King of Kings

School report King of Kings School 142 Dantzic Street, Manchester, M4 4DN

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate 4

Pupils’ achievement Good 2 Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Quality of curriculum Good 2 Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Inadequate 4 Leadership and management Inadequate 4

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This school is inadequate because

 The poor state of the plasterwork in the main learning centre means that pupils’ welfare, health and safety are compromised.  There is no rolling programme to ensure the routine testing of electrical equipment.  The policy for safeguarding children does not meet requirements.  Although leaders have been effective at securing good teaching and progress for pupils, leadership and management is judged inadequate because they have failed to secure pupils’ welfare, health and safety.  Although the school meets the regulations and this is not inadequate, pupils’ knowledge of other faiths and cultures represented in Britain is limited. Similarly, although not inadequate, the use of formal observations of teaching is not undertaken regularly by leaders.

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The school has the following strengths

 Teaching effectively enables almost all pupils to achieve well during their time at the school and to develop good skills in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils’ behaviour is good; they are very well motivated, take responsibility for their learning and are polite and courteous.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 The school requires improvement and must take action to meet schedule 1 of The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010, as amended by The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements. The details are listed in the full report.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out with one day’s notice.  The inspectors observed 12 lessons taught by five teachers, of which two lessons were joint observations with the headteacher. Inspectors listened to some younger pupils reading and spoke to some pupils about their work. Discussions were held with some parents and carers, groups of pupils and with members of staff.  The inspectors checked the school’s compliance with the regulations for independent schools. A wide range of school documentation was viewed, including the curriculum and planning, records of pupils’ progress, examples of their work and policy documents.  The inspectors took account of the views expressed in questionnaires from members of staff. There were insufficient responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) to evaluate.

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Inspection team

Amraz Ali, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Shellie Barcroft Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 King of Kings is an independent non-denominational Christian school situated close to Manchester city centre. It was established in 1986 and has been on its present site since 1991.  The school aims ‘to provide a Christian education by approaching every aspect of school life in accordance with the Bible, which is God’s Word’. It is affiliated to Christian Education Europe (CEE).  The school occupies the top floor of a large Victorian building, known as the Ragged School.  It is registered to accommodate up to 45 pupils between the ages of three and 18 years. Currently it provides education for 39 boys and girls between three and 14 years of age. There are six children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Pupils are grouped by ability rather than age. In the lower school the youngest are taught in a pre-school group and a group where the focus is on early reading (ABCs) while the others are taught in the infant

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Information about this school

learning centre. In the upper school all pupils are taught in the junior learning centre. The majority of the pupils are of West African heritage. A very small number of pupils have a statement of special educational needs and a small number of others are identified as having some degree of learning difficulty.  The school was last inspected by Ofsted in January 2010.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of different faiths and cultures in Great Britain today.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Introduce the use of formal lesson observations to improve the quality of self-evaluation and thereby the quality of teaching.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that leaders and managers improve the arrangements for safeguarding and welfare, health and safety.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 The school must meet the following independent school standards: – make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school and ensure that these arrangements have regard to guidance issued by the Secretary of State, specifically by ensuring that the safeguarding children policy includes the name of the designated teacher along with procedures to follow in the event of an allegation about staff or the headteacher (paragraph 7) – ensure that the school’s accommodation and facilities are maintained to a sufficient standard to ensure the health, safety and welfare of pupils (paragraph 23C).

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Pupils’ achievement Good

Pupils’ achievement is good. From their individual starting points when they join, which are generally in line with what is typical or average, pupils make good progress in their lessons and over time. Consequently, by the time they leave, either at the age of 11 or 18 years, they have good skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Those who leave at the age of 11 secure places at selective independent and maintained schools and those who complete their education to the age of 18 reach high levels. For example, those who left the school over the last three years aged 18 were successful in International Christian Education Certificate examinations, which are comparable to A Levels, and all secured places at universities.

