Kings Park School

Kings Park School

Address: Field View, Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent, TN23 3NZ Unique reference number (URN): 151493

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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. Insufficient evidence: Inspectors were unable to gather sufficient evidence to judge whether safeguarding standards are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders are clear about their expectations of attendance. They work effectively with parents to help pupils attend regularly, building trusting relationships. Parents are highly supportive of the school and ensure that pupils arrive on time and attend well. Many pupils join the school following disruption to their education. Their attendance steadily improves after joining the school as they are appropriately supported to re-engage in their learning. Staff adapt the environment and resources to support pupils, and this enables them to settle into the school quickly.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Staff build warm and professional relationships with pupils. Pupils are made to feel welcome and valued. Staff model positive interactions so that pupils learn how to build friendships with their peers. For many pupils, this is the first time they have been happy and proud to be part of a school community. Pupils understand the school's expectations for behaviour. They show kindness and compassion for each other. Older pupils help younger ones at social times. Staff consistently follow the school's systems for encouraging positive behaviour. Pupils are courteous and respectful during lessons. Any who lose concentration on learning quickly regain it when prompted by staff.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school has established a personal development programme, which is at the heart of the curriculum. This programme is deliberately planned so that pupils are suitably prepared for adulthood. Leaders have ensured that staff have the training they need to teach the personal development programme.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Opportunities for pupils’ personal development, such as educational trips and visiting speakers, are woven throughout the wider curriculum. Through these opportunities, pupils develop their confidence and find out about possible career options.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school teaches pupils about fundamental British values and the importance of treating each other with respect, tolerance and kindness. Pupils learn about different cultures and faiths through celebrations such as Easter, Chinese New Year and the Hindu festival of Holi. Pupils develop their interests and character through wider opportunities linked to the curriculum, such as visits to the farm, the reindeer park and outdoor learning centres.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils learn how to recognise risks online. Younger pupils know, for example, never to share personal information online. Older pupils can recognise online fraud. They understand how their online presence can help or hinder their public reputation and opportunities for future employment.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils learn about healthy relationships and different types of families in age-appropriate ways. Staff help pupils to understand their emotions and ways of feeling calm if they are feeling anxious or angry.

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Urgent improvement

The school's personal development programme prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education and life in modern Britain.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Leaders do not have high-enough expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils do not fully engage with the curriculum and are not supported effectively to reach their individual potential.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

The school does not break down pupils’ education, health and care plans into suitable or meaningful targets. Pupils do not consistently receive the personalised support that they need. Pupils do not learn the foundational knowledge, particularly in English and mathematics, that they need to access the curriculum successfully.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

The curriculum is not skilfully shaped around pupils’ individual interests and abilities. It does not support pupils’ re-engagement with learning. Evidence of progress towards pupils’ individual targets is not gathered reliably across the curriculum, and it is not used effectively to inform future learning. Pupils with the most significant gaps in their education do not make the social, emotional or academic progress they require.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Leaders have not identified the most important elements of the curriculum that must be taught so that pupils are ready for the next stage in their education. Leaders are not ambitious about what pupils can learn. Pupils are not challenged to overcome barriers to learning and reach curriculum goals.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Leaders do not know what pupils who are at at an early stage of cognitive development should be taught and do not have a curriculum in place for this stage of learning. Staff do not have the expertise to provide an appropriate curriculum, environment and resources for pupils with a cognitive age below 5 years old.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Leaders have not ensured that staff have the subject knowledge that they need to teach the curriculum well. Leaders have not identified their expectations for high-quality teaching. They have not provided the training that staff need to develop their teaching skills and adapt approaches that best meet pupils’ needs. Leaders do not have effective systems to monitor how pupils progress through the curriculum. Leaders have not trained staff on how to make ongoing checks of pupils’ learning and pinpoint pupils’ next steps accurately. Targets on pupils' provision maps are not tailored to individual needs and are not monitored regularly to check that they have sufficient impact. As a result, pupils do not overcome barriers to learning and do not progress through the curriculum as well as they should.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to practise reading across the curriculum. Leaders have not established high-enough expectations that pupils will read regularly and develop a love of reading. Pupils who struggle to read fluently are taught phonics. This is typically effective, using books that match the sounds pupils are learning.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Leaders and staff do not demonstrate a secure or comprehensive understanding of pupils’ starting points. Transition arrangements, baseline assessments and observations of pupils do not enable staff to build an accurate picture of each pupil's needs.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Leaders do not identify pupils’ barriers to learning and wellbeing effectively. This results in staff lacking a detailed or nuanced understanding of pupils’ needs. Adaptations to pupils' learning are not well planned and implemented. Staff do not use their knowledge of individual pupils effectively to tailor pupils' learning experiences. Staff do not challenge pupils sufficiently to overcome their barriers to learning and achieve as well as they should.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Leaders do not monitor or evaluate pupils’ progress effectively, and provision is rarely reviewed or adapted in a timely way. As a result, pupils do not benefit from effective academic or pastoral support and their changing needs are not responded to appropriately.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Leaders involve parents and carers appropriately in pupils’ annual reviews. Parents are invited into school to celebrate pupils’ achievements, and this helps to develop effective partnerships between home and school. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and trusting.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders do not have an accurate understanding of the school’s effectiveness and, beyond safeguarding, have not prioritised the areas for improvement that would help pupils most. The proprietor does not have the knowledge required to ensure that all of the independent school standards are met. They do not demonstrate sufficient understanding of their responsibilities for the curriculum and how it is taught.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Staff have the training they need to keep pupils safe but they do not benefit from appropriate professional development opportunities to build their subject knowledge or improve their practice. As a result, staff do not fully understand or meet pupils’ needs.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The school does not have a detailed understanding of pupils' barriers to learning and wellbeing and does not deliver precisely targeted provision to meets pupils' needs. Pupils' provision plans do not enable all staff to understand pupils’ changing needs in sufficient detail.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The proprietor does not monitor the school’s work well enough to ensure the independent school standards are consistently met. The school’s governing body does not hold a clear, strategic role. Systems to provide challenge and support to school leaders are not comprehensive or effective.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Staff feel well supported by leaders and each other. Leaders have introduced some structures, such as debriefs and timetables, to support staff workload and wellbeing.

