The King's Church of England School Ofsted Report

Full report

In accordance with section 13(5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching to further raise pupils’ achievements, particularly for the most able pupils and boys, by making sure that all teachers:
  • routinely apply the schools’ teaching and learning policies to ensure greater consistency across the curriculum
  • set work that appropriately stretches and challenges pupils’ thinking
  • use the information they now have about pupils to plan tasks that engage and interest them, especially boys
  • identify any remaining gaps in pupils’ knowledge and plan activities that help them to close these gaps.
• Accelerate the improvements to teaching and learning in science, by ensuring that pupils have regular opportunities to deepen their scientific knowledge and understanding.
• Improve the quality of leadership and management, by making sure that leaders, including governors, evaluate robustly the impact of the additional funding they receive on the outcomes for pupils for whom the spending is intended.
• Ensure that all staff consistently apply the school’s behaviour policy both in lessons and at breaktime and lunchtimes.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since the last inspection, the principal and his leadership team have shown an unwavering drive and determination to improve the school. As a result, there have been improvements in the sixth form, the curriculum and the attendance of pupils. Over recent years, the school has experienced a high level of staff turbulence, including at senior and middle leadership level. This led to staffing shortfalls in some subjects. Leaders have recognised the impact this has had on pupils’ progress and have acted swiftly to employ expert staff. In addition, the school has been through some very challenging circumstances. Despite these difficulties, the principal, governors and leadership team have provided stable leadership, which has had a positive impact on the effectiveness of the school.
• The leadership of teaching is now stronger and a revised teaching and learning policy has been introduced. As a result, teaching is improving and leaders know where teaching is strong and where it needs to develop. They have provided targeted training and support for some teachers who have consequently improved. Leaders recognise that inconsistencies in teaching remain and have plans in place to address this. The impact of these plans is not yet evident in pupils’ outcomes.
• The vast majority of staff are supportive of senior leaders’ drive for continuous improvement. They say that the school has improved since the last inspection, but know that there are still some improvements that are needed. They have confidence in the principal to bring these changes about. Staff agree that pupils are safe at school and well cared for. They are proud to work at the school.
• Recent appointments at middle leadership level have been effective. Middle leaders, including new pastoral leaders, are clear about the roles they are performing and how their work is pivotal in bringing about further improvement. Owing to some very recent appointments, the impact of their work on sustained improvements is yet to be seen.
• The leadership of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) has improved since the previous inspection. The new leader has worked closely with outside agencies to provide training for teachers and ensure that teachers have accurate information about the pupils they teach. The role of adults providing additional support has been reviewed, and consequently, staff now work in specific departments to ensure that pupils receive effective, subject-specific support. As a result, pupils with SEND now make progress in line with that of pupils with similar starting points.
• Many strategies identified in the recent pupil premium review have been refined and developed and these are having an impact on closing the achievement gap between disadvantaged pupils and others in the school. However, leaders’ evaluation of the use of pupil premium funding lacks precision and detail. Leaders are not always able to identify which strategies are having a positive impact on disadvantaged pupils’ achievement and which are not.
• The school’s Christian ethos permeates the curriculum, and this supports the learning of British values and ensures that pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. There is a real sense of community about the school. This is reflected in the positive relationships between pupils who come from very differing backgrounds.
• In the past, the curriculum did not enable pupils to make strong progress and reach the standards of which they are capable. Leaders have redesigned and implemented a new, more effective curriculum. Pupils now complete courses that better match their abilities, needs and career aspirations. As a result, the progress of pupils is improving, particularly in key stage 3.
• Some pupils in Years 10 and 11 are still disadvantaged from previous weak teaching and an ineffective, historic curriculum. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their learning that they are trying to fill. Leaders have introduced a more accurate assessment system that is allowing teachers to spot these shortfalls and address them. While this is having an impact in some areas such as English, it is still being developed in others, such as science.
• Placements at alternative provision for a small number of pupils are carefully chosen to match their interests and abilities. As a result, pupils who are at risk of leaving education complete their courses and move on to appropriate destinations. The monitoring of pupils at alternative provision is not as robust as it could be with regard to their academic progress. Leaders are aware of this and have immediate plans in place to strengthen their practices.
• School leaders have a productive relationship with the local authority. The local authority school improvement lead and pupil premium officer are working closely with school leaders to support the evaluation of the school’s work. As a result of this work, there have been improvements in the provision for pupils with SEND. The school improvement partners are now providing advice about how to improve teaching and learning in science.
• The impact of the Year 7 catch-up funding is not yet as effectively evaluated as it could be. Assessment information suggests that these pupils are making better progress in English and mathematics, although not rapidly enough to enable them to catch up quickly with other pupils.