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Pupils’ achievement Good

In the pre-school, children get off to a sound start to their education and make adequate progress towards the expected goals in all areas of learning. They make the greatest progress in speaking, listening and reading. Within the lower school pupils’ progress is good, particularly in reading where they are systematically taught about letters and their sounds in a fun way, for example by singing songs and listening to stories. Those pupils who read to inspectors demonstrated confidence, fluency and an interest in books. Older pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills are good and are at least similar to those seen nationally by the time that they reach the top of the school. However, the quality of work recorded in books and in Package of Accelerated Christian Education (PACE) materials can vary in quality, including some work which is untidy and sometimes poorly presented. The few disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are supported

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Pupils’ achievement Good

well with their work and benefit from the very well structured approach to teaching. As a result, they make good progress over time.

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

Pupils’ behaviour and personal development are good. Pupils’ good attendance, attitudes and behaviour make a strong contribution to their learning. Pupils are clear about what is expected of them throughout lesson times and at social times. They are confident to answer questions, ask for help and speak to visitors. From an early age they are taught good manners and show respect for each other, staff, their environment and visitors. Pupils get on well together at break times; they enjoy a variety of activities such as skipping, table tennis, ball games and piano playing. Pupils work independently and value their work and workbooks.

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. Pupils say they feel safe and that bullying is rare. However, they do not have a good awareness of different forms of bullying and some indicate that if they had a problem they would be reluctant to discuss this with staff. Some pupils indicated that the very good behaviour observed during the inspection was not typical. While regulations are met, it was clear to inspectors that there are some inconsistencies with the implementation of the behaviour management policy.

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. The curriculum ensures that pupils are able to distinguish between right and wrong. Pupils are tolerant and respectful of people who are different to themselves and this is seen in the way that pupils of diverse ethnic backgrounds mix well. Positive steps to promote this include an annual parent/teacher fellowship, where parents, carers and pupils mix and enjoy social events, such as going for a meal, playing games and praying together. Additionally, visitors, parents and carers have visited the school to talk about their experiences of other countries. Although the school meets requirements and there are planned opportunities for pupils to learn about some world religions, including the oldest pupils learning about the history of Islam, pupils’ knowledge of other faiths and cultures is limited. Pupils who spoke to inspectors stated categorically that they had not learned enough about people of

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

other faiths and cultures during their time at the school but indicated that they would be happy to do so.

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

The Christian ethos is reflected well in assemblies and during lessons, where Biblical references are linked to subject content. The social studies curriculum covers a wide range of personal, social and health education aspects. Older pupils study current affairs, which helps their understanding of institutions and traditions in Britain today. Care is taken to ensure that partisan views are avoided. Additionally, pupils are taught about the British constitution, democracy and the work of the police.

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Quality of teaching Good

The quality of teaching is good and ensures that almost all pupils make good progress over time. However, the quality of individual lessons observed during the inspection varied from good to inadequate. Within the pre-school and the ABC class, there is a clear focus on developing pupils’ early reading skills. Pupils know and understand the well established routines. Each morning pupils work through their individual PACE workbooks. These materials enable all pupils to proceed with their work at their own rate of learning. Teachers set specific goals with pupils, which identify clearly expectations of the amount of work to be completed. Pupils are involved in self-testing and this enables them to understand how well they are achieving. Regular testing requires pupils to fully understand the subject content before moving on to their next PACE goal. They receive effective support from teaching staff if they encounter any difficulties.

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Quality of teaching Good

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and are self-motivated. The ‘offices’ (individual work spaces) are well organised, usually kept tidy and pupils are familiar with the routines that enable lessons to run smoothly. For example, if they have a problem they display a flag and when they have completed a piece of work they take this out to the teacher for review. In the afternoon sessions, teachers display good subject knowledge and make activities interesting. For example, in science, older pupils were finding out about the formation of crystals and made solutions of Epsom salts to allow crystals to form. However, pupils’ handwriting and the presentation of work are variable in quality.

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Quality of curriculum Good

The curriculum is good. The curriculum effectively supports pupils’ personal development and enables them to make good progress over time. This is achieved through a successful combination of the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) curriculum and a programme of subjects based on National Curriculum programmes of study. The curriculum for the youngest children is limited because of restricted access to regular outdoor learning opportunities, due mainly to issues connected with the building. Additionally, opportunities for children to make choices, play with toys, such as construction kits and role-play equipment, is limited to break times and some afternoons. Consequently, children’s progress in this part of the school is adequate rather than good.

