Kingdown School Continues to be a ‘Good’ School and Wants the ‘Very Best’ for its Pupils

Following a two-day Ofsted inspection this term, Kingdown School has retained their ‘Good’ rating. The school was found to have strong moral leadership and its motto, ‘believe, aspire, achieve’, to be evident in everything that the school does.

This inspection was the first that Kingdown School has had since the COVID-19 pandemic. The report noted that the school took a proactive approach to managing behaviour, following the return of all pupils after the national lockdowns, and implemented a new behaviour management system to reduce disruption to learning. This approach has ensured that classrooms remain a positive and purposeful place for pupils to learn. The inspectors also highlighted pupil’s positive outlook to learning, saying that they “appreciate the high expectations the school has of them” and “feel safe when they are at school.” The school was found to have effective safeguarding arrangements in place that ensure that there is rapid identification of any pupils in need of support.

Kingdown School’s curriculum was found to be “ambitious, well designed and well-sequenced”, with the inspectors noting that staff are keen to ensure it continues to develop and work together to provide high quality resources that support learning. Although the report does note that there could be improvement in some teachers’ use of assessment, to ensure a more thorough understanding of concepts, it does acknowledge that improvements have already been made and that “pupils are more confident about their learning as a result.”

The report goes on to highlight that pupils, from Year 7 to Sixth Form, know that their teachers want the very best for them and praise Kingdown School for the many opportunities offered to help pupil’s broader development.

Head of School Helen Carpenter said: “I am delighted that the hard work of our brilliant teachers, TAs and Business Staff has been recognised by OFSTED. We think our Kingdown students are amazing and this report reflects how much we do to ensure they can reach their potential academically and socially. We will continue to work tirelessly to make Kingdown even better as we reach even higher now.”

Well done and congratulations to all who contributed to this wonderful Ofsted inspection.

Some additional comments taken directly from the Ofsted report are below:

• Pupils say that if bullying occurs, there is someone they can talk to about it. They have confidence that staff will resolve any concerns. Students in the sixth form support younger pupils as The Diana Award anti-bullying ambassadors.
• Leaders have taken action to improve the curriculum in some subjects, such as Modern Foreign Languages. This has encouraged more pupils to take up subjects that make up the English Baccalaureate.
• There is a sharp focus on those who are at the early stages of learning to read and those who have fallen behind in reading. For those struggling the most, teachers support pupils to build up their understanding of phonics. For others, trained staff lead group reading to support pupils to build up fluency and confidence.
• Leaders work hard to meet pupils’ individual needs. The special educational needs coordinator identifies and supports pupils with special educational needs and/ or disabilities (SEND) well. Teaching is successful in supporting these pupils to follow the curriculum successfully.
• The school has a strong personal, social, health and education curriculum. This includes topics such as relationships and sex education, healthy eating, citizenship and the importance of tolerance. Pupils say that they are not only given information but can ask questions and discuss. This helps them to understand what it means for them.

Click here to view the full Ofsted Report