King Edward VII Science and Sport College

School report King Edward VII Science and Sport College Warren Hills Road, Coalville, LE67 4UW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 More than half the teaching requires improvement and progress is not rapid enough in several subjects, including mathematics.  Students, especially the more able, are not always given work that challenges them sufficiently to achieve their best.  The college’s approach to marking varies too much between subjects, and comments on students’ work do not always give them enough information on how to improve.  Teachers do not always make enough use of assessment information in planning their lessons to set work at the right level for all students, including disabled students and those who have special educational needs.  College self-evaluation is not critical enough. Leaders’ efforts to secure consistently good or better teaching have not been fully effective, especially in mathematics, the humanities and modern foreign languages. Consequently, students’ attainment in these subjects requires improvement.

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The school has the following strengths

 The behaviour of students is good, both in lessons and around the college. Students feel safe and show a good understanding of how to stay safe.  Students respect one another and the adults they work with, leading to a harmonious environment for learning.  The college has a policy of strong support for students who cannot learn well enough at college, arranging highly successful provision in other settings. Consequently, there have been no permanent exclusions for several years.  Students, especially the sixth form, have good opportunities to take responsibility.  The college participates in a project to help students to work together successfully to improve their commitment to study and raise their self-esteem.  The college has a successful sixth form and many students enter higher education, including medical schools and gain highly competitive places in university departments.  Governors are active and hold the Principal to

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The school has the following strengths

account for the work of the college, but leaders are only just starting to secure the required improvements.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 35 lessons including some in the sixth form, and covering most subject areas. Eleven of these were joint observations with senior members of staff. Inspectors also made several shorter visits to lessons, and analysed the work in students’ books.  Inspectors held discussions with students from all year groups. They spoke with the Principal, the deputy principal, other senior leaders, subject leaders and those responsible for the welfare and personal development of students. Discussions were held with the Chair of the Governing Body, and the headteachers of local high schools with which the college has formed partnerships.  Inspectors spoke by telephone with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of 41 responses to the online Parent View survey and met with one parent who requested a meeting.  Inspectors observed the work of the college, including minutes of governors’ meetings, the

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Information about this inspection

college’s self-evaluation, tracking data, and records of the college’s own lesson observations.

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Inspection team

David Lewis, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Victoria Bishop Additional Inspector Frances Le pla Additional Inspector Martin Spoor Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 King Edward VII Science and Sport College is an average-sized secondary college.  The college converted to academy status on 1 October 2012. The college is not part of a larger enterprise trust. When its predecessor school – King Edward VII Science and Sport College – was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be satisfactory.  There have recently been many staffing changes in the college.  The number of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium (those eligible for free school meals, looked after students and any with a parent in the armed services) is close to the national average.  Very few students are from minority ethnic groups.  The proportion of students supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is about one in fourteen, which is close to the national average. The number supported at school action is below the national average.  About 30 students in each year group attend off-site courses.

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Information about this school

