Kingsland CofE Academy

Kingsland CofE Academy

Address: Werrington Road, Bucknall, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST2 9AS Unique reference number (URN): 142640

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders at Kingsland have created a warm, deeply inclusive culture where every child is supported to thrive. Staff use their detailed understanding to identify pupils’ needs early. As a result, disadvantaged pupils, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and pupils known to social care receive the right help straight away. This careful approach leads to powerful outcomes. For example, pupils who were once nonverbal are now beginning to speak with confidence.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders reduce barriers to learning through thoughtful and highly effective adjustments. These include bespoke resources, physical adjustments to the environment and targeted support from expert staff. Designated spaces within the school extend support to the wider community, including parents and carers. Leaders have carefully organised this provision as a means to further support pupils’ overall wellbeing. The considered use of alternative provision ensures pupils remain part of the Kingsland community while receiving the support they need.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Disadvantaged pupils are placed front and centre of all decisions. Leaders monitor progress closely. They review pupil passports with parents and carers each term, adjusting support quickly where needed. Highly effective staff training ensures a depth of knowledge around inclusion. Leaders work closely with external professionals to enhance pupil support. Additional funding, such as the pupil premium grant, is used with precision to ensure that disadvantaged pupils flourish.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders put children at the heart of every decision they make, always focusing on what will help pupils thrive. They understand the school’s strengths clearly and use a wide range of information to spot what needs improving. When they identify an area that could be improved, they act quickly. For example, leaders recently adapted the mathematics and writing curriculum after noticing pupils needed more support. There is clear evidence that leaders’ actions are leading to improved outcomes for all pupils.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Governors and trustees play a key role in this improvement. They meet their statutory duties by checking that resources are used wisely. They ask leaders challenging questions that help the school to keep moving forward. They look closely at attendance, staff training and the impact of extra support, making sure leaders’ actions lead to long-lasting improvements.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders always base decisions on what is best for pupils who need the most help. This includes disadvantaged pupils, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children known to social care. Supportive provision offers targeted help that many parents and carers describe as life changing. Families feel listened to, welcome and genuinely supported.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Staff benefit from high-quality training throughout the year. This includes teachers at the start of their career, who receive effective mentoring. Experienced staff access specialist training from within the school, the trust and external experts. Leaders manage workload

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Expected standard

carefully and provide clear systems. They keep staff wellbeing at the forefront of their decisions. This creates a calm, purposeful environment where everyone works together to help children thrive.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a significant strength of the school. Through the well-sequenced personal development curriculum, collective worship and regular opportunities for discussion, pupils learn to reflect on their own beliefs and experiences. They demonstrate respect for differing viewpoints and engage thoughtfully with ethical issues, including online safety, equality and peer influence. Pupils have a secure understanding of right and wrong, and they articulate their thinking with maturity.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders promote pupils’ social development highly effectively. Pupils cooperate well in lessons, clubs and wider enrichment. A broad range of clubs, including choir, art, gardening, computing, multi-sports and drama, help pupils develop teamwork, perseverance and responsibility. Activities such as challenge days and collaborative community projects further strengthen pupils’ ability to work together and resolve conflict. Pupils show a clear understanding of fundamental British values. They participate in democratic processes through class elections and school council work. They demonstrate mutual respect during faith celebrations and cultural events.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The personal development programme is comprehensive, age-appropriate and adapted carefully to pupils’ needs. Content such as lessons on body image, puberty, finances, healthy lifestyles and healthy relationships prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils understand risks both online and offline and know how to seek help.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Support for disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils is highly effective. Staff know pupils and their families exceptionally well and provide proactive, personalised pastoral support. Systems such as 'Talk to Us' ensure that all pupils can access timely guidance. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from well-considered adjustments that ensure full access to the school’s personal development offer.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment opportunities. These include visits to museums, theatres and local heritage sites. Extensive leadership roles are available that include digital leaders, reading ambassadors and mini-medics to name a few. Community involvement, including care home visits, food bank collections and charity events, deepens pupils’ understanding of citizenship. Pupils develop resilience, confidence, empathy and a firm sense of belonging.

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Achievement Expected standard

Typically, current pupils have the important knowledge they need in reading, writing and mathematics. This helps them to achieve well as they move through each year group. Published outcomes show that results in reading, writing and mathematics have improved over the last year. Pupils are also achieving better because any gaps in knowledge they have in these subjects are being quickly addressed.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils develop a breadth of knowledge across the curriculum. Leaders ensure that disadvantaged pupils are well supported. Pupils who have lower starting points catch up and learn the knowledge they need to be ready for their next step. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged pupils and vulnerable pupils achieve increasingly well due to the inclusive practices and effective support.

