King's Academy Binfield

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 November 2022

Pupils are proud to attend this school. They achieve well academically and socially. From the youngest children in Nursery to the oldest studying for their GCSEs, pupils enjoy learning and take it very seriously. As one parent said, 'The school works hard to build a community spirit and a sense of belonging. My child feels connected to his classmates and takes responsibility for his learning.' The vast majority of pupils model the school's 'DARE' values of determination, aspiration, respect and enthusiasm. Pupils of all ages enthuse about the range of activities on offer. Badminton and drama clubs are particularly popular. Pupils especially relish opportunities to work together across the primary and secondary age range. For example, older pupils love listening to the youngest pupils read. Pupils' behaviour in lessons and around the school is typically very good. Leaders deal with any cases of bullying effectively. Pupils welcome the care taken to investigate issues fairly. Most pupils appreciate that the school's high expectations are because staff want them to do very well. As one pupil said, 'Teachers have unashamedly high standards. They believe in us and know that we can reach them.'

What the school should improve

• Learning to read is not prioritised well enough for pupils in Years 7 to 11 who are in the early stages of reading. Consequently, these pupils do not gain quickly enough the phonics knowledge and language comprehension that are necessary in order to read. This means that they do not have the foundations for future learning. Leaders need to ensure that there is a rigorous and sequential approach to learning to read for these pupils, so that reading gaps are addressed quickly and effectively.
• Careers provision is not fully in place. In particular, there are not enough good- quality, meaningful opportunities for pupils to encounter the world of work. As a result, pupils are not well enough prepared for future success in education, employment or training. Leaders need to ensure that there is an effective careers strategy that includes sufficient provision for pupils to undertake good-quality, meaningful work experience.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)