 The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.  The college is a specialist science and sport college, and holds an Artsmark Gold award and an International School award. It is designated as a Healthy School.  The college is a member of a partnership with other schools to ensure good behaviour.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that most is good or better by:  improving the planning of learning in lessons so that all students are engaged by work that interests them, and are challenged to achieve their best, whatever their ability  making better use of day-to-day assessment to identify how students can be supported to learn successfully  making better use of written comments in students’ books to help them to understand what they need to do to improve.  Improve attainment in mathematics, the humanities and modern foreign languages by helping students to think effectively for themselves, and to evaluate their own work and that of others, so that they make at least good progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that disabled students, those who have special educational needs, and those supported by the pupil premium are given the help they need to progress at least as rapidly as other students in the college.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that governors use their strategic view of the work of the college to press leaders and managers to:  support the use of self-evaluation to bring about improvements in attainment and progress in all subjects  create a relentless drive to raise attainment, built upon secure and frequent assessment of students’ achievement  monitor the outcomes of the procedures put in place to secure improvement in teaching and students’ achievement, evaluate their effectiveness and take prompt action if improvement falters.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Many students join the academy from high school with levels of attainment below those expected nationally at age 14.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students make good progress in English in Years 10 and 11 because they are generally well taught and, by the end of Year 11, their attainment is above average. However, some have yet to discover the pleasure of reading, and the literacy skills of many students are not good enough to make them confident, independent learners.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The college makes reasonable use of early entry for GCSE examinations, and re-sits, to help students to progress and reach their potential.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In mathematics, the number of students gaining GCSE grades A* to C is low. However, college data show that standards are now rising in response to the better teaching that students are receiving in this subject. Students’ attainment in modern foreign languages and humanities subjects is significantly below average.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students achieve well in science because they are interested in their work. For example, in a Year 11 lesson they enthusiastically collaborated with one another to revise topics they found difficult, and made good progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Scrutiny of students’ work shows that progress is often patchy because misunderstandings are not always corrected, and are often a barrier to learning. In lessons, the most able achieve well in lessons where teaching is good or better, but too often they are insufficiently challenged to do as well as they could and do not get the support they need in developing their thinking skills.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Many students gain good grades in GCSE, and progress to the sixth form, where they do well enough to continue to higher education. There are no students from the last academic year who are not in employment, education or training.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students supported by the pupil premium funding currently achieve less well than other students. College tracking data show that the gap in attainment in English and mathematics is narrowing between students eligible for the pupil premium and other students in the college.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students who have disabilities or special educational needs do not do as well as they could, because support is insufficiently well focused on their individual needs. Although good and better teaching helps them to progress, they are too often left to work on their own by a teacher who is working with the class as a whole and the gap between their performance and that of other students has proved difficult to narrow.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The most recent data show that the proportion of students on track to gain five or more A* to C grades, including English and mathematics, though below the national average, is increasing.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students who benefit from the college’s arrangements for some students to follow alternative courses off-site gain confidence from their new environment, and do well.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students enter the sixth form with qualifications that are typical for students at the start of Year 12. National data comparisons show that sixth form students normally achieve as well as they should. Over two thirds of them continue with their subjects from Year 12 to Year 13, and many of them gain entry to university.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching requires improvement because not all students make as much progress as they could. For weaker students, teachers do not always do enough to develop literacy and numeracy skills. Often, insufficient emphasis is placed on the need to focus on individual needs, and few teachers do enough to develop the skill of evaluating students’ work against criteria.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching and learning in English is better than in mathematics, but overall fewer than half the lessons observed by the inspectors resulted in good or outstanding progress.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 There are too many lessons in which all students are set the same work. In these lessons, the most-able students lose interest because the work is too easy, whilst others find the work too difficult for them. Sometimes, teachers start lessons with the intention of teaching the class together for a few minutes. However, these sessions last much longer than the teacher originally intended. Students, especially those eligible for the pupil premium, those who are disabled and those with special educational needs, lose concentration as a result.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers understand how to assess their students’ progress, both as a class and as individuals. However, they do not always link their teaching to the students’ levels of ability as well as they should, and one or more groups of students are not challenged to learn well enough. In a science lesson, for example, the pace was matched to the needs of average-ability students, and the most able were insufficiently challenged, leading to inadequate progress.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Many teachers mark students’ books regularly, but the comments they add to students’ work are sometimes insufficiently precise and do little to help students improve. However, nearly all students know their targets, and are confident to seek out the teacher for clarification if they need to do so.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In many of the less effective lessons there were too few opportunities for students to assess their own work, or that of their colleagues, against criteria. Often this resulted in weaker students, those who are disabled or have special educational needs, and those who are eligible for the pupil premium, making slower progress than they should.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Often, teachers’ assessment of pupils’ work is insufficiently reflected in lessons. It is not always clear from teachers’ planning that the tasks they set are specifically designed to remove misunderstandings found in assessment. Support by teaching assistants for those who are disabled and those who have special educational needs is patchy, and does to not do enough to ensure rapid progress.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The best teaching involves lively questioning and tasks that interest students, such as working out how many seats will fit in a football stadium. Such teaching captures the imaginations of even the most reluctant students, leading to good or outstanding learning.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In the sixth form, teaching varies in quality, and is generally good. Students are interested in their work and participate actively in their learning. The best learning has real intellectual rigour and students are challenged to think for themselves at a high level, evaluating their own successes and those of their colleagues. In these situations, students make excellent progress and are well prepared for the next stage in their education. Comparison with data from schools nationally shows that overall they make good progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students behave well around the college. In most lessons, they display a positive attitude towards teachers and towards one another, working together harmoniously.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 In many lessons, students experience the joy of learning and participate enthusiastically. They show a good level of curiosity in response to situations that they can relate to, such as finding the number of winning patterns in a three-dimensional game of noughts and crosses.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Lessons in which students are working together in groups are often the most productive. Students discuss problems presented to them, constantly evaluating one another’s ideas, and trialling different approaches to problem solving.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 In less stimulating lessons, they sometimes become passive and contribute less than they should to their own learning. This limited learning is often in lessons in which the work is not matched well enough to students’ abilities.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is closely monitored. It is on an improving trend and is now close to the average for 11 – 16 colleges. Most students attend regularly. Students enjoy coming to the college. They are generally punctual to college and to lessons.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The college is a leading member of a behaviour partnership, and there have been no permanent exclusions for many years. Incidences of inappropriate behaviour are reducing in response to good tutor support and student mentoring. There is very little bullying, and the college deals with what there is effectively. The number of fixed-term exclusions is falling.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students report that they feel safe and that they are kept well informed about how to cope with possible dangers associated with the latest technology, such as internet use and cyber-bullying. They are aware of the dangers of extremism.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 A clear majority of staff are very positive about the work of the college and, overall, they are right to believe that the college manages students’ behaviour well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils who attend alternative provision away from the main college are very positive about the courses provided for them. They behave responsibly in the alternative environment, and achieve well.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders and managers at the college are totally committed to the pursuit of excellence and effectively set a good professional example in all that they do. Most parents engage well with the school, and a large majority of staff and parents are agreed that the college is well managed.  Helpful policies are in place, approved by the governing body, but staff and students say they are not always applied as consistently as they could be.  Monitoring of teaching is extensive. Detailed records are kept, which chart the progress of teachers towards improvement. Staffing changes are contributing to improving the quality of teaching. Although senior staff and inspectors agreed the grades for teaching and learning in all but one of the observations that they shared, prior data suggest that the college’s evaluations are overgenerous, leading to the conclusion that nearly twice as much teaching is good or better