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

Leaders have not provided staff with the professional training they need to identify pupils' barriers to learning precisely, understand the curriculum and teach it effectively. Pupils do not overcome barriers to their learning and progress through the curriculum as well as they should.

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

Pupils enjoy attending this school. They are warmly welcomed each morning by staff who know them well. Many pupils have previously had an unsettled time in education. They have typically had long periods of time away from learning and are initially reluctant to attend school. However, pupils settle into their new classes quickly. Staff help them to feel at home, make new friends and have a fresh start.

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

Leaders have developed a calm and welcoming environment where the school's values of ‘kind words, positive minds and strong hearts’ are modelled. At social times, pupils enjoy playing games together in the school's well-equipped outdoor area or in their classrooms. Pupils benefit from trusting relationships and the harmonious environment of this small setting. Pupils behave well and show consideration for one another. The school does not tolerate bullying and incidents of this are extremely rare. Pupils rightly feel safe, knowing that any of their trusted adults will help them to resolve any friendship issues.

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

The school provides a range of experiences, such as planning trips using public transport, budgeting for and preparing healthy meals and borrowing books from the library. The school helps pupils to prepare for independent life within the community beyond school.

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Next steps

Leaders should identify pupils’ needs accurately. They should set precise targets, monitor pupils’ progress regularly and adjust provision so that pupils overcome their barriers to learning and wellbeing. Leaders must ensure that the curriculum clearly identifies the knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn and how these should develop throughout their school life. Leaders should support staff to develop their understanding of the most important knowledge that pupils need to access the curriculum. Leaders should identify expectations for high-quality teaching and ensure that teaching is consistently effective across the curriculum. This includes supporting staff to check pupils’ prior learning effectively and pinpoint their next steps accurately. Those responsible for governance should provide comprehensive and knowledgeable challenge and support to school leaders so that pupils overcome barriers to learning and

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Next steps

progress through the curriculum as well as they can.

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Independent school standards

Independent school standards are either met or not met for each category.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this standard inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, and checked the school's compliance with 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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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 the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the chair of the proprietor board, a school governor and a Kent local authority representative.

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About this inspection

The name of the proprietor is Kings Park School Ltd.

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About this inspection

The school's email address is office@kingsparkschool.co.uk

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school offers support and education for children and young people from ages 7-16 with various individual needs according to their education, health and care plans.

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About this inspection

The school does not use any alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The address that the school operates from is Kings Park School, Field View, Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent TN23 3NZ.

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About this inspection

This was the first standard inspection of the school since it was registered by the Department for Education on 26 March 2025.

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About this inspection

1. Quality of education provided Standards not met

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About this inspection

The following standards have not been met:

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About this inspection

The standard in this paragraph is met if– (a) the proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub-paragraph (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively; and

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About this inspection

(b) the written policy, plans and schemes of work– (i) take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those pupils with an EHC plan; and

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About this inspection

The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school–

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About this inspection

(a) enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught; (b) fosters in pupils self-motivation, the application of intellectual, physical and creative effort, interest in their work and the ability to think and learn for themselves; (c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time; (d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons; (e) demonstrates good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter being taught; (f) utilises effectively classroom resources of a good quality, quantity and range; (g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils' work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils

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About this inspection

2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Standards met

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About this inspection

3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Standards met

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About this inspection

4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Standards met

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Standards met

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Facts and figures used on inspection

6. Provision of information Standards met

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Facts and figures used on inspection

7. Manner in which complaints are handled Standards met

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Facts and figures used on inspection

8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Standards not met

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The following standards have not been met:

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school–

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Facts and figures used on inspection

(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; (b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and This data is from 10 March 2026

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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.

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Insufficient evidence

Inspectors were unable to gather reliable enough evidence to grade an evaluation area. This is rare and normally only happens if there are no pupils on roll at the school.

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Insufficient evidence

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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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

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

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