Setting

Mr Tony Ryles and Mr Ian Cooksey The Executive Principal and The Head of College Kings International College for Business and the Arts Watchetts Drive Camberley Surrey GU15 2PQ

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Business and the Arts

Following my visit with Andrew Bird, Additional Inspector, to your school on 4 and 5 April 2011, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings.

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Business and the Arts

The inspection was the third monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection which took place in January 2010. The full list of the areas for improvement which were identified during that inspection are set out in the annex to this letter. The monitoring inspection report is attached and the main judgements are set out below.

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Business and the Arts

Progress since being subject to special measures – good.

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Business and the Arts

Progress since previous monitoring inspection – good.

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Business and the Arts

Newly qualified teachers may not be appointed.

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Business and the Arts

This letter and monitoring inspection report will be posted on the Ofsted website. I am copying this letter and the monitoring inspection report to the Secretary of State, the chair of the interim executive board and the Director of Children’s Services for Surrey.

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Her Majesty’s Inspector

Tribal Education 1-4 Portland Square Bristol BS2 8RR T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 0845 123 6001 Direct F 0845 123 6002 Direct email : sarah.cartlidge@tribalgroup.com

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place in January 2010

 Rapidly ensure that students’ attainment meets or exceeds national levels at both Key Stage 4 and in the sixth form.  Review the quality of the sixth form provision to secure better outcomes for sixth form students.  Significantly raise the proportion of teaching which is consistently good or better to at least 75% by July 2010.  Rigorously embed the use of assessment in lesson planning and teaching so that: - lessons meet the needs of every student - higher achievers and gifted and talented students receive significantly more challenge in lessons - the pace of lessons is brisk and fully exploits the 75 minutes of teaching time, providing extension tasks as well as opportunities for some students to work at a slower pace than their peers - marking is much more detailed and gives students clear advice so that they know how to improve their work.  Secure much greater capacity for improvement by: - establishing more penetrating insight into the progress of all student

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place in January 2010

groups - sharpening the understanding of effective teaching in every department - raising the expectations of all leaders and teaching staff to more quickly secure improvement.

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Evidence

Inspectors observed the school’s work, scrutinised documents and spoke with the executive principal, head of college, staff, groups of students, the chair and members of the interim executive board, a representative from the local authority and the School Improvement Partner.

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Context

The local authority has informed parents that it proposes to carry out a consultation process on the future of Kings and its partner school in the light of falling demand for school places in the locality. The executive principal, who divides his time between Kings and its partner school, has announced that he will retire in August 2011. A recruitment process is underway for this post. The head of college’s secondment to Kings concludes in the summer when he will be moving on to take up the post of headteacher at another school. A shadow governing body, which is due to take over from the interim executive board in December 2011, is in place.

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Pupils’ achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning

Attainment is rising. The school’s data for the performance of current Year 11 students show that higher proportions of them than last year are on track to achieve five or more GCSE passes at grades A* to C overall and when English and mathematics are included. The help being provided for students just below this threshold has already led to some improvement in their attainment. The school’s records indicate that attainment of Year 11 students is rising in English, mathematics, science, and information and communication technology. This represents improved progress for students between Key Stages 2 and 4, particularly in English, but it is too soon for the data to show accurately the progress that individuals and groups of students have made during this school year. In other subjects, there is much variation in attainment and the rate of progress students are making. The current figures reflect below average attainment. They have risen when

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Pupils’ achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning

more recent coursework and examination results have been entered and there are signs that this trend will be confirmed when the most recent figures are analysed. In Year 10 there are signs of improved attainment and progress, although some remains below target. At Key Stage 3, attainment has risen in Year 8 and more students are reaching high levels in Year 9, although progress since Key Stage 2 is below targets. This term, there is more focused support for Year 7 students with low levels of literacy, but it is early for secure evaluation of its impact. In lessons, students are making improved progress because work is matched more closely to their needs. However, there are occasions when teaching does not challenge students enough or enable them to understand fully, so their learning is hindered.

