The King's Church of England School

The King's Church of England School Regis Road, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, WV6 8XG

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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 Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Students do well at school. All students make at least expected progress and the proportion making good progress is increasing each term. Girls, students of Indian background, and students on school action plus make significantly better progress than similar students nationally.  Good and better teaching underpins students’ good progress in a wide range of subjects. Only a minority of teaching in the school is less than good.  Students show great respect for students of every faith and back ground. The school is a harmonious community.  Students’ respect and care for each other contribute to the good behaviour and safety around the school and the successful introduction of mixed-age tutor groups. Older students support and help younger ones.  The sixth form is good. The sixth form provides high quality opportunities for students to study successfully and contribute to the school and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

wider community.  The principal, senior team and governors communicate a clear vision to staff, students and parents. They effectively drive improvements in teaching and students’ achievement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Although all students do well, those who are eligible for the pupil premium could do even better, particularly in English and mathematics.  The standards that students reach are not as high as they could be in English and mathematics. Students do not yet practise their numeracy skills well in subjects other than mathematics.  Not enough teaching is outstanding because teachers do not always ensure that all students take an active role in group work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 30 lessons. They observed four lessons jointly with members of the senior leadership team, whose feedback to teachers was observed. Inspectors walked round the school with a group of students and with the principal.  Inspectors held meetings with senior and middle leaders, groups of students, the Chair of the Governing Body and a group of parents and carers.  The views of 11 parents and carers who responded to Parent View, the online questionnaire, were analysed. The results of 78 staff questionnaires were analysed.  Inspectors analysed the 2010, 2011 and 2012 examination results. They analysed the school’s data on the progress students had made from their starting points and their current progress. They reviewed a range of school documents, including minutes of meetings, curriculum plans, records relating to safeguarding and behaviour and data on attendance and exclusions. They

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Information about this inspection

looked at the school’s self- evaluation and the school’s improvement plans.  During this inspection, Year 11, 12 and 13 students were on study leave.

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Inspection team

Michelle Parker, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Ahson Mohammed Additional Inspector Dorothy Bond Additional Inspector Terence Payne Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The King’s Church of England school is a smaller-than-average comprehensive school. In September 2012 it moved into its refurbished new buildings. The school does not make use of alternative provision.  Seventy per cent of students are from ethnic minority backgrounds; the majority of these are from Indian backgrounds. Over a third of students speak English as an additional language. Many students are in the early stages of learning English. Forty different languages are spoken by students.  The proportion of students who receive additional support at school action is in line with the national average. The proportion of students who receive support at school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs is below the national average.  The proportion of students eligible to receive the pupil premium is well above the national average. Almost half the students in Years 7 and 8 are eligible for the pupil premium. The pupil

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Information about this school

