Setting

CONTENTS

What the school must do in order to comply with the regulations:

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CONTENTS

COMPLIANCE WITH THE REGULATIONS FOR REGISTRATION.

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CONTENTS

1. The quality of education provided by the school

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CONTENTS

2. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

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CONTENTS

3. The welfare, health and safety of the pupils

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CONTENTS

4. The suitability of the proprietor and staff

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CONTENTS

5. The suitability of the premises and accommodation

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CONTENTS

6. The quality of information for parents and other partners

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CONTENTS

7. The effectiveness of the school's procedures for handling complaints

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CONTENTS

What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

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Purpose and scope of the inspection

This inspection was carried out by the Office for Standards in Education under Section 163 of the Education Act 2002 in order to advise the Secretary of State for Education and Skills about the school's suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about the school

Kingswood School is a primary school for boys and girls between the ages of two and a half years and 11 years. At the time of the inspection there were 40 boys and 36 girls on roll, 24 of whom were still below compulsory school age. The school was founded in 1986 by the present headteacher and his wife, and is housed in a former infant school.

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Information about the school

The philosophy of the school is set out in the prospectus which records: 'The Kingwood experience is characterised by the intrinsic belief in moral and spiritual development as well as the personal and social education of every child' . The school does not select its pupils by ability, but prospective parents and their child attend an interview before being offered a place.

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Summary of main findings

Kingswood School is a good school. There is a strong sense of community and the pupils feel secure and valued within it. Parents hold it in high regard and support the principles which it promotes. The school is well placed to address the few regulatory requirements that it does not currently meet.

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What the school does well:

• it provides very well for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils; • it provides well for pupils with special educational needs; • it enables pupils to have a good command of language; • it provides a caring, secure and happy environment, where staff work as an effective team and the pupils feel valued; • its quality of teaching is never less than satisfactory, and for most pupils of compulsory school age is good; • it secures strong support from parents.

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What the school must do in order to comply with the regulations:

• maintain written records of sanctions imposed upon pupils for serious disciplinary offences; • maintain written records of fire practices; • carry out checks on electrical equipment; • provide full contact details of the school proprietor in the information given to parents and prospective parents of the school; and • revise the complaints policy and make the policy known to parents and prospective parents as set out in section 7 of this report.

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What the school must do in order to comply with the regulations:

COMPLIANCE WITH THE REGULATIONS FOR REGISTRATION.

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The quality of the curriculum

The curriculum for pupils of compulsory age is broad and includes all subjects of the National Curriculum. In addition to these subjects, there is an appropriate syllabus for religious education, which emphasises Christian values alongside an awareness of, and respect for, other world religions. An effective programme of personal, social and health education is central to the school's curriculum provision. All curriculum plans are supported by detailed schemes of work, which are drawn from national guidance and commercial schemes. The pupils are also taught French in Years 5 and 6.

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The quality of the curriculum

The curriculum in the kindergarten and nursery takes account of the nationally recommended guidance for pupils in the Foundation Stage. Care has been taken to ensure that pupils who attend on a part-time basis experience all areas of learning. However, the timetabling of some activities is inappropriate for such young children. For example, periods of over an hour devoted to cutting out or phonic work do not enable the pupils to achieve all they could.

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The quality of the curriculum

The curriculum for pupils of compulsory school age places suitable emphasis on the development of literacy and numeracy, not only through lessons in English and mathematics, but also through other subjects across the curriculum. This is effective in helping the pupils to apply their skills in a range of appropriate contexts. Information and communication technology is at an early stage of development. However, plans are underway to improve provision. A suite of computers has been recently installed; there is a coherent plan for staff training and additional resources have been made available within the current school development plan.

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The quality of the curriculum

In the transition class (Key Stage 1) and the junior and senior classes (Key Stage 2) most subjects are taught separately, but links are made between subjects when the occasion arises. For example, a recent visit to Coventry enabled the pupils to develop their skills in English, art and history, as they learnt about the effects that the Second World War had upon the city. Visits to places of interest extend the curriculum and enable the pupils to appreciate the diversity of their surroundings and to deepen their understanding. For example, last year the older pupils had the opportunity of staying on board HMS Belfast and visiting the Cabinet War Rooms and the Imperial War Museum.

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The quality of the curriculum

The school offers a range of extra-curricular activities, including musical tuition and sporting activities, which extend the curriculum. After-school clubs are popular. Regular homework is used to consolidate and extend learning in school. The majority of parents who responded to the pre- inspection questionnaire were content with the range of extra-curricular activities and amount of homework provided by the school.

