Kingswood School

Inspection of Kingswood School St James Place, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands B90 2BA

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 January, and 4 and 5 February

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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Yes

28 and 29 January, and 4 and 5 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ well-being and care is at the forefront of everything that happens at Kingswood School. The school has high ambitions for pupils. All staff want children to be the best they can be. Warm and respectful relationships between adults and pupils make these aims a reality. Pupils flourish and do well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children at this school are a delight. They are courteous, welcoming and friendly. They are safe and enjoy learning and coming to school. Pupils trust their adults to deal with any issues quickly and effectively should they ever happen. Pupils say that everyone is welcome at their school and that anyone can ‘just be who they are’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school places emphasis on pupils’ personal and character development. Pupils benefit from a wide range of activities that develop their personalities and extend their learning beyond the classroom. These include taking on leadership roles and attending trips and after-school clubs. Pupils speak with passion about their roles as house captains or school councillors. Pupils learn important values such as kindness and respect. The school is highly inclusive and ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have the same opportunities as their peers.

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better?

The school offers a wide-ranging and balanced curriculum that engages pupils. Pupils enjoy their lessons and can recall information about the topics they have studied. In most subjects, the school has clearly identified the key knowledge that pupils are expected to learn and remember to make progress. Pupils build this knowledge logically and securely over time. This prepares them well for the next stage of their education by the time they leave the school. However, in a few subjects, the curriculum is less clear about the sequence of knowledge that pupils are expected to learn and remember for continued progress.

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better?

Teachers know pupils extremely well. They understand the needs of those with SEND and are successful in ensuring that everyone accesses the curriculum. High adult-to-pupil ratios often means that pupils receive a lot of support and guidance in lessons. Staff typically ask questions and hold class discussions to explore pupils’ understanding. This helps them identify and address misconceptions. However, in some subjects, the school’s approach to checking pupils’ progress over time lacks precision. This makes it more challenging for teachers to identify learning gaps and assist pupils in keeping up.

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better?

Children learn phonics early on in the Reception Year. They benefit from daily lessons that build their knowledge progressively. Teachers typically teach sounds accurately, and pupils practise reading regularly. Those who fall behind are supported to quickly gain the skills they need. The approach is successful. Pupils make good progress through the school’s phonics curriculum. By Year 3, pupils are 28 and 29 January, and 4 and 5 February 2025 confident and fluent readers. They demonstrate impressive reading abilities, often characterised by confidence and expression.

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better?

Children in the early years engage in a purposeful curriculum. Staff broaden children’s use and understanding of vocabulary. This helps to prepare them well for the curriculum in Year 1. Daily routines, along with warm relationships with adults, help children to feel safe and secure. They welcome visitors with smiles and engage in conversations. The setting sparks children’s interests and their curiosity about the world.

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better?

The school’s personal, social and health education curriculum is thoughtfully planned and well organised. The school has identified specific vocabulary and knowledge they expect pupils to learn year by year. The curriculum encourages pupils to discuss and share their opinions on various current affairs. It also includes engaging pupils in activities, including role play and drama. The curriculum resources include review activities to help teachers check pupils’ knowledge. However, this approach is not yet fully established across all year groups.

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better?

Pupils behave very well and look after each other. They understand the school’s rules and routines, and they live up to them. Staff and pupils show each other respect and kindness. Pupils display positive attitudes towards learning and work hard. They appreciate the recognition and rewards that they receive for their good behaviour. The school is a calm and happy place to learn.

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better?

The school prepares pupils for life in modern Britain by focusing on their character development. From an early age, children are taught the importance of manners and etiquette. They learn to collaborate and work together in classrooms and as part of house teams. Some pupils take on additional responsibilities, such as managing the school’s tuck shop or leading clubs. These initiatives help build pupils’ confidence and independence. Additionally, pupils learn about important concepts, including equality and civil rights. They enhance their cultural understanding through trips and visits. For example, some pupils deepened their knowledge of the Buddhist faith by participating in a workshop led by a Buddhist monk.

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better?

The proprietor communicates a clear vision for the school and maintains strategic oversight. This includes making arrangements to support the school during changes in its leadership team. The proprietor has also ensured that the school complies with its statutory obligations, including those for the early years foundation stage. The school is compliant with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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better?

Staff morale is high. Teachers feel that the school promotes their well-being. They share the school’s vision and engage in opportunities for professional development. Their positivity benefits pupils because it makes the school a happy and purposeful place. Parents and carers too express positive opinions about their children’s experiences at the school. 28 and 29 January, and 4 and 5 February 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In a few subjects, the school has not identified the precise knowledge that pupils are expected to know and remember. This limits pupils’ learning. The school should further develop the curriculum so that the precise knowledge, vocabulary and skills that pupils are expected to learn are identified in all subjects.  The school’s approach to assessing what pupils know and remember is not fully developed in some subjects. This hinders teachers from addressing gaps in pupils’ learning effectively. The school should review its approach to assessment to ensure that pupils’ learning gaps are accurately identified and addressed.

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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.

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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. 28 and 29 January, and 4 and 5 February 2025

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £9,510 to £10,675

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School details

Email address info@kingswoodschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 to 28 April 2022 28 and 29 January, and 4 and 5 February 2025

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Information about this school

 Kingswood School is an independent school that caters for pupils between the ages of two and 16. The school currently has pupils aged three to 11.  An assistant headteacher left the school in December 2024. A new assistant headteacher was recruited from within the school.  The headteacher retires in February 2025. Arrangements have been made for an existing member of staff to become the school’s acting headteacher.  The school is registered for 100 pupils and has 56 pupils on roll.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

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

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspection started on 28 January 2025. It was paused in line with Ofsted inspection and visits: Deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy. Inspectors returned on 4 February 2025 to complete the inspection.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, other members of the senior leadership team and the proprietor.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and history. 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 reviewed samples of pupils’ work in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

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 reviewed a range of documents, including school policies and the school’s website. 28 and 29 January, and 4 and 5 February 2025  Inspectors made checks relating to the independent school standards, including checks on the school’s premises.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s surveys of staff and pupils. They also considered responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Leonard, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Keri Baylis His Majesty’s Inspector 28 and 29 January, and 4 and 5 February 2025 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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