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Quality of curriculum Good

Across the school in the afternoon sessions, pupils have the opportunity to work individually or in small groups with an emphasis on National Curriculum subjects and a more practical approach to learning. Pupils participate in science, history, geography, art, design and technology, information and communication technology (ICT), music, physical education (PE), French or German and the oldest students study Latin. The curriculum is enhanced well with a good range of educational visits. For example, the older pupils visited York to find out about the life of Vikings, which they said they had enjoyed. On their return to the school they wrote about what they had learned and drew pictures.

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Inadequate

The provision for pupils’ welfare, health and safety is inadequate and not all the regulations are met. Although most parts of the building that are used by the school are in a reasonable state of repair, problems arising from damp mean that a large piece of plaster fell off during the inspection and although no pupils were harmed there was potential for serious harm to pupils. The school’s programme of review and maintenance of their part of the building has not been sufficiently effective to identify potential hazards such as falling plaster and there have not been routine checks on the safety of electrical appliances. Consequently, leaders are not able to guarantee the safety of pupils. Although not contravening any regulations, some parts of the building, which pupils only access for PE, are not well kept and are dirty. Pupils are well supervised in the school and when they go out to the local park for break times and lunch time games. An

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Inadequate

appropriate policy is in place to deal with any incidents of bullying; these are rare. Risk assessments are in place for activities undertaken at the school and when on educational visits. Procedures are in place to ensure that any new staff are recruited in line with the most up to date guidance. A single central register records correctly all of the checks which have been carried out on staff.

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Inadequate

A risk assessment for fire safety is in place and a recent visit from the local fire and rescue service confirmed that this is up to date. However, although there has been some training for staff on fire safety, which meets requirements, there are no records of this training. There is a safeguarding policy available to parents and carers on the school’s website and there is a separate child protection policy. However, neither policy meets requirements. The child protection policy does not identify the name of the designated teacher for child protection and does not clearly indicate the procedures that should be followed in the event of an allegation against a member of staff or the headteacher.

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Leadership and management Inadequate

Leadership and management are inadequate. Two important regulations for independent schools are not met. The school’s implementation of safeguarding procedures is not rigorous enough to ensure pupils’ safety. Although there are safeguarding and child protection policies available to parents and carers, a policy which meets regulations is not available. Water ingress means that some parts of the teaching areas are unsafe. Leaders and managers overlooked the need to instigate a rolling programme of checks to secure pupils’ safety; consequently the periodic testing of electrical equipment has not taken place.

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Leadership and management Inadequate

Leaders have secured pupils’ good progress over time and ensured that pupils develop as well rounded individuals. The school’s affiliation to Christian Education Europe means that it receives regular visits to check on the implementation and delivery of ACE materials. Leaders evaluate the school against a series of very specific criteria. Beyond this, self-evaluation is limited. The headteacher knows the school well but does not formally evaluate the quality of teaching and learning. Consequently, there is some variation in the quality of teaching and a very small proportion is inadequate. Parents and carers who spoke to inspectors were very supportive of the school; both about its Christian ethos and its drive for high academic standards. Their only criticism was of the limitations of the building.

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Leadership and management Inadequate

The school’s website ensures that all required information is made available to parents and carers and this meets the regulatory requirements. Parents and carers receive appropriate reports on their children’s progress. The updated policy for handling complaints fully meets the regulatory requirements.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding A school which provides an exceptional quality of education and significantly exceeds minimum requirements. Grade 2 Good A school which provides a high quality of education that exceeds minimum requirements. Grade 3 Adequate A school which meets minimum requirements but needs to improve the quality of education it provides. Grade 4 Inadequate A school where minimum requirements are not met and/or the quality of education has serious weaknesses.

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School details

Unique reference number 105596 Inspection number 420171 DfE registration number 352/6037 This inspection was carried out under section 162A of the Education Act 2002, as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school. Type of school Christian faith day school School status Independent school Age range of pupils 3–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 38 Number of part time pupils 1 Proprietor King of Kings School Chair Dr Philip Lewis Headteacher Mrs Brenda Lewis Date of previous school inspection 19 January 2010 Annual fees (day pupils) £3250.00 Telephone number 0161 834 4214 Email address kingofkingsschool@hotmail.co.uk guidance 'Complaining about inspections', 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

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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.

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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

inspects to 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,

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School details

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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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