Governance of the school

• Governance is provided to this school by the local governing board, and the diocese completes regular visits and reviews of the school. Governors are very supportive of school leaders and are proud of the improvements at the school. They recognise that the principal has strengthened the Christian ethos of the school and brought in systems to track and evaluate the effectiveness of leaders’ actions in improving teaching, learning and assessment.
• At the last inspection, a review of governance was recommended. As a result, there have been changes in the make-up of the governing body, with several new governors being appointed who have key skills in areas such as finance and education. The governors, including the new chair of the governing body, understand that further work is needed to ensure that their ambitions for pupils are translated into more consistent practice in the classroom.
• While governors have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and priorities for development, they are not yet holding leaders sufficiently well to account for the impact of the pupil premium funding and for those pupils in Year 7 that need to catch up with their peers.
• Governors have access to appropriate training on safeguarding, for example. Governors ensure that the relevant policies, checks and training are in place so that pupils are kept safe. They demonstrate a good commitment to ensuring that pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders, including governors, have developed an effective culture of safeguarding in the school. The approach taken by leaders to keep pupils safe and to support them when they may be at risk of harm is diligent.
• Training for safeguarding ensures that all adults in the school contribute to a culture where children feel safe. Staff are confident about the systems they need to follow and knowledgeable about the risks they need to identify.
• All staff are vigilant and a team of dedicated staff, supported by senior leaders, ensures that pupils are looked after and cared for. Close working with outside agencies and prompt, effective referral systems ensure that the needs of vulnerable pupils are met effectively.
• Pupils say that they feel safe in school. They are confident that they know whom to speak to if they have any concerns. Pupils are taught to stay safe by their teachers, as well as through a programme of visiting external speakers. Leaders have re-organised tutor time to allow this work to be further embedded.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Leaders have set out very clear expectations for the quality of teaching and learning in the school. They have introduced a new framework that sets out minimum teaching expectations and makes clear what pupils should achieve. As a result, the quality of teaching has improved, markedly so in English, religious education and geography. While improvements are evident in many learning areas, the overall quality of teaching remains too variable, especially in science and resistant materials.
• Leaders now routinely monitor the quality of teaching across the school, and therefore leaders are able to identify strengths in teaching and where it needs to improve further. Once underperformance has been identified, leaders provide support and training and staff speak highly of the professional development opportunities they receive to improve their practice.
• Improvements in the quality of teaching in science have been too slow. This is partly due to staff turnover and previous weak teaching. As a result, not enough has been done to fill the gaps in pupils’ scientific knowledge and understanding. Consequently, pupils remain behind where they should be. Leaders are working with the school improvement partners to improve the teaching of science, but the impact of this work on pupils’ outcomes is yet to be seen.
• Not all teachers consistently apply the teaching and learning policy. For example, feedback to pupils about their work does not always help them improve. When this happens, pupils’ learning slows, especially for the most able pupils, and they make weaker progress than they should.
• Some teachers, especially in key stage 4, do not yet use resources that match pupils’ needs, abilities or interests. In these cases, pupils, especially boys, can become disengaged, which causes learning time to be wasted and pupils’ progress is slowed. As a result, pupils are at risk of falling behind.
• The assessment system is now more accurate and targets set for pupils are aspirational. Leaders have ensured that assessments are appropriate and faculty leaders have established external links to enable moderation of work to take place. Leaders then analyse effectively pupils’ progress information to ensure that they have an accurate view of how well pupils at the school are achieving. As a result, leaders know when pupils fall behind and are able to put effective intervention strategies in place to help them catch up.
• Teaching in the sixth form is stronger than lower down the school. As a result, students’ outcomes have improved in 2018. Expertise and practice that exist in the sixth form are now shared and disseminated across the whole school; however, the impact of this is yet to be seen.
• When teaching is effective, pupils benefit from teachers’ strong subject knowledge and expertise. This is underpinned by skilful questioning and high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils benefit from strong teaching in several subjects, including food technology, physical education, drama and music. Here, teachers skilfully guide pupils to make links and connections between their theoretical knowledge and practical skills. As a result, pupils make consistently strong progress in these subjects. In addition, these teachers use the school systems to improve pupils’ reading and writing skills well, especially to develop extended writing.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The prevailing culture, based on the Christian values of empathy, respect, responsibility and forgiveness, leads to a feeling of mutual respect that is preparing pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils were observed working collaboratively and they socialise well together, valuing and respecting each other’s different backgrounds and beliefs, including religion and race.
• School information indicates that bullying is rare at the school. A few parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, feel that the school does not manage bullying effectively. However, those pupils who were spoken to by inspectors, both in pupil forums and in lessons, and those who answered the student questionnaire, disagree. Pupils feel safe and happy. Pupils are confident that when bullying incidents do occur, staff deal with matters swiftly and effectively.
