Seven Kings School

Ley Street

Ilford

Essex

IG2 7BT

Head: Jane Waters

T 020 8554 8935

F 020 8518 2975

E contact@sevenkings.school

W www.sevenkings.school/

A state school for boys and girls aged from 4 to 18.

Boarding: No

Local authority: Redbridge

Pupils: 1,783 (360 in the primary school); sixth formers: 523

Religion: Non-denominational

Ley Street, Ilford, Essex IG2 7BT

This is an outstanding school

• ■ The headteacher and senior leaders have been instrumental in the provision of an outstanding quality of education.

• ■ Leadership throughout the school is highly effective. Staff are very enthusiastic about their teaching and promote the school's ethos of high aspirations for all. Morale is high.

• ■ Pupils achieve above average outcomes in national assessments and public examinations in key stages 1 and 4. Current pupils are making outstanding progress in the main school; this includes disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities.

• ■ The curriculum offers pupils clear pathways to further study. While giving due emphasis to academic subjects, curriculum planning also enables pupils to continue with a broad range of creative and performance subjects, at least until the end of Year 9.

• ■ Teachers use strong subject knowledge and skilful questioning to challenge their pupils effectively.

• ■ Support for pupils' personal development and welfare is outstanding. The school's motto of ‘Friendship, Excellence and Opportunity' is well embedded in the everyday life of the school.

• ■ Pupils' attendance is consistently above the national average.

• ■ The quality of provision in the early years is outstanding. Children make very strong progress as a result of highly effective teaching.

• ■ The sixth-form provision is good. Students are supported well to achieve their best. A high proportion progress to university.

• ■ Pupils demonstrate excellent standards of behaviour throughout the school. Their attitudes to learning and conduct are exceptional.

• ■ Pupils feel very safe and are well informed about risks and how these should be managed, both in and out of school.

• ■ Governors hold leaders to account and provide effective support, for example through strong financial stewardship. However, they do not offer sharp enough challenge in the context of this school, where pupil outcomes are very strong.

• ■ There is variability in the quality of teaching and outcomes between some subjects in the sixth form.

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• ■ Further improve student outcomes in the sixth form by:

• - ensuring that professional development and training reduce the variability in teaching, learning and assessment between some subjects.

• ■ Ensure that governors offer sharper challenge to school leaders by using information about pupils' achievement across the curriculum more effectively.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management         Outstanding

• ■ Leaders leave no stone unturned in their drive to improve the outcomes and well-being of every child in Seven Kings. Their high aspirations for all pupils and staff, coupled with an unwavering focus on sustained improvement, are at the heart of the school's success. Consequently, the quality of education provided is outstanding.

• ■ Senior leaders are fully committed to school improvement, and work strenuously to evaluate the impact of their actions. They collaborate with learning leaders (middle leaders), who are a strong and cohesive group. Together, they drive forward the school's agenda, and standards are high as a result.

• ■ Learning leaders are knowledgeable, talented and reflective. Their role is critical in ensuring that teaching, learning and assessment are highly effective in every subject. Leaders' deep understanding of what exceptional teaching looks like underpins the successful coaching programme across the school.

• ■ The school is very inclusive, and has developed a strong sense of community and collegiality to move forward together. For example, disabled pupils integrate totally into mainstream classes. As one parent said: ‘The support provided for my child is second to none; I couldn't ask for more.'

• ■ Leaders make excellent use of a range of professional development opportunities to improve the quality of teaching continuously. Training for teachers is targeted to individual need and is of a high quality. This leads to outstanding outcomes for pupils. Newly qualified teachers feel well supported and cared for.

• ■ The curriculum is highly effective in supporting the academic and personal development of pupils. Year 7 pupils, for instance, follow a scholarship programme that provides a sharp focus on developing subject-specific skills. The subject curriculum is enriched and extended through a wide variety of clubs, visits and other activities.

• ■ Leaders review the curriculum annually to ensure that it is appropriate to the needs and aspirations of each cohort. Pupils have many options, and staff guide them carefully to ensure that they aim high. As a result, a much higher proportion of pupils take the English Baccalaureate subjects than nationally.

• ■ Leaders use additional funding very effectively for disadvantaged pupils and those in Year 7 who need extra help to catch up with others. The impact of this funding is shown in the outstanding outcomes achieved by disadvantaged pupils. Year 7 pupils who join the school with low starting points are provided with targeted support to improve their reading. As a result, they make strong progress in developing their literacy skills across the curriculum.