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Performance management is well organised and helpful, and underperformance is addressed by additional support where necessary. Newly appointed staff are contributing well to students’ improving examination results, although there is still some way to go before they meet national standards in a group of subjects, including mathematics, modern foreign languages, and the humanities.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Although leaders and managers evaluate the work of the college, and appropriate documentation is in place, they have not yet succeeded in improving attainment and progress as much as they should. Decisive action has been taken to tackle under-achievement, but the college has not always linked the action to its impact, and improvements have sometimes been slower than intended.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Off-site provision is monitored carefully by the college, and makes a good contribution to the education of groups of students for whom a vocational route is most appropriate. Monitoring of their attainment and progress shows that they do well in response to alternative provision, and that their personal development and safety are well catered for.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The range of subjects taught is broad and balanced, and prepares pupils and students well for employment, or further education and training. The use of alternative provision for courses off- site ensures that courses are well matched to the learning needs of the students who undertake them so that their vocational aspirations are met. Requirements for entry to the sixth form are less demanding than in some schools but, once there, students do well and many gain entry to university.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 In line with its specialisms in science and sport, the college offers a wide range of extra- curricular activities. These are popular and students have achieved a wide range of sporting successes. There is a strong emphasis on musical theatre and the students have participated in a range of productions which are well thought of in the community.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 These activities make a strong contribution to students’ personal, social and cultural development. They know how to work effectively with younger and older students and with adults. Many take on responsibilities that contribute to the smooth running of the school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The college participates in a project in collaboration with a local university in which some students who struggle to learn successfully work together in the pursuit of excellence. This project has made a big difference to the students’ self-esteem and commitment to their studies.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The college meets statutory requirements for safeguarding and child protection.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors have a clear strategic vision for the college. They hold the Principal to account and support and challenge him well. The governors keep themselves well informed about the work of the college. The governing body shows a good understanding of the issues facing the college and of the importance of astute and rigorous financial management. Governors understand the purpose of the pupil premium and question leaders about why the gap between students who benefit from these funds and others is only just beginning to close. The governing body presses leaders and managers to raise attainment towards national standards but, whilst attainment is improving, it has not yet reached national standards. Efforts to work with high schools to raise attainment on entry, and steps to ensure rapid progress when students arrive at the college are not yet effective enough. Governors link the quality of

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The leadership and management requires improvement

teaching and how teachers are rewarded to students’ achievement. They support the Principal in securing improvements through using national standards for the management of staff performance.

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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 138821 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 410415

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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 Academy converter School category Non-maintained Age range of pupils 14–19 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 945 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 265 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Kailofer Principal Noel Melvin Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01530 834925 Fax number 01530 832 268 Email address office@kinged.org.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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