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Pupils’ achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning

In the sixth form, students’ attainment is rising. In BTEC courses, it is much closer to average than last year. Students are on track to meet the requirements for their future studies and employment, with a number holding university offers. The support provided by staff is helping students to be on track to meet or exceed their targets in most courses, including to achieve grade C in English and mathematics at GCSE.

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Pupils’ achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning

Progress since the last monitoring inspection on the areas for improvement:  rapidly ensure that students’ attainment meets or exceeds national levels at both Key Stage 4 and in the sixth form – satisfactory  review the quality of the sixth form provision to secure better outcomes for sixth form students – good.

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The effectiveness of provision

Teaching quality continues to rise. Teachers are keenly taking on new approaches, such as in assessment, to support learning. They monitor and assess students’ progress more frequently during lessons, then adapt work accordingly. They are using a range of strategies to check and extend students’ skills and knowledge, and increase their participation, but do not always ensure that their understanding is developed well enough. Teachers use data more confidently and effectively to plan work to meet students’ different needs, but this remains an area for development. Effective steps and support have led to a reduction in inadequate teaching. However, some students have experienced discontinuity in their learning, having been taught by different staff or because they miss some lessons whilst attending off-site provision.

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The effectiveness of provision

The impact of training and support on developing the use of assessment is evident. Students are more involved in self- and peer-assessment, and more aware of their targets, although not consistently clearer on how to reach these targets. Marking of students’ work provides better guidance on the next steps students need to take, although opportunities to apply them at a suitable time are not always provided. There is variation across subjects in the rate of improvement in the quality of assessment in lessons and marking.

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The effectiveness of provision

Progress since the last monitoring inspection on the areas for improvement:  significantly raise the proportion of teaching which is consistently good or better to at least 75% by July 2010 – good  rigorously embed the use of assessment in lesson planning and teaching – good.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Senior leaders have taken effective strategic approaches to staffing and organisation. They have put in place structures and systems that have motivated staff. They have supported staff more effectively through improved line management. Increased professionalism and respect, with more efficient allocation of administrative tasks, have raised accountability and the sense of team work. Staff are working together more effectively with a clear focus on improving outcomes for students. The skills of middle leadership in monitoring and enhancing students’ progress and the quality of teaching are rising, supported through partnership with local schools.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The half-termly tracking of students’ attainment in relation to their targets is used more effectively by leaders of faculties and years to target support where there is underachievement. The increased emphasis on students’ progress, whatever their attainment, that has been applied across all year groups has helped staff to focus on where improvement is needed. While the system allows staff to analyse performance, it does not readily identify and summarise the progress of different groups of students, including form groups. The local authority has identified strengths and where improvements are needed in the accuracy of assessment at Key Stage 3, but there is a need for checking this across subjects at Key Stage 4 to assist in tracking students’ attainment and progress reliably.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Teachers work together more closely to support each other to improve teaching, including by observing lessons in other subjects. Through an emphasis on raising teaching quality in training, meetings and support, teachers are broadening their understanding of the features of good teaching. The observations that senior leaders carried out jointly with inspectors were accurate. The lesson monitoring records have been revised to place a greater emphasis on students’ progress. Nevertheless, this is not always used effectively enough to inform evaluation of the lesson or the teacher’s own analysis of its impact. The points for development identified during lesson observations have informed support that has contributed to improvement, but they sometimes focus more on the use of strategies than the quality of their application to assess and enhance students’ understanding of the specific subject. This has, for example, led to more occasions in lessons when all students are asked

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

to reply to a question, but the quality of question posed has not always assessed or extended their understanding.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The interim executive board has contributed strongly to improvement. It has collected evidence perceptively and provided well-focused challenge. It has worked effectively to help target and review the support from the local authority.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Progress since the last monitoring inspection on the areas for improvement:  secure much greater capacity for improvement – good.

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External support

The support from the local authority, partner schools, the School Improvement Partner and an external consultant has made a substantial contribution to improvements. The local authority has worked effectively with the school and interim executive board to match support to needs. The quantity of this support is specified, although there is less clarity about how its success will be measured. There is a need now for further support to raise and verify attainment and progress in Years 10 and 11. Links with two local schools continue to provide effective support in the core subjects.

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