• The personal, social, health and economic education and citizenship curriculum makes a strong contribution to pupils’ personal development. This includes a comprehensive and very well-planned programme of careers education. The impact of this is that almost every Year 11 pupil who left the school in 2018 moved on to further education or employment with training.
• Pupils are encouraged to play an active role in the school and make the most of the opportunities presented to them. They respond by eagerly taking on positions of responsibility that help develop their leadership skills. The members of the newly formed student council spoke enthusiastically about the three committees they run and the impact they are having on the school community.
• There is a good range of interesting clubs and activities provided that covers all aspects of sport, the arts and music. This supports pupils in developing confidence, resilience and a strong sense of community.
• Assemblies, tutorials and non-timetable days cover all aspects of safety and life in modern Britain, including bullying, e-safety, poverty and asylum. Pupils said that they feel safe and secure in school. School leaders engage well with a wide range of external agencies that contribute to curricular and enrichment activities for pupils across all year groups. For example, during the inspection, pupils in Year 10 were taking part in workshops run by the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• In some lessons, pupils respond with uninterest and disengagement. This is because these lessons are not well planned, activities lack challenge and interest, or teachers do not consistently apply the school’s behaviour policy.
• Some pupils do not behave well when they are not in lessons. During the inspection, inspectors observed behaviours such as pupils pushing and shouting in corridors at lesson changeover and during lunchtimes. Staff are not always quick to implement the school’s behaviour policy at these times. As a result, some pupils are unclear about the expectations staff have of them and misbehaviour is not addressed swiftly enough. This was very different to the behaviour observed in some classrooms where staff are using the new electronic behaviour system well to record and reward the behaviour of pupils. In conversation with inspectors, pupils acknowledged that, ‘some pupils do not always behave as well as they should’.
• Attendance is now in line with the national average. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils, which has been low for several years, has improved. There remain a small number of pupils who are persistently absent from school. Procedures to monitor and track these pupils and engage their parents and carers more effectively are improving. Leaders are using outside agencies well to support attendance and only prosecute parents when necessary.
• The number of fixed-term exclusions has fallen since the previous inspection and leaders are clear that this is in part due to the way that they use restorative practice within the school. The result has been that pupils learn to correct their behaviour and do not re-offend.
• Pupils who attend alternative provision are on appropriate courses. Pupils behave well and attend their placements regularly. Procedures to help them to re-engage with education, and to monitor their attendance and behaviour, are in place and effectively used.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Since the previous inspection, outcomes for pupils have improved, albeit from a very low starting point. In 2017, improvements were most notable. In 2018, there remained some differences between disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes and those of their peers, and most-able pupils achieved less well than they should have. Current school data shows that these gaps are reducing for disadvantaged pupils and most-able pupils; however, most-able pupils are still behind where they should be.
• Overall, pupils who completed Year 11 in 2018 made similar progress to those nationally in a range of academic and vocational subjects. However, pupils made less progress in mathematics, English and languages. In science, pupils have significantly underachieved for several years and continue to do so.
• Although improving, the progress of most-able and disadvantaged pupils, especially in key stage 4, is still not as good as it should be. Leaders have acted effectively to tackle this underperformance. For example, intervention sessions to close gaps in pupils’ knowledge have been more personalised since September 2018. Recent assessment information and work in pupils’ books suggest that this is having a positive impact on pupils’ progress.
• The school’s assessment system is now more effective in enabling leaders to identify where pupils fall behind, and leaders are now able to put actions in place to help them catch up. Leaders have recognised that underachievement is more pronounced for boys than girls and now monitor and track carefully boys’ achievements. When an individual pupil is recognised as falling behind, faculty leaders, teachers and heads of year act swiftly to put support in place. As a result, boys make better progress.
• Pupils at the school make better progress, especially in Years 7, 8 and 9. Assessment information and work in pupils’ books show that learning has notably improved. This is because the curriculum now meets pupils’ needs and the quality of teaching is better than in the past.
• Pupils with SEND historically performed less well than their peers with similar starting points. The leadership of this area is now strong, and support provided during lessons by specialist support staff is having a positive impact on improving pupils’ learning. As a result, pupils with SEND are now progressing at similar rates as pupils with similar starting points.
• Pupils who speak English as an additional language progress well at the school when compared with pupils with similar starting points. These pupils benefit from additional support from a member of staff who specialises in English as an additional language. For example, pupils receive tailored support and help with revision skills for their exams.
• Provision for careers information, advice and guidance is successful. Pupils receive a range of information about options available to them, especially in key stage 4, and learn how different courses lead to possible career pathways. As a result, pupils are well prepared for their next steps and move on to further education, employment or training when they leave Year 11.

