The Kingsbrook School

Inspection of The Kingsbrook School Armstrongs Fields, Broughton, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP22 7BR

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Nancy Simpson. This school is part of the Insignis Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Garrett Fay, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gaynor Bull. 29 and 30 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are rightly proud of their new school. They are well prepared to succeed academically and to become responsible citizens. High expectations for all pupils and a clear set of values are the foundations of the school. Pupils strive to follow ‘The Kingsbrook Way’. Pupils achieve well in most subjects. They enjoy their learning and appreciate the help they get from staff, who know them well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a calm and orderly environment. Clear routines and high expectations of behaviour begin the moment pupils arrive at the school, when leaders greet them with a friendly smile. Pupils are safe in school. There is a culture of respect. Pupils know they have staff they can talk to if they have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school goes to great lengths to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The ARC, the school’s inclusion unit for pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs plays an important part in ensuring that these pupils can access the curriculum successfully.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from an exceptional range of extra-curricular activities, trips and leadership opportunities that build their character and confidence greatly. The school listens to pupils’ views when organising these activities. For example, British Sign Language classes were introduced recently following requests from pupils.

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

The school’s character education is impressive and threads through all aspects of school life. Leaders and staff have carefully developed a strategy to equip pupils with the knowledge and skills they need for adulthood. Pupils are educated exceedingly well about important issues through subject curriculums, ‘enquiry’ lessons, tutor-time activities and assemblies. Pupils say they have been given the confidence to speak out in uncomfortable situations. They have a strong empathy for others and demonstrate a deep understanding of issues such as healthy relationships. The school ensures that disadvantaged pupils benefit from its broad range of extracurricular activities. Pupils are exceptionally well prepared to become confident and successful citizens in modern Britain.

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

The trust has provided specialist subject expertise to develop the curriculum. As a result, the school has designed an ambitious key stage 3 curriculum. In most subjects, leaders and staff have thought carefully about what pupils need to learn and when. Pupils with SEND who attend The ARC provision access an ambitious curriculum and benefit from the support of specialist staff.

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

Pupils’ positive attitudes to learning and consistent routines lead to a purposeful atmosphere in lessons. The curriculum is typically delivered effectively so that pupils learn well. Staff have been well trained to use teaching methods that help pupils to learn successfully. For example, staff help pupils to recall key concepts and deepen their knowledge. However, at times, staff do not check carefully that pupils have the depth of 29 and 30 April 2025

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knowledge of important information they have been taught. On occasion, pupils struggle to recall and explain key concepts and ideas accurately.

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The school identifies the needs of pupils’ with SEND swiftly and accurately. Teachers use the class profiles well to understand and address barriers to learning for pupils with SEND. This helps pupils with SEND to learn well.

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The school successfully promotes pupils’ confidence and enjoyment in reading. Pupils regularly read an ambitious and diverse range of literature. Books are carefully chosen to raise pupils’ awareness of topical issues and link with the school’s character values. Pupils who are struggling with reading are carefully identified and given the support they need to catch up quickly.

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The school is taking clear steps to improve attendance, ensuring pupils understand the importance of being in school daily. Most pupils attend well. The school tracks absences carefully. Targeted interventions are improving the attendance of some pupils. However, absence rates for some disadvantaged pupils are too high.

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Governance is strong. Trustees and governors are knowledgeable about the school and offer suitable support and challenge. They are highly ambitious for the school and determined to maintain its standards and values as it continues to grow. The trust provides valuable expertise and support. Staff recognise there is much to do when setting up a new school. They appreciate the support that they get from leaders to manage their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers sometimes do not check carefully that pupils have understood important concepts before moving on to new learning. This means that some pupils do not build knowledge as securely as they could. The trust should ensure that staff receive the guidance that they need to use assessment strategies effectively, in line with the best practices that exist within the school.  Some disadvantaged pupils are absent from school too often. As a result, they do not benefit as much as they could from the high-quality education provided by the school. The trust should ensure that it embeds its strategies to improve attendance for this group of pupils. 29 and 30 April 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). 29 and 30 April 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Insignis Academy Trust.  The school opened in September 2022. It currently has pupils in Years 7 to 9. It will have pupils in all year groups up to Year 13 by September 2028.  The school has an inclusion unit for pupils with SEMH needs, known as The ARC. Currently, 19 pupils are placed in this provision, which has capacity for 32 pupils.  The school currently uses one registered and four unregistered alternative provisions.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and 29 and 30 April 2025

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management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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.  Inspectors held meetings with a range of leaders, including the headteacher and senior leaders, members of the trust executive team, subject leaders, pastoral leaders and the special educational needs coordinator. Inspectors also met with members of the board of trustees and the local governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, history, mathematics and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also spoke to leaders,

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visited lessons and looked at samples of pupils’ work in some other subjects.  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.  Inspectors considered a range of information including the school’s plans for improvement and behaviour records.  Inspectors considered the views of staff through Ofsted’s online staff survey. The views of parents were taken into account through Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. Inspectors met with groups of pupils formally and informally to discuss their views of the school.

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Inspection team

Mark Bagust, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Wendy Martin Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 April 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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