King Edward VII School

King Edward VII School Glossop Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S10 2PW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

 Achievement in English and mathematics has been falling sharply over the past two years. While there are signs of this improving, achievement still requires improvement, particularly for students of average ability.  The quality of teaching varies too much across the school. Sometimes students are passive because they spend time listening to long instructions rather than being fully involved in lessons.  While teachers assess students' work frequently, too often this information is not used well enough to set work that matches their different abilities.  The quality of marking and feedback that students receive varies in quality. This leads to some students being unsure of what they should do to improve their work.  School leaders have been slow to improve the quality of teaching and have not yet been able to improve its quality so that it is consistently good nor to raise achievement to good.

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The school has the following strengths

 The sixth form is good. Students benefit from teachers’ good subject knowledge and a wide range of subjects from which to choose.  Governance has improved rapidly because the governing body now receives better information from school leaders.  Inspectors were impressed by the maturity, attitudes and behaviour of students during lunchtimes and breaktimes.  Modern foreign languages have a high profile in the school, are consistently well taught and are a source of much enjoyment for the students.  Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding are good. This is particularly apparent in how well students of different faiths and backgrounds understand and respect each others’ views.  The school has been very successful in ensuring students of different faiths and backgrounds get on well and appreciate each other’s differences.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 46 part lessons, taught by 44 staff. Some were observed jointly with senior leaders.  Meetings were held with groups of staff, pupils, members of the governing body, a representative from the local authority and a National Leader in Education that has been assisting the school over the past 18 months.  Inspectors took account of the 140 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View).  Inspectors scrutinised a number of documents including school improvement plans, minutes of the governing body meetings and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Robert Jones, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Nigel Pressnell Additional Inspector Tudor Griffiths Additional Inspector Susan Hall Additional Inspector Gary Kelly Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 King Edward VII School is much larger than the average-sized secondary school.  A growing number of students enter the school from minority ethnic groups. Just over half of Year 7 are from White British backgrounds. Overall, the proportion of students from minority ethnic groups is above average.  A slightly below average proportion of students is eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for those students in local authority care, students known to be eligible for free school meals and children with a parent in the armed forces. However, their numbers are increasing, with one third of students in Year 7 known to be eligible for the funding.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and supported through school action is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  At the time of the inspection, 87 students from Year 10 and 11 were receiving off-site training for one day a week from Sheaf training, Castle College, Doncaster GTA, Rother Valley College, The Construction Design Centre, The Engineering Centre and The Source.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the consistency and quality of teaching so it becomes at least good by:  involving students fully in their own learning through group work, solving problems, debates and discussions rather than spending long periods listening to instructions  ensuring that the abundant data that the school has on students’ abilities is used more effectively by all teachers so they can provide work that challenges all students and matches their different needs  sharing more widely the good and outstanding practice that currently exists in the school  improving the quality of marking and feedback to students so that they are fully aware of the next steps they need to take to improve and are given time to respond to the teachers’ comments.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement in English and mathematics for students who arrive at the school with abilities that are broadly average or slightly below average.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management so they become at least good by:  checking carefully that the new curriculum in Key Stage 3 is fully meeting the needs of different groups of students  measuring more sharply and with more immediacy the impact of any special courses designed to boost the progress of middle and lower ability students  ensuring that the governing body fully evaluates the impact of the Year 7 catch-up programme and the pupil premium funding.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In both 2011 and 2012, it was those students who arrived in Year 7 with abilities that were broadly average who did not do as well as others by the time they left in Year 11. This was the case in both English and mathematics.  The reasons for this weaker achievement were that students were not set challenging targets, teaching was not good enough and school leaders at all levels did not check progress often or well. Motivated and high-ability students did reasonably well. Lower-ability students made adequate progress due to booster courses but middle ability were largely left behind.  Inspection evidence indicates that improvements in the checking of students’ progress by most teachers is now having a positive effect. The downturn in achievement by average ability students is now being reversed and is rising rapidly, particularly in English. However, there is still much to be done to ensure achievement becomes consistently good.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement in the sixth form is good. Students make good progress over their two years of study and reach standards that are above those expected nationally.  Those who are accessing training from outside providers make as much progress as their peers.  In some subjects, such as science and particularly languages, achievement is good. This is because skilled teachers ensure that students are fully aware of what they should do to improve and teaching is interactive and fully involves students in group work and problem solving.  There are gaps in the achievement of students who are and are not eligible for the pupil premium. The gap closed slightly in 2012 and is closing further with the current Year 11, as a result of better tracking of the progress of these students, most of whom are of middle ability. In 2012, the gap in attainment in English was one and one third grades. In mathematics, the gap