16 to 19 study programmes Good

• There is effective provision in the sixth form and the requirements of the 16 to 19 study programmes are fully met. Students are well provided for and are supported by effective leadership. Leaders have high expectations of their students and what they can achieve.
• Outcomes are good in the sixth form. In vocational subjects, progress has historically been strong and remained so in 2018. There have been notable improvements in outcomes in academic subjects since the last inspection.
• Teaching is effective, and teachers set out clear expectations for students to develop their learning skills. Work is better matched to students’ needs in the sixth form than elsewhere in the school. For example, in a mathematics lesson, very high expectations ensured that all students were challenged by their work and encouraged to think difficult concepts through. As a result, students enjoyed their learning and made good progress.
• Teachers know their students well and plan carefully to meet individual needs. Outcomes for those students who have to re-take their English or mathematics GCSE are good. Support for these students is now more structured and students are even better prepared for these examinations.
• Attendance, punctuality, behaviour and attitudes to learning are strong in the sixth form. Students say that they enjoy their studies. They are mature and appreciate the opportunities that they are provided with. For example, students regularly run the school’s library and work with elderly people in the community.
• Leaders offer a broad range of academic and vocational courses. Effective careers advice and guidance ensure that students take subjects that are well matched to their abilities and aspirations. High-quality support means that nearly all complete the courses they start in Year 12.
• Leaders provide a comprehensive enrichment programme to ensure that students receive a well-rounded education and good preparation for working life. For example, every student takes part in an activity that contributes to the community, either in school or the local community. They know how to live safely and enjoy healthy lifestyles because they understand the risks they might face otherwise.
• Destination information shows that the vast majority of students go on to further education, training, apprenticeships or employment. Students are well prepared for these next steps because their personal, social and employability skills are developed well. Close links with outside agencies meant that 25% of students in Year 12 attended a university summer course in 2018 to encourage studying at university.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority 131547 Wolverhampton Inspection number 10056261 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Other secondary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Gender of pupils in 16 to 19 study programmes Number of pupils on the school roll Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes Foundation 11 to 18 Mixed Mixed 674 103 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Principal Telephone number Website Email address Ms Linda Platt Mr James Ludlow 01902 558333 www.kingswolverhampton.co.uk admin@kingswolverhampton.co.uk Date of previous inspection 15–16 March 2017

Information about this school

• The school is smaller than the average-sized secondary school with a sixth form provision.
• The school is a voluntary-aided Church of England faith school.
• Pupils are from a wide variety of backgrounds and a large number speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well above average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is below average.
• A small number of key stage 4 pupils attend alternative provision either at a local authority provision or at a private training provider, NOVA Training.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation. This included the school’s self-evaluation and action plans, school policies, and information about pupils’ attainment and progress, behaviour and attendance, and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.
• Inspectors observed learning in lessons and parts of lessons across a wide range of subjects and key stages and many lessons were observed with a senior leader. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour between lessons and at breaktime and lunchtime.
• Inspectors evaluated the work in pupils’ books and folders in lessons across a range of year groups and in the sixth form.
• Inspectors held meetings with the governors, senior and middle leaders, and teachers. The lead inspector also held a meeting with the three members of the local authority.
• The views of parents were considered through the 40 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.
• Inspectors considered the views of 46 members of staff who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire.
• Pupils met with inspectors in four separate focus groups, and 55 responded to the Ofsted questionnaire. Inspectors also had many informal discussions with pupils in lessons and at social times.

Inspection team

Lois Kelly, lead inspector Wendy Tomes Stephen Byatt Julie Griffiths Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector