Kings Heath Secondary School

King’s Heath Boys’ Mathematics and Computing College Chamberlain Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham, B13 0QP

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Since the last inspection, the standards students reach in English and mathematics have risen rapidly and their progress has increased considerably.  Students of all backgrounds and abilities make good progress, reflecting the school’s positive approach to ensuring that all have an equal chance to succeed.  Teaching is good. Teachers plan interesting lessons and are skilled at asking stimulating questions that make students think hard about what they are learning.  Students who need extra help in lessons receive good support from teachers and other adults. This allows these students to catch up with their classmates.  Students are rightly proud of the school. They behave outstandingly well, and show respect towards staff and each other.  Students feel very safe, and bullying is very rare. Their enjoyment shows in good punctuality and high rates of attendance.  The headteacher, supported well by the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

governors and other leaders, has been instrumental in driving the improvements made.  The school is particularly good at training staff, and teachers are eager to learn from each other. Staff morale is high.  The school plans the way subjects are taught very carefully, and prepares students extremely well for later life in modern multicultural Britain.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough teaching is outstanding and a small amount requires improvement.  Occasionally, teachers do not adjust learning in lessons to take full account of students’ different ability levels and individual needs.  Students do not always get the chance during lessons to respond to advice from teachers to help them improve their work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 33 lessons taught by 31 teachers, of which 13 lessons were observed together with senior leaders. In addition, inspectors made shorter visits to lessons to observe students’ learning in different subjects. Inspectors listened to students read, attended an assembly and observed break times.  Meetings were held with three groups of students, governors, a representative from the local authority, school leaders and other staff. Informal discussions took place with staff and students.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and read a wide range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and plans for improvement, data on students’ current progress and the school’s review of examination results, and records of behaviour and attendance. They checked on how the school keeps its students safe and also looked at students’ books, records of checks on the quality of teaching, minutes of governing body meetings and external reports.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors took account of nine responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the views of a parent who contacted the inspection team. They also considered information from 28 staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Elizabeth Cooper, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Kevin Harrison Additional Inspector Huw Bishop Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The college is smaller than the average secondary school.  The proportion of students supported by the pupil premium is well above average. In this school, the pupil premium provides additional funding for looked after children and students known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is above the national average. The proportion supported at school action plus or through a statement of special educational needs is broadly average.  Most students come from minority ethnic groups. The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is well above the national average.  The proportion of students who join the school after the usual start in Year 7 is above average.  A small number of Year 11 students attend work-related courses at Birmingham South and City College, or through the Birmingham South Network Alternative Pathways.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has received national recognition from the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust as one of the most improving schools in the country in terms of GCSE results.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the achievement of students to outstanding, by:  improving the quality of teaching so it is all consistent with the very best in the school  adjusting teaching to meet the needs of individual students during each lesson  making sure that students always get the chance to respond to teachers’ feedback during lessons and in their books.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 When students join the school, many are working below the standards expected nationally for their age in most subjects. Most students make rapid gains in their learning, and by the time they leave the school they have typically made good progress. Students achieved well in almost all of the lessons observed.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Over the past four years, attainment has risen substantially. Standards overall are now just above the national average for all students, and they make better progress than boys nationally.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Better progress during Key Stage 3 is contributing to the rising attainment and achievement throughout the school, as well as preparing students well for the demands of GCSE courses.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled students, those with special educational needs and students who join the school late all make equally good progress. This is because the school invests time and support to help them catch up. Students who speak English as an additional language make good progress as the school helps them quickly to become confident in using English.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school uses the pupil premium funding most effectively for extra support in lessons, small group work and mentoring. The most recent test data show that students known to be eligible for free school meals made much better progress than similar pupils nationally. Their attainment, measured by an average points score of 331, is very close indeed to the attainment of students who do not have free school meals, who gained an average 340 points. The funding pays for information, advice and guidance that is helping to raise students’ ambitions.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school enters some students early for GCSE examinations in English and mathematics, and provides extra courses in statistics and additional mathematics for its most able students. School data show that attainment in both subjects is rising, including at the highest grades. The increase in top grades in both subjects and the challenge of further learning in mathematics show that the school’s early entry policy does not limit the grades students get.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Helping students develop skills in reading, writing and communication has been a high priority for the school. Providing intensive literacy programmes and developing students’ use of language across many subjects have proved particularly successful. The school is also developing students’ mathematical skills well. For instance, in a Year 10 science lesson, students were very confident at calculating heart rates, as well as explaining why heartbeat varies.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school ensures that all students can achieve success, including those attending courses at local colleges. Three students achieved good grades in work-related qualifications which the school was not able to offer. A ‘flexible learning’ programme completed by two students has helped them move on to the next stage in their education.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Extensive training and coaching are provided for teachers. They work together and are eager to learn from each other. As a result, teaching is typically good, and some lessons seen were outstanding. Very few lessons required improvement and none was inadequate.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers are enthusiastic about their subjects. They plan interesting lessons that help different groups of students make good progress. Students who need additional help receive good support from teachers and other adults, and this allows them to catch up with their classmates.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the best lessons, teachers quickly recognise when students need further challenges or more help, and adapt the activities accordingly. In an outstanding history lesson, the teacher knew which students were ready to move on to the next stage of their discussion about the effects of the 1930s Depression, and who still needed some support. Not all teachers are as skilled in adjusting their teaching during the lesson.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teachers’ questioning skills is a common strength. In an outstanding design and technology lesson, the teacher kept students on their toes by regularly asking searching questions as they prepared different movie trailers in groups. This approach meant that no time was lost and students could make rapid progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers are also good at asking extra questions that prompt students to think about their learning. In many lessons, students rose to the challenge of having to explain their answers to their classmates, and this helped to improve their spoken and written skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Occasionally, teachers wait for students to put their hands up, and this means that not all students are fully involved in the lesson. In the very few weaker lessons observed, teachers sometimes talked too much, while students showed every sign of wanting to get on with their work on their own.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Students are very aware of the targets their teachers have set them. This is because teachers link the aims of the lesson closely to students’ target levels or grades.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school’s ‘home learning’ follows on from work learnt in lessons and is marked regularly. Teachers provide clear guidance on what to improve, and students appreciate the green stamps used to praise them for their attitudes to learning. However, students do not always get the chance during lessons to respond to their teachers’ advice to help them improve their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Behaviour is outstanding, and students are extremely proud of their school. They invariably show courtesy towards staff and each other, and appreciate that ‘teachers have respect for you’. Students are punctual to lessons, and their rates of attendance are now high.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Students have excellent attitudes to learning. They are involved and interested in their work, and are eager to understand and make progress. They willingly listen to others’ points of view.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Students appreciate that there are always adults on hand who are willing to help and support them during the day. They say they feel very safe in school. Incidents of bullying of any kind are very rare, and they are dealt with swiftly where they occur.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school does all it can to promote harmonious relationships across all student groups. Different backgrounds are valued by students and staff. Through assemblies and the personal, social and health education programme, the school is active in helping students become aware of tensions which could lead to anti-social behaviour. The way the school welcomes all students contributes to their good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The few students attending work-related courses at local colleges behave well. The school communicates regularly with college staff to check students are safe and making rapid progress.  Nearly all of the small number of parents and carers who responded to Parent View were most positive about the school and felt that their sons were happy and safe. A parent who spoke with an inspector was pleased that teachers phoned home to pass on praise about her son.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher, most ably supported by governors and other leaders, has been the driving force behind the improvements at the school. She communicates a strong sense of ambition which inspires staff and students alike.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school’s improvement planning focuses on the right areas to develop. Very thorough checks on students’ progress allow teachers and other staff to keep a close watch on whether each student is on track, and to plan catch-up sessions where necessary.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Senior leaders have a most accurate view of the quality of students’ learning. Teachers in charge of subjects share their thoroughness and aspirations, and know the strengths and areas to develop in their teams. Teaching is good and improving because the school has a demanding but supportive process of performance management, and all teachers who met with inspectors could explain how high-quality training had made a difference to their teaching. Senior leaders act firmly but with integrity when deciding whether teachers have met their targets.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school has looked very thoroughly at many aspects of its work and built on the improvements already made, working with the local authority and other schools. Visits from the local authority have helped the school confirm the quality of teaching. In turn, the school has worked with the local authority in supporting other schools, after gaining a Leading Aspect Award for teaching English as an additional language. Results in mathematics have risen because schools have worked together to share ideas on teaching.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Students enjoy a wide range of subjects and courses, as well as a considerable number of extra enrichment activities. The way subjects are taught is planned very carefully. The school has reduced the number of work-related courses at Key Stage 4, improving the level of challenge for all students including the most able. This means that students are much better equipped for the next stage of their education. It prepares students exceptionally well for life in modern democratic Britain, and its excellent global focus was recently recognised by the International Schools Award.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The responses from parents and carers about their children’s experiences at Kings Heath were most positive. Staff are equally enthusiastic. One wrote: ‘I am incredibly proud to have been part of this school’s journey. It is a fantastic place to work.’

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  Governors make regular visits to find out about the school’s work, attending parents’ evenings and talking to subject leaders. They make effective use of training and know what questions to ask about students’ progress data. Records of governors’ meetings show that they hold senior leaders to account as well as providing support. Governors know the school’s strengths but recognise that teaching has to become even better before the school can be judged outstanding. They fully understand the arrangements for performance management, and how senior leaders link pay increases and promotion to good teaching. Their expertise has been used especially well in keeping track of the school’s budget and testing the process of performance management of senior leaders and support staff. Governors check how well the pupil premium is spent to close the gaps for eligible students. They work with staff and

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The leadership and management are outstanding

parents to set the direction of the school, and value the links the school has made with the local community, including through the annual mini-Olympics. They make sure that the exemplary arrangements for safeguarding meet all national requirements.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 103486 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 400622

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Secondary School category Community Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Boys Number of pupils on the school roll 528 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Colin Graham Headteacher Bernadette Przybek Date of previous school inspection 23 September 2009 Telephone number 0121 464 4454 Fax number 0121 464 5554 Email address enquiry@kingsheathboys.bham.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

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.

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School details

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.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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