Kelmscott School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Kelmscott School 245 Markhouse Road, Walthamstow, London E17 8DN

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 January 2025

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Outcome

Kelmscott School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Kelmscott are happy and kept safe and develop as confident and resilient learners. They are well supported to meet the school’s high expectations. They talk with enthusiasm about the school values of self-control, tolerance, optimism, resilience and motivation. Pupils move around the school sensibly and safely. They enjoy warm relationships with staff and with each other. They are very polite and welcoming to visitors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are rightly proud of their school. They describe it as a creative, safe and inclusive place to learn. Pupils display highly positive attitudes to learning and, in most subjects, achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are an extensive range of opportunities to support pupils’ personal development. This includes visits to museums and other places of interest. Pupils have access to numerous activities to develop their talents and interests. These include creative writing, debating, LGBTQ+, basketball and art. Pupils benefit from a range of workshops and visiting speakers, who deliver important messages about climate change, online safety and inclusion.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are eager to take on additional responsibilities, including as members of the school council, ‘neurodiversity’ or ‘climate ambassadors’. Pupils discuss with confidence the key issues they are passionate about in assemblies. They also make a positive contribution by raising money for charities as well as for improvements to their school environment. 14 and 15 January 2025

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

The school provides a broad and highly ambitious curriculum that meets, and sometimes exceeds, what is expected nationally. For example, pupils in key stage 3 learn about ancient Greek and Roman languages, literature, history and culture. The school also offers an extensive range of subject options at key stage 4. This means pupils have a wide choice of studying subjects that interest them, and which will help prepare them for their futures.

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

The curriculum is well designed to ensure that pupils learn the knowledge they need in clearly defined steps. This enables them to secure their understanding before learning more complex ideas later. For example, in mathematics, pupils consolidate their understanding of fractions from primary school in Year 7 in readiness for work on scale factors and ratio in Year 8.

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

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. In most subjects, they explain ideas clearly and check that pupils have understood what they are learning. Staff typically use assessment information to adapt future learning based on pupils’ needs. There are, however, times when this is less effective. In these instances, assessment is not used as well to identify and address pupils’ misconceptions. As a result, there are gaps in some pupils’ knowledge that prevents them from developing the deep body of knowledge they need to understand and move through the intended curriculum.

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

The school has adapted quickly to support the number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school ensures their needs are identified swiftly and appropriate strategies are put in place. These are shared effectively with staff. Pupils with SEND learn successfully alongside their peers and typically access the same ambitious curriculum, wherever this is possible.

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

The school has prioritised reading for every pupil. There is a comprehensive reading programme in place, where pupils read ambitious texts with their tutor group. Specific reading interventions provide additional support for those whose need support to read with more accuracy and fluency. This helps them to catch up. The school supports the high number of pupils who speak English as an additional language to read and write with confidence.

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

The school manages attendance effectively. Well-developed systems enable leaders to check pupil attendance and identify patterns and any barriers preventing pupils from attending school. Staff work well with the local authority, families, and other agencies to support pupils to overcome these barriers. Behaviour is exemplary. The school has embedded a rewards and sanctions policy that is consistently applied and understood by pupils and staff. Pupils who have struggled to regulate their behaviour in the past, feel well supported to improve.

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

The school has ensured that pupils have an extensive range of enriching experiences to prepare them for life beyond school. Pupils are taught how to keep healthy and safe in 14 and 15 January 2025

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the community and online. They also receive wide-ranging and beneficial careers advice and guidance. This helps them make informed choices, when considering their next steps for education, employment or training.

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Since the previous inspection, leaders, including those responsible for governance, have taken effective action to develop the curriculum and establish excellent behaviour expectations. Staff are highly positive about the way leaders support their well-being and workload. Parents and carers are rightly very positive about the work of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some instances, assessment is not used consistently to check if pupils are learning the intended curriculum. This leads to gaps in some pupils’ knowledge and what they learn over time. The school must ensure that there is a consistent approach to ensuring pupils learn and remember the intended curriculum.

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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 January 2020. 14 and 15 January 2025

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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.

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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). 14 and 15 January 2025

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School details

Local authority London Borough of Waltham Forest

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses one unregistered alternative provision under the advice and guidance of the local authority.  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 the 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.  The inspectors met with school leaders, including the headteacher, deputy headteacher and assistant headteachers, as well as members of the governing body, including the 14 and 15 January 2025

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chair of governors. They also spoke with a representative from the local authority and their school improvement partner.  Inspectors visited lessons, met with pupils and looked at samples of their work. They also observed break and lunchtimes.  Inspectors considered documentation related to curriculum and assessment, behaviour, attendance and provision for pupils with SEND.  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 and open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupil’s interests first.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were considered through discussions, as well as their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Una Buckley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephen Adcock Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 January 2025

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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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