result, in some lessons, pupils gain less detailed knowledge and understand topics less well. The school should ensure that teachers consistently implement the school’s agreed strategies for formative assessment so that all pupils produce high-quality work that reflects their potential.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2019.

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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. 12 and 13 November 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). 12 and 13 November 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The current principal took up office in September 2023.  The school uses one registered alternative provision, and two unregistered alternative provisions, for a very small number of pupils.  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 evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 12 and 13 November 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 trustees, the CEO of the trust, senior trust officers, governors and members of the school’s senior leadership team. The lead inspector also spoke to senior representatives of the alternative provisions.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with a selection of teaching and support staff. They read all the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for pupils, parents and staff. The lead inspector checked the school’s website and studied a range of publicly available information about the school.  Inspectors observed behaviour around the school at breaktimes and spoke to groups of

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pupils, formally and informally.  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.

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Inspection team

Keith Pailthorpe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Peter Fry Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 November 2024

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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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