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

was one and three quarter grades.  Students are sometimes entered early for GCSE mathematics, but there is no evidence that this contributed significantly to underachievement in 2012. Early entry has been adopted again for 2013. Results from this early entry arrived in school the day before the inspection, revealing much improved progress from the same period last year.  The Year 7 catch-up programme and pupil premium funding is targeted carefully, although the school has yet to accurately measure the impact of this spending.  Disabled students and those who have special educational needs make slower progress in mathematics than they do in English. While this is now improving, there are still weaknesses in making sure that students who follow special courses to boost their progress all make as much progress as they are capable.  Students from minority ethnic groups make similar progress to their peers.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 For the last two years, teaching has not been good enough to enable students to make good progress and reach the standards of which they are capable. Some teachers have had an inflated view of their teaching quality and this has contributed greatly to middle-ability students underperforming.  Close working with good and outstanding schools and improvements in holding teachers to account has enabled teachers to have a more realistic view of their strengths and weaknesses. This is now reaping benefits in improved rates of progress for all students.  Most teaching in the school is currently good or requires improvement. There are occasional examples of outstanding or inadequate teaching.  While the quality of teaching is improving as a result of better management of teachers’ performance and improved checking of teaching by school leaders, there is still inconsistency across the school and within departments. This includes the teaching of mathematics and

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

English.  Weaker teaching is characterised by repetitive, mundane tasks that are given to students. Sometimes, overly long instructions by teachers and weak questioning does not fully challenge students. Poor use of assessment information prevents work being well matched to students’ different abilities. These characteristics usually result in students being bored and, therefore, losing concentration.  Strong teaching in the school is not shared widely enough so that weaker teachers can learn from it.  The quality of feedback given to students on their work varies too much in quality. Teachers' comments are sometimes too vague and do not pinpoint precisely what the student needs to do to improve. Moreover, insufficient time is given over for students to read and respond to teachers’ comments.  Some teaching is of very high quality, such as in modern foreign languages. Skilled language assistants relentlessly probe for better answers from students. Teachers use their detailed

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

knowledge of students to tailor work to challenge all abilities. In these lessons, students 'come alive' and contribute well because they are fully involved in group work, debates and discussions. As a result, their attitudes to work are first-rate and their achievements impressive.  Similarly, teaching in the sixth form is good. Teachers use their good and often excellent subject knowledge well to inspire and enthuse students.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Around the school at lunchtimes and breaktimes, students are very well behaved and relate extremely well to each other and to adults.  Students of different backgrounds get on exceptionally well with each other and talk about how the school has helped them to understand and appreciate each other’s differences. One student said: ‘mixing with different cultures and religions like this makes us better, more respectful people’.  Students say that bullying is very rare and that if they felt threatened by any form of bullying they would feel confident in confiding in a member of staff.  Through assemblies and the high-quality personal, social and health education activities in the school, students have a good awareness of how to stay safe on the internet and when using mobile technology.  Attendance has risen recently and is now above average.  In lessons, behaviour is often good or better. Inspectors did not witness any disruptive

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

behaviour and students said this was typical in the school.  Sixth form students act as good role models for their younger peers through giving assemblies and acting as mentors.  However, behaviour overall is not outstanding because in too many lessons students are passive observers rather than active participants.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 School leaders were slow to respond to the warning signs provided by the weak progress of middle-ability students in 2011 and gaps in achievement between groups of students. This led to a further decline in 2012.  The raft of measures introduced over the past 18 months to turn around this alarming position is now paying dividends. Close working with high-achieving schools, improved governance and the tracking of students' progress are resulting in better teaching and improved achievement.  This close partnership with other schools has given senior leaders a more realistic view of the quality of teaching and has enabled them to overhaul their systems for checking teaching, tracking progress and managing the performance of teachers with far more rigour than before.  There is, however, no room for complacency. Leadership and management have not yet reached the position where they are good. This is because the quality of teaching is still too variable,

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The leadership and management requires improvement

some teachers are slow to rise to the challenge of higher expectations and some senior and subject leaders are more effective than others in making sure the work of all teachers is of high quality.  The curriculum broadly meets the needs and abilities of students. There are some strengths, for example, in the high-quality personal, social and health education that has been instrumental in making students respectful and tolerant towards each other’s beliefs and backgrounds.  The curriculum is undergoing some changes in Key Stage 3 to reflect the changing backgrounds of students who enter the school. However, this has yet to be fully introduced and, therefore, has not yet been checked to see if it fully meets students’ needs.  Special courses to boost the progress of middle- and lower-ability students are provided, although there is a lack of urgency and sharpness in checking that these courses are as effective

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The leadership and management requires improvement

as they could be.  The large gaps in achievement between groups of students in previous years meant that the school did not effectively promote equality of opportunity. This is no longer the case since these gaps are closing.  Safeguarding meets current government requirements.  The local authority, in response to weak achievement in 2011 and 2012, helped the school learn from high-quality schools and supported the school well to improve how students’ achievement was being tracked.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has over the past 18 months, been able to check on the progress of different groups of students and the quality of teaching with far more precision than before. This is because its members are now receiving good-quality information from school leaders that was lacking in previous years. The good training they receive has enabled members of the governing body to ask far more searching questions that better challenge and support

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The leadership and management requires improvement

school leaders. Moreover, members of the governing body have much information on how the pupil premium funding and Year 7 catch-up programme is used, although the impact of its spending has yet to be measured in detail. Governors have a good understanding of how teachers’ performance is managed, particularly how teaching ability relates to teachers’ progression on the pay scales.

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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 107140 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 412851

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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 11–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1,715 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 530 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Carolyn Leary Headteacher Beverley Jackson Date of previous school inspection 23 September 2009 Telephone number 0114 266 2518 Fax number 0114 268 7690 Email address office@kes.sheffield.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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