• ■ The primary sports funding has been used well to boost participation rates in a wide range of sports and improve the teaching of physical education.

Governance of the school

• ■ Governors have a wide range of skills. They know the school well, are ambitious for its future and are clear about its strengths and areas for development. They understand the school and the needs of those who live locally. They are proud of how the school serves its local community.

• ■ Governors have skilfully managed the process of the school 's transition from a secondary to an all-through school. Governors' strong financial management skills support leaders when making difficult decisions about the allocation of resources.

• ■ Governors receive detailed information from senior leaders about the use of additional funding and have effective systems in place to monitor how well these funds are spent.

• ■ Governors monitor pupils ' achievement and ask pertinent questions about pupils' progress. However, governors do not offer sharp challenge to leaders in the context of a school where most pupils are achieving extremely well. They do not undertake detailed scrutiny of pupils' achievement across the curriculum, including in the sixth form, or frame deeper questions.

Safeguarding

• ■ Arrangements for safeguarding are very effective.

• ■ Safeguarding is a high priority in the school, and leaders are extremely knowledgeable and committed about ensuring that pupils are protected.

• ■ Training for staff is comprehensive and constantly updated. For example, staff have used their training about local gangs and honour-based violence to keep vigilant and report any concerns to the designated officers. Record-keeping is thorough and methodical.

• ■ Leaders liaise effectively with outside agencies and are relentless in their pursuit of help for pupils who need it. Pastoral staff are greatly valued by pupils, who know they will help them if they are in difficulty.

• ■ There is a designated governor who oversees the school 's systems and processes for safeguarding pupils. Governors also receive training to fulfil their role, such as in the ‘Prevent' duty and safer recruitment training. All members of the governing body understand their responsibilities for safeguarding pupils.

• ■ Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in school, and they understand what to do if they have any concerns. All parents and staff who completed the questionnaires confirm that the school is a safe place.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment         Outstanding

• ■ Teachers have excellent opportunities for professional development, for example through engaging with the school's very successful ‘pedagogy for progress' programme. Consequently, teachers at different stages of their career become more effective practitioners, constantly reflecting on how to be even better.

• ■ Teachers have high expectations of pupils ' work and behaviour. This is matched by their excellent understanding of how learning is sequenced in different subjects. Inspectors saw very effective examples of teachers using their strong subject knowledge to embed subject-specific terminology and key ideas.

• ■ Teachers ' skilful questioning probes and deepens pupils ' understanding and leads to very strong progress. This is evident across the curriculum, with particularly strong practice in English, mathematics, art, history, music and physical education. Highly effective teaching is complemented by the use of homework to embed pupils' knowledge.

• ■ The school's assessment system has been carefully constructed, and is well understood by staff, pupils, parents and carers. Pupils could confidently tell inspectors if they were meeting the expected standard and what they needed to do to improve their work. As a result, pupils in all year groups make sustained progress.

• ■ Teachers use assessment information very effectively to plan lessons with precision, in order to meet the needs of all pupils, including the most able and those who have SEN and/or disabilities. As a result, over time, these pupils make consistently strong progress.

• ■ The school's focus on developing literacy skills helps pupils to make strong progress, including for those at the early stages of learning English. Pupils are given opportunities in many subjects, such as English, history, science and geography, to write at length. Spellings are routinely corrected, and pupils reflect on their learning and redraft work to improve it. As a result, pupils' confidence and ability to produce high-quality written work has improved significantly.

• ■ Teaching assistants, many of whom work with pupils with disabilities, know their pupils well and are effective in supporting, encouraging and challenging them to do their best. As a result, pupils who receive this additional help make strong progress from their starting points.

• ■ In the primary school, scrutiny of pupils ' work and evidence from the learning walks undertaken showed that, over time, pupils develop their thinking and reasoning skills very effectively across the curriculum. As a result, in 2018, pupils' outcomes in English and mathematics by the end of Year 2 were above average.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare  Outstanding

• ■ The school's work to promote pupils ' personal development and welfare is outstanding.

• ■ Pupils have an excellent understanding of the school ' s motto, ‘ Friendship, Excellence and Opportunity'. Many pupils spoke with excitement to inspectors about the rich opportunities they get to explore British culture and institutions through visits to theatres, museums and art galleries. These visits make a very strong contribution to pupils' understanding of British values.