premium is additional funding provided by the government for looked after children, students known to be eligible for free school meals and children of service families.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the attainment of those students eligible for the pupil premium and close the gap with other groups of students further by:  ensuring that all teachers take full account of students’ reading ages in their lesson planning so that opportunities are developed in every subject for students to practise their reading and communication skills  ensuring that students develop and apply mathematical skills in a range of situations and subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the proportion of outstanding teaching so that all students make at least or better than expected progress by:  ensuring that students have a clearly defined role in group activities to enable them to work together effectively  encouraging all students to think more deeply and extend their answers so that any misunderstandings can be identified and corrected.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2012, the majority of students in Year 11 made at least expected progress from their starting points and a significant proportion made better than expected progress. There is a three year trend of improvement in the percentage of students gaining five GCSE A*-C grades including English and mathematics. Achievement in both English and mathematics is improving strongly but standards in both subjects could be higher still. Achievement in art and design, biology, chemistry, drama, geography, physics and religious education is better than the national average. In all other subjects students make at least expected progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after achieve on average about a grade lower than other students do. This situation is improving, especially as a result of work with younger students to improve their literacy and numeracy skills. Students who speak English as an additional language make rapid progress in improving their reading and understanding of English. All students are entered early for English and mathematics GCSEs and this is improving their GCSE grades. Indian students make better progress than the national average for all students.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The majority of students in Year 7 develop skills in reading, writing and communication which enable them to express their ideas well. This is because all Year 7 students are tested for their reading ages and a detailed individual package of support is provided which encourages them to read frequently and increases their confidence. One student stated that he wanted to improve his reading as he realised that this would help him improve his vocabulary so that he could explain his thoughts better. The school recognises that teaching of reading in other years requires improvement and has put in place appropriate plans to build on the good practice in Year 7.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled students and those who have special educational needs achieve as well as other groups. This is because specific training for support staff enables them to monitor learning and make effective interventions which build successfully on pupils’ starting points.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In the lessons observed students acquired knowledge and understanding quickly and securely. Secure developments in knowledge and understanding over time were evident in students’ work in their exercise books.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The Year 7 catch up programme in English and mathematics effectively identifies the needs of the target group of students and well-judged support enables them to improve their rate of progress. The programme of study skills in Year 7 supports students’ learning needs in all subjects and has ensured that nearly half of the students in the year group are making better than expected progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The tracking system provides accurate information on students’ progress. All students and their parents receive half-termly progress reports. Parents and carers are invited into school to discuss these where they have concerns. Students are clear about the attitudes to learning expected of them and assessments of these are included in the reports. Prompt action addresses any underperformance identified by pastoral heads of house or tutors.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment and progress in the sixth form are good. The proportion of students attaining A*-B grades at A level is above the national average. All Year 12 students in 2012 went into Year 13. All students who left school in 2012 went into employment, training or higher education.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use their good subject knowledge to stimulate students’ interest. Good use is made of technical language and teachers regularly check spellings of key words in students’ exercise books. Opportunities to provide key words and to extend students’ vocabularies are sometimes missed when classes are taught in ‘break out areas’.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In outstanding lessons, collaborative group work ensures all students take an active role and so consolidate their prior knowledge. Students in these groups help each other through discussion to build up their ideas and to make quick gains in their understanding. In an outstanding Year 10 art lesson, students explained how other students had interpreted the artist they were studying and by using their knowledge of the GCSE grade criteria they improved each other’s work. The pace of learning in outstanding lessons is carefully adjusted to keep all students engaged and teachers’ questioning effectively extends students’ understanding. Attitudes to learning are exemplary.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ assessment of students’ work is detailed and informative. Students understand how to achieve their targets and they can explain what they need to do to improve. Frequent checks are made of students’ progress in lessons and well-judged support by teachers and teaching assistants prompts students to think more deeply and to improve their work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Where teaching is good or better students are asked to explain unfamiliar words and to apply them in their written work. There are insufficient opportunities for students to develop their knowledge and understanding of mathematics across the curriculum. The school has identified this and has begun an improvement programme.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In lessons that required improvement teachers talked too much. Their questioning of students did not ensure that all students thought carefully about their answers. Learning sometimes stalled because opportunities to tackle misunderstandings were missed. In some of these lessons the rare instances of inappropriate behaviour were not managed well because the teacher did not follow the school’s procedures.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students behave in a mature and respectful manner to each other, staff and visitors. Parents and carers said that they agreed with this assessment. Students stated they feel safe at school. The school’s chaplain takes an active role in supporting students and promotes the school’s inclusive atmosphere by ensuring that all students’ religious beliefs are represented in the Faith Centre.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students’ attitudes to learning are good overall. This is because all staff communicate their high expectations clearly, students understand what is expected of them and every student’s behaviour for learning is reviewed with him or her each half term. The staff questionnaire indicated that not all teachers apply the behaviour management policy consistently and this confirmed the view of leaders and managers. The majority of staff do follow the guidance; this has led to a marked reduction in low-level disruption and there have been no exclusions. Specialist support is provided to some students, for example, through the one-to-one work of learning mentors, and this helps them to manage their behaviour. Parents and carers stated that this had also improved their children’s behaviour at home.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The recently introduced mixed-age tutor groups, which had initially made some students anxious, effectively build friendships and support networks across the year groups. Students stated that they like the opportunity to have friends in different age groups and that they ask them for help if they need it. All students from the sixth form and Year 11 take on leadership roles and model the behaviour expected of all students. Older students support younger students when travelling to and from school by bus and this has reduced incidents of bullying. Students and parents are confident that any bullying is swiftly dealt with and both the instigator and the victim are supported.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Students are punctual to lessons and attendance is improving. This is because the school analyses attendance rates and uses a range of support tailored to the needs of each student and/or family.

