KINGSMEAD School in Wiveliscombe has welcomed an Ofsted report which recognises the “significant improvements” it has made.
Kingsmead School has received an improved Ofsted rating of ‘good’, following a previous report from 2022, after a two-day inspection in December.
The school is a secondary comprehensive school, catering to a mixed cohort of 880 students from ages 11 to 16.
Inspectors were complimentary about students’ behaviour in lessons, which is now deemed “good” compared to the previous rating of “requires improvement.”
Inspectors also praised work on personal development, safeguarding and careers education, recognising the quantity of work put into reviewing and strengthening the curriculum.
According to the report, student suspensions have fallen dramatically, with fewer classroom disruptions due to improved behavioural support for pupils. With renewed efforts from the school to promote the importance of high attendance, the number of student absences has also fallen.
The report states: “After a period of leadership turbulence, the school now has a clear vision of how it will provide a broad and ambitious education for pupils.
“Currently, pupils do not achieve as well as they should in all areas of the curriculum. The school is focused on providing pupils with the support they need to reach their potential and further raise examination outcomes.
“The school has significantly raised expectations for pupils’ behaviour. There are clear rewards and consequences that are used fairly to reinforce what is acceptable. While suspensions have been high, they are falling dramatically as pupils are better supported to manage their behaviour.”
However, The Wiveliscombe school reportedly displays curriculum “inconsistencies”, effecting all pupils, including SEND students, despite access to additional support. The described “weaknesses in the curriculum” stems from a lack of “sufficient consideration” for “what pupils will learn and in what order,” the Ofsted report states.
“In some subjects the school has not considered with sufficient precision what pupils will learn and in what order. This leads to inconsistencies in how well the curriculum is delivered. The school should ensure that the curriculum is clearly defined in all subjects so that it is ambitious for all learners.
“The school currently does not have sufficient systems in place to accurately monitor and review the quality of education it provides. This means that this school is unclear of what is working well and where further improvements may be needed. The school should ensure that leaders at all levels, including governance, can accurately evaluate the quality of education provided so that appropriate support and challenge can be given to improve.”
Headteacher John Eddy said: “The inspectors met with several groups of students and spoke to many of them in lessons and across social times. Students were polite, thoughtful, articulate and proud of their school.
“Whilst very pleased that the work of the staff has been recognised, we are in no way complacent. Ofsted recognised that we have identified the correct areas for our continued work in order to provide the very best education for our children.”