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Achievement Expected standard

The actions taken by leaders have ensured that pupils currently at the school learn phonics with greater consistency. That said, some previous published results were below the national average, and phonics remains a focus area for leaders.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders’ relentless work to improve pupils' attendance is having a positive impact. They check attendance closely and act quickly when worries arise. For example, if a pupil’s absence increases, staff follow up with bespoke measures that include external support or being part of attendance clinics. This approach has helped the school raise overall attendance over time and reduce persistent absence significantly.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders tailor support for pupils who require it most. Where needed, this includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities or families facing challenges. Adjustments, such as carefully planned transitions, bespoke approaches for pupils with medical needs and timely wellbeing checks have aided some improvements in attendance.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils behave well across the school because leaders have created a calm, respectful and purposeful environment. Clear routines, values cards and positive relationships help pupils know what is expected. Staff apply the behaviour policy consistently. When issues do occur, such as unkind or inappropriate language, staff act quickly and use effective approaches to help pupils learn from their actions. Bullying is not tolerated. Pupils say they feel safe and trust adults to help them. Staff know pupils very well. They make thoughtful adjustments for those who need extra support, ensuring everyone can engage positively in learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of teaching and the curriculum across the school. Established systems allow leaders to identify strengths and make improvements quickly. The curriculum is broad, ambitious and carefully sequenced from early years onwards. Teachers revisit prior learning, helping pupils build knowledge step by step. In subjects such as geography, pupils confidently use key vocabulary because it is taught clearly and revisited often. Teachers receive effective training to keep their subject knowledge up to date.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Reading is a priority. Pupils at the early stages of reading benefit from the consistent teaching of phonics by staff. Typically, pupils across the school develop fluency in reading and enjoy a range of books. Pupils who need extra support with reading are helped through well-planned interventions. Leaders also promote reading for pleasure so pupils build positive habits and a wide range of language. Staff know their pupils extremely well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning. They use a range of well-considered and thoughtful adjustments. These help to ensure that every pupil secures the important knowledge they need in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Early years Expected standard

Children get off to a positive start in early years. Staff skilfully build language and vocabulary into every interaction. Whether they are exploring outdoors, sharing a story or working in small groups, adults talk with children, ask questions and introduce new words. This helps even the youngest children grow in confidence and communicate their ideas clearly. For example, during water play, staff model words such as 'pour,' 'float' and 'splash', helping children to use and understand new vocabulary in meaningful ways.

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Early years Expected standard

The curriculum is thoughtfully designed so children make steady progress through every area of learning. Communication and language are at the heart of provision. Learning builds from Nursery into the Reception Year. Activities become more complex and draw on the knowledge and skills children have developed. Reading is a daily priority. Staff read stories with enthusiasm, and children learn phonics from the very start. They quickly begin to recognise sounds and blend words, and they use this knowledge to read and write simple sentences.

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Early years Expected standard

As children move towards Year 1, they learn the routines, independence and resilience they need for the next stage. Staff work closely with families through stay-and-play sessions, workshops and regular updates. As a result, parents and carers feel informed and involved. This positive partnership helps every child feel secure, valued and ready to thrive.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Kingsland is a school where pupils and staff feel a deep sense of belonging. Pupils are included in every aspect of school life, from classroom learning to visits, clubs and leadership roles. Positive relationships are at the heart of the school’s culture. Pupils trust adults, support one another and show genuine kindness. They love taking part in activities beyond lessons, such as gardening club, choir, challenge days and community projects. This helps them develop teamwork, confidence and responsibility.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are supported to do their best every day. They enjoy learning and feel inspired by the carefully planned curriculum. Children in the early years talk proudly about what they know, whether they are blending sounds in phonics, exploring new vocabulary or using key geographical terms with confidence. Typically, as pupils move through the school, they build knowledge securely and are well prepared for their next steps. Although some published outcomes remain below national averages, the progress most pupils make shows the clear impact of focused, effective teaching.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged pupils and those known to social care are helped to succeed. They achieve this through thoughtful teaching, targeted support and focused interventions. Attendance is improving because leaders work closely with families, offering tailored support such as carefully planned transitions or wellbeing checks.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils thrive because Kingsland provides a safe, calm and respectful environment. Behaviour is consistently positive. Clear routines and warm relationships help pupils know exactly what is expected. When concerns arise, staff act quickly and thoughtfully so pupils learn from mistakes. Bullying is not tolerated and pupils say they feel safe and well cared for. Through rich personal development, community involvement and purposeful teaching, pupils grow into thoughtful, resilient and responsible young citizens who are very well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Next steps

Leaders should adapt the curriculum responsively so it evolves with pupils’ emerging needs, ensuring content, teaching approaches and support remain closely matched to their stage of development. Leaders should refine the curriculum to strengthen early reading and phonics, ensuring teaching precisely targets identified gaps so pupils’ decoding, fluency and overall achievement continue to improve.

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About this inspection

This school is part of St Bart's Multi 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), Lisa Sarikaya, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Johnny Anderson.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with school leaders, including the principal, vice principal, assistant principals, the special educational needs coordinator and the early years leader. They also spoke with representatives of the trust, including the CEO, the chair of the trust board, the director of primary education and representatives of the trust board and local governing committee during the inspection. A phone conversation was held with a representative from the alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

This school is registered as having a Church of England religious character.

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About this inspection

The school uses 2 alternative provisions, one of which is unregistered.

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Team inspectors:

Sara Arkle, Ofsted Inspector Hayley Clarke, Ofsted Inspector Melanie Callaghan-Lewis, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England. Principal: Sara Goddard National average: 300

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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What does this mean?

The type of Special Educational Needs provision provided at the school (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 62% 62% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 68% 74% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 51% 47% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 63% 63% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 57% 59% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 52% 58% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 50% 58% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 57% 61% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 50% 59% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 15.7% 13.3% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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