• ■ Pupils have a very well-developed understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Older pupils have a good understanding of the dangers posed by local gangs and knife crime. The school addresses these issues very effectively through its curriculum. As a result, pupils are well-informed and have the confidence to take appropriate action to minimise the risk to their own and others' safety.

• ■ Pupils benefit greatly from a wide range of provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. In lessons, pupils reflect on the awe and wonder of the world around them. This provision, together with the strong relationships between pupils and staff, contributes to an exceptional environment in which all pupils thrive.

• ■ Careers education and guidance are a strength of the school and are very well led and managed. Leaders have devised a detailed programme to broaden pupils' horizons. For example, pupils visit universities and have talks from outside speakers who share their experiences of life beyond school. Leaders take particular care to ensure that vulnerable pupils are guided onto the right post-16 courses. As a result, pupils are very well prepared for their future pathways.

• ■ Pupils who attend provision off-site are monitored closely to make sure that they are attending, achieving well and are safe. School staff liaise regularly with staff at the alternative provisions.

Behaviour

• ■ Pupils ' behaviour is outstanding. Pupils have an admirable awareness and heightened sensitivity to the needs of others, including those who have disabilities. As a result, bullying of any type is a rare occurrence.

• ■ In lessons, pupils are focused on their work and support each other to learn effectively. They show high levels of motivation, thereby creating the conditions for excellent learning.

• ■ Pupils ' conduct is exemplary. Pupils are self-aware and regulate their behaviour around the site. They are confident and relaxed with each other, and respectful and polite with adults, including visitors. Pupils have excellent manners. They are a credit to themselves and their school.

• ■ Pupils have an excellent understanding of the school's behaviour code and the expectations of them. They rise to these expectations, taking great pride in their appearance, being punctual to lessons with the correct equipment, and keeping the school environment free of litter.

• ■ Pupils ' attendance is above the national average, and rates of persistent absence are well below the national figures. Leaders follow up pupils' absence diligently.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• ■ Pupils ' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2 is above average. Pupils' work in key stage 1 shows that they make outstanding progress across the curriculum, whatever their starting point and ability.

• ■ Pupils consistently achieve above average standards in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1. The outcomes of this are used effectively to build on pupils' reading comprehension skills. Consequently, most pupils are fluent readers as they commence key stage 2.

• ■ Standards by the end of key stage 4 are consistently above average. In recent years, at the end of Year 11, pupils' progress has been well above average and in the top 10% of all schools, nationally. Pupils' progress in the English Baccalaureate subjects is consistently in the top 10% of all schools, nationally.

• ■ Disadvantaged pupils make very strong progress across the curriculum and, particularly, in the English Baccalaureate subjects. Leaders ensure that the progress of disadvantaged pupils continues to be a high priority for the school. This commitment is demonstrated by making sure that disadvantaged pupils have the same access to enrichment activities as others, including visits to universities.

• ■ Support for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is very well planned and consistently of high quality. As a result, these pupils make excellent progress in a wide range of subjects, including English and mathematics.

• ■ Pupils make strong and sustained progress in English and mathematics across year groups and ability groupings. In mathematics, for example, pupils are confident in solving a wide range of problems in real-life contexts, using their mathematical skills and knowledge. Many pupils skilfully apply their mathematical knowledge in other subjects, for instance science and geography.

• ■ Teachers use appropriately challenging texts to develop pupils ' thinking, reading and writing skills in English. High-quality activities enable pupils to enjoy and extend their understanding of language. As a result, pupils gain a deep appreciation of the power of language to persuade, explain and inform.

• ■ Pupils develop strong skills in analysing and evaluating information. They apply these skills increasingly effectively in different subjects as they move up the school. As a result, they are very well prepared for the next stage of their education.

• ■ Pupils who study at alternative providers make good progress. They follow a curriculum more suited to their needs.

Early years provision Outstanding

• ■ Children enter Reception with skills and attributes slightly below those expected for their age. By the time they leave the Reception Year, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development is consistently above the national average. Children make outstanding progress in the different areas of learning, including literacy and mathematics. This includes disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities.

• ■ The teaching of phonics is very effective. Children use their phonics knowledge to help their spelling in independent writing. Children thoroughly enjoy reading and listening to stories. They develop a love of books as a result. Their learning diaries and other work show strong progress in their literacy and number learning.

