King’s Park Academy, located in Bournemouth, Dorset, is recognized as a good school following its inspection on September 26 and 27, 2023. The principal, Lauren Dean, leads the school, which is part of the Ambitions Academy Trust. This trust is overseen by CEO Sian Thomas and a board of trustees chaired by Caroline Sard. The school serves children aged four to eleven and has a total enrollment of 608 pupils, including those in two specialized hub classes for students with special educational needs and disabilities.
Pupils at King’s Park Academy enjoy a positive and inclusive learning environment. From the outset, children in Reception quickly adapt to school routines, and throughout the school, students learn to behave respectfully towards one another. Staff are attentive to any lapses in concentration, addressing them promptly to help students re-engage with their learning. The school provides strong pastoral support, ensuring that pupils feel confident in seeking help from adults when they have concerns or require emotional support. A variety of extracurricular activities, including karate, choir, and gardening, enrich the students' experiences, and older pupils take pride in mentoring younger students.
The curriculum at King’s Park Academy emphasizes essential skills in reading, writing, and mathematics while also offering a broad range of subjects. Educational trips, such as visits to a planetarium and performances at the Bournemouth Pavilion, broaden students' horizons. Many pupils highlight the overnight camp as a significant experience that fosters resilience and perseverance. The school teaches students about making sensible decisions and understanding right from wrong.
The Ambitions Academy Trust is aware of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement, deploying resources effectively to ensure a suitable curriculum. Staff receive appropriate training to enhance their subject knowledge, and the school prioritizes support for vulnerable pupils and families. Recent efforts to improve attendance have shown positive results. Pupils with special educational needs receive tailored support, with staff implementing individualized targets effectively. Resources such as visual timetables and learning prompts are utilized to aid these pupils in their learning.
The trust regularly reviews pupil achievement, and recent enhancements to the reading curriculum have proven effective. Consistent teaching methods are in place to ensure pupils acquire the phonics knowledge necessary for reading and spelling. However, some pupils in key stage one who struggled with reading in the past are receiving additional support to improve their phonics skills. Staff collaborate to continuously improve the curriculum across subjects, particularly in mathematics, where a focus on problem-solving and reasoning is emphasized.
The wider curriculum is well-structured, detailing the content pupils should learn and the timeline for mastery. Staff are increasingly effective in implementing this curriculum, leading to improved retention of knowledge over time. For instance, pupils progressively build on their understanding of art concepts. Assessment tools are used to gauge pupil knowledge, although there are instances where teaching sequences do not adapt sufficiently to meet the needs of all learners, including those with special educational needs.
The curriculum effectively addresses themes of equality and diversity, and pupils are educated on online safety. The school’s behavior policy is implemented effectively, helping students learn to regulate their behavior. Safeguarding arrangements are robust, ensuring a safe environment for all pupils.
To enhance its performance, the school must ensure that teaching consistently prioritizes essential curriculum content, enabling all pupils to progress effectively. This focus will help maintain the school’s good standing and support continuous improvement in educational outcomes.