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The quality of teaching and assessment

The quality of teaching is satisfactory in the nursery and kindergarten and good in the rest of the school. In the 22 lessons observed during the inspection, the teaching was good in 12 lessons and satisfactory in the remainder. The teachers' medium term planning is good overall and this helps to provide continuity for the pupils' education over the course of the year. In most classes, lesson planning is undertaken diligently and relates well to longer term plans. However, assessment plays too little a part in lesson planning. Assessments for reading, for example, do not identify the pupils' skills with sufficient precision and there are few diagnostic comments in the teachers' records to identify what should be taught next. Although most pupils make reasonable progress with reading, standards could be improved. In some instances, assessment is used effectively. For example, the pupils with special educational needs have suitable individual education plans based clearly on

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The quality of teaching and assessment

appropriate assessment of their abilities.

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The quality of teaching and assessment

The favourable adult-to-pupil ratio enables teachers to give all pupils their personal attention during lessons, and this is especially valuable for those who have special educational needs. Teaching assistants are fully involved and work well in close cooperation with their colleagues. Their work with pupils with special educational needs is highly effective.

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The quality of teaching and assessment

The teachers work well as a team and provide a high level of consistency in their relationships with the pupils. All the staff manage the pupils' behaviour well and emphasise the school's expectations of courtesy and kindness. The staff are very good role models for their pupils, and treat them with fairness and consideration. They foster a sense of community, care, and thoughtfulness both in lessons and in recreational periods. The majority of parents feel that their children are treated fairly and with respect, and inspection evidence bears this out. The pupils feel that they are expected to work hard and that their teachers encourage them to become independent learners.

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The quality of teaching and assessment

The teachers use praise well, but are not as adept at giving more critical feedback through marking or in verbal comments to provide extra challenge, particularly for their most able pupils. In the most effective lessons, however, there is a high level of challenge and the teaching inspires the pupils to extend themselves. For example, at the end lesson of a lesson about information texts, the pupils were keen to carry on with their work and asked the teacher, without prompting, if they could go on to make their own booklets. This happened because the pupils had been taught successfully about the nature of information texts; the teacher had not prescribed a particular format for them, and had encouraged the pupils to think for themselves.

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The quality of teaching and assessment

A particularly effective aspect of the teaching in the school overall, is the teaching of speaking and listening. The staff are secure in this, and teach with flair and confidence. Consequently, the pupils acquire a broad vocabulary and have a good command of language when offering opinions or justifying argument. The inclusion of regular drama sessions within the curriculum helps to consolidate these skills and also gives the pupils an opportunity to use persuasive language or adopt a role in different contexts.

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2. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

The school's provision for the pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. The school places great store in developing pupils' self-knowledge, self-esteem and self- confidence, and is effective in doing so. As a result, the school is a happy, secure community, where pupils are keen to learn. The pupils themselves commented on how happy they felt in school; they believe that their teachers trust them and value their contributions.

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2. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

The staff set high expectations for pupils' behaviour and teach them to know right from wrong. The pupils behave well both in school and on trips out, and the school operates as a very orderly community. The teaching encourages pupils to accept responsibility for their actions and to appreciate how their behaviour can affect others. There were no incidents of harassment of any form during the inspection and the pupils are clear about what they should do should such an incident occur. The school has successfully established a house system that is designed to support and maintain good standards of behaviour, develop friendly competition and engender a sense of responsibility towards others.

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2. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

The school has strong links with the local church and the minister from the church is a frequent visitor to the school. The "Thought for the day" helps the pupils to consider questions of meaning and belief and contributes well to their growing spirituality. The carefully planned religious education programme from reception to Year 6 helps pupils to appreciate their own and other cultures and promotes respect and harmony. A particularly good feature of the school is that it has an inclusive attitude towards pupils with learning and other difficulties. Consequently, not only do these pupils do well in the school, but other pupils learn to empathise and help each other.

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3. The welfare, health and safety of the pupils

There is a strong sense of community within the school and a clear sense that the staff care for the welfare of the pupils. The pupils feel safe, not only in the physical sense of feeling secure, but they also feel valued and protected. One pupil, for example, described the feeling of security that the school afforded him following a family bereavement, and others talked of the ways that the staff helped them through other times of distress.

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3. The welfare, health and safety of the pupils

The pupils are supervised adequately at all times. Detailed policies are in place with regard to bullying, child protection and health and safety, including the organisation and management of educational visits. The documents are up-dated on a regular basis and take into account national and local guidance. The school keeps a suitable record of accidents, including the action taken as a result. Although most procedures are in place to promote the welfare, health and safety of the pupils, some do not have adequate written guidance or records. For example, fire drills are carried out regularly, but they have not been logged properly. A risk assessment with regard to electrical appliances has not been undertaken, and the school does not keep written records of sanctions imposed upon pupils for serious disciplinary offences.