• ■ Staff have high expectations for the social and emotional development of children. Teachers provide stimulating activities that engage, challenge and interest children, including the most able. As a result, children develop their concentration on tasks and their confidence in their own abilities.

• ■ Leaders have an excellent understanding of the strengths of the provision and its areas for further development. Leaders track children's progress very effectively. They use this information skilfully to adapt activities and focus support. Leaders have created a safe and stimulating environment in which all children thrive.

• ■ Children have very positive attitudes to learning, and eagerly share their learning with visitors and each other. Their behaviour in and around the indoor and outdoor classrooms is calm and confident. They know classroom routines and the school's expectations of their behaviour exceptionally well.

• ■ Parents contribute to the assessment of their children's learning through meetings with staff and through requests for specific information from teachers. Parents are confident that their children have an excellent start in the early years.

• ■ The well-planned curriculum, excellent teaching and strong provision for welfare ensure that children are very well prepared for key stage 1.

16 to 19 study programmes Good

• ■ Leadership of the sixth form is very effective; it is having a strong impact on the quality of learning and support for students. There has been a concerted effort to improve students' progress in the A-level subjects where, historically, students have not achieved as well as at AS level. Inspection evidence shows that current A-level students make strong progress in a wide range of subjects.

• ■ The school's motto of ‘Friendship, Excellence and Opportunity' applies equally well to the sixth form. As a result, there is a strong sense of community and students feel very safe. There is no bullying and sixth-form students have regular well-being sessions to update them on safeguarding issues. The enrichment programme provides a range of sporting activities and clubs to complement students' academic studies.

• ■ Students are very positive about the education and care that they receive. Their attendance is high; they are committed to doing their best and are excellent role models for younger pupils. They said that teachers set them challenging targets, and that they value the support they receive to enable them to achieve the highest grades. They appreciate the many opportunities to take part in work experience and leadership roles in school, such as mentoring younger pupils and hearing them read.

• ■ There is an effective transition programme for pupils joining the sixth form from within the school and outside. Students receive personalised advice and most choose the A-level academic pathway. The very large majority of students stay on from Year 12 to Year 13.

• ■ Students are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Almost all students continue in education, employment or training. The large majority of students progress to university each year, and a significant proportion of these secure a place at a Russell Group institution.

■ The variability in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, and, therefore, outcomes, between some subjects in the sixth form is a key area to improve further.

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

Date of previous inspection                 Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• ■ This is a large all-through school serving a culturally diverse community.

• ■ The primary phase of the school commenced in September 2015 with four Reception classes. This phase of the school is expanding and currently comprises four classes in each year group up to Year 3.

• ■ The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is broadly in line with the national average.

• ■ The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above that found nationally.

• ■ The school is resourced for 22 pupils who have special educational needs related to physical disability, all of whom are integrated into the main school.

• ■ Most pupils speak English as an additional language, although the proportion of pupils who are at the early stages of learning English is very small.

• ■ A very small number of pupils attend full-time provision at alternative providers ‘Elysium Healthcare' and ‘Cygnet Hospital'.

• ■ The school is a member of the Seven Kings teaching school alliance which is comprised of 22 schools. The headteacher is the director of this alliance.

• ■ This inspection is a section 8 deemed section 5 inspection, due to the addition of a new primary phase in 2015.

Information about this inspection

• ■ Inspectors visited classes across all year groups and in a wide range of subjects to observe pupils' learning and look at their work. Some of these visits were made jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors also visited an assembly and tutor periods.

• ■ Six groups of pupils talked to inspectors about their views of the school. Inspectors talked with pupils in classes and at break and lunchtimes about their learning and progress.

• ■ Inspectors met with three governors, including the chair of the governing body, and also held a meeting with a representative of the local authority.

• ■ Inspectors met with school leaders to discuss the impact of their work. This included the head of school, head of primary, senior leaders and curriculum and year leaders.

• ■ Newly qualified teachers met with inspectors to discuss their views of the school and how school leaders support them.

• ■ Inspectors scrutinised school documents, including the school's own self-evaluation, records of pupils' progress, behaviour, attendance and safeguarding records.

• ■ Inspectors considered the 119 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View. They also took account of the 67 responses to the online survey for staff.

Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and-alternative-provision-settings.

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted.

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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T: 0300 123 4234

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E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk

W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

© Crown copyright 2018

Inspection report: Seven Kings School, 12-13 September 2018