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The leadership and management are good

 The principal has worked determinedly to bring about long-term improvements. With the governing body, he has placed the school on a firm financial footing. With the staff, he has ensured that the design of the new building supports students’ learning well.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leadership is good at all levels including in the sixth form. Line management systems are effective. The restructuring of the senior leadership team, subject leaders and pastoral teams has improved the links between subjects and the monitoring and support for students’ learning and behaviour. Curriculum and pastoral leaders hold staff to account for students’ learning. Students’ progress information is detailed and accurate and enables teachers to plan learning activities which build on students’ prior learning well.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers have an accurate view of teaching and use it to plan staff training. Performance management is robust and ensures that targets for improvement are challenging and that staff provide evidence of the impact of training on their practice. Staff take up opportunities for gaining higher professional qualifications such as Masters degrees. Expert practitioners are externally accredited with a Level 2 coaching qualification and ensure that good practice is shared effectively across subjects in learning zones. The open-plan nature of the school is used well to encourage joint planning by teachers.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school provides an effective programme of support and training for Teach First and newly qualified staff. Rigorous monitoring and support are provided and staff record their progress systematically in their individual development logs.

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The leadership and management are good

 The provision for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities has been radically improved. All students, whether they have English as a second language, are gifted and talented, or have special educational needs and/or disabilities, have detailed individual profiles of their needs. These are closely monitored and used to inform students and their parents about their progress. Year 7 students’ oracy and reading have been improved by the use of a standardised reading test.

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The leadership and management are good

 Spiritual, moral, social and cultural experiences permeate all students’ learning. The curriculum draws on the varied cultural backgrounds of students to enrich learning experiences. Strong links are made with groups in the community to ensure that the beliefs of all faith groups influence activities in the school. Sixth formers take an active role in raising money for local, national and international causes and raise awareness of issues such as fair trade and sustainability. Extra- curricular activities provide a broad range of cultural, artistic and sporting opportunities. The new building reflects the school’s endeavour to promote awe and wonder.

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The leadership and management are good

 The range of subjects and courses is carefully matched to the needs of each year group and provides a curriculum that is broad and balanced. The school has identified the need to provide a wider selection of pathways in the sixth form to meet better the vocational needs of students.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school works well with parents and carers. The majority of parents and carers are pleased with the information they receive from the school and the efficiency and effectiveness with which any concern is addressed. Strong links between local primary schools enable students to settle in quickly.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s arrangements for safeguarding meet statutory requirements. The local authority gives limited support to the school, but has been involved in looking at the effective procedures for supporting the achievement of students who speak English as an additional language.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors robustly challenge senior leaders. Governors understand the school’s strengths and areas for development. All the chairs of the committees effectively hold leaders to account and are part of the finance group to ensure that there is co-ordinated financial planning for improvement. Governors are provided with high quality information including the data dash board and the bursar’s annual report which provides a detailed analysis of the effectiveness of interventions and their impact. This report also clearly evaluates the impact of the pupil premium. Governors effectively hold the principal to account through the management of his performance and they understand how performance management of staff is linked to improving teaching and students’ progress.

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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 131547 Local authority Wolverhampton Inspection number 402478

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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 Voluntary aided 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 796 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 128 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Carol Dixon Headteacher John Allin Date of previous school inspection 10 February 2010 Telephone number 01902 558333 Fax number 01902 558334 Email address admin@kingswolverhampton.co.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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