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3. The welfare, health and safety of the pupils

The school has no facilities for wheelchair users, but there are suitable plans in place to improve such access. The school maintains admission and attendance registers in the required form. Attendance is good and there is no unauthorised absence.

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

In order to comply with the Independent Schools Standards Regulations 2003 the school should:

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• carry out checks on electrical equipment (paragraph 3.(4)) ; • keep written records of fire practices (paragraph 3.(5)); and • keep written records of sanctions imposed upon pupils for serious disciplinary offences (paragraph 3.(8)).

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4. The suitability of the proprietor and staff

The school's records show that the staff have undergone proper checks with the Criminal Records Bureau prior to appointment. References are taken up to check that the staff are fit for the job that they are to undertake, and suitable enquiries are made to check their employment history.

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5. The suitability of the premises and accommodation

The premises are suitable and are maintained in a tidy and hygienic state. The accommodation comprises large teaching areas and specialist rooms such as a library, information and communication technology suite and music/drama room. The school also benefits from the use of the local community institute and the nearby church. Classrooms and corridors contain stimulating and informative displays which contribute to the attractive learning environment.

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5. The suitability of the premises and accommodation

There is a playground on the school premises and a field is available nearby for sporting activities. The playground is of an adequate size for the number of pupils and it has some marking to facilitate various games at recreation times. The pupils enjoy these, but would also like a quiet area for reading and the option to play football at lunchtimes. The school makes the most of facilities within the immediate community, for example the local library and leisure centre.

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6. The quality of information for parents and other partners

There is a high level of information for parents, including newsletters and reports. A range of the school's policies is available to parents on request, although, in practice, much of the information is given verbally. There are good informal links between home and school because staff are accessible to parents on a daily basis. Most of the parents feel well informed about their children's progress and find the school approachable if they have a problem or concern.

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6. The quality of information for parents and other partners

Parents are invited to discuss their children's progress at regular intervals and are given informative reports summarising the progress that their children have made during the year. These are appreciated by parents, who sometimes take the opportunity that is given for them to comment on the report.

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6. The quality of information for parents and other partners

The school has an attractive prospectus that sets out a range of useful information for prospective and current parents. It is updated periodically and is due for revision. Currently it does not contain information about the recent change of school proprietors.

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Does the school meet the requirements for registration?

The school meets all of the regulations except for one.

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

In order to comply in full with the Independent Schools Standards Regulations 2003 the school should provide parents and prospective parents with information regarding:

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• the full name, usual residential address, and telephone number of the school proprietor. (paragraph 6(2)(b)).

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7. The effectiveness of the school's procedures for handling complaints

The school has a clear written complaints policy which is available to parents, but the procedures it sets out do not meet in full the requirements of the regulations. Although most parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire understood the school's procedures, over a quarter did not. In practice, the school has very few complaints, and the effective informal communication that the school has established with parents means that minor problems are resolved quickly and amicably.

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

In order to comply fully with the Independent Schools Standards Regulations 2003 the school should:

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

• ensure that the complaints procedure sets out clear time scales for the management of a complaint (paragraph 7(c)); • ensure that the complaints procedure provides for a formal complaint to be made in writing if parents are not satisfied with the response to an informal complaint (paragraph 7(e)); • where parents are not satisfied with the response to a written complaint, make provision for a hearing before a panel appointed by or on behalf of the proprietor and consisting of at least three people who are not directly involved in matters detailed in the complaint (paragraph 7(f)); • where there is a panel hearing of a complaint make provision that one person on the panel is independent of the management and running of the school (paragraph 7(g)); and • provide for the panel to make findings and recommendations, and stipulate that the complainant, proprietor and headteacher and, where relevant, the person complained about

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What does the school need to do to comply with the regulations?

should be given a copy of any findings and recommendations (paragraph 7(i));

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SCHOOL DETAILS

Name of school: Kingswood School DfES Number: 334/6009 Type of school: Primary Status: Independent Age range of pupils: 2 -11 Number on roll: 76 Gender of pupils: Mixed Fees: Day: from £1,340 in nursery to £1,670 in Year 6. Address of school: St James Place Shirley Solihull West Midlands B90 2BA Email address: kingswoodhm@aol.com Telephone number: 0121 744 7883 Fax number: 0121 744 1282 Headteacher: Mr Peter Callaghan Proprietors: Mr W Brown, Professor M Harvey, Dr S Yousuf. Reporting Inspector: Mrs M E Hamby HMI D ate of inspection: 19 - 22 January 2004

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SCHOOL DETAILS

commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated. Inspection reports are available on the Ofsted web site (www.ofsted.gov.uk).

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