King of Kings

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

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Early years provision Requires improvement

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Sixth form provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils make uneven progress across the curriculum. This is because some lessons are not matched consistently well to pupils’ different starting points, including for the most able pupils.  Teachers do not systematically assess pupils’ progress in the complementary curriculum. This negatively affects pupils’ progress.  Governors’ systems to manage the performance of the headteacher are not in place to hold the headteacher firmly to account.  External links with other agencies and schools are developing well; however, they are not yet fully established.  Leaders’ improvement plans lack rigour, clarity and focus. Senior and middle leaders do not play a full role in supporting the headteacher in school improvement.  Students in the sixth form do not make the progress of which they are capable.  Children in the early years do not have sufficient opportunities to learn through the experience of playing outdoors.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher leads the school with integrity and commitment. The headteacher has a good understanding of the strengths and areas in need of improvement within the school.  Governors and staff work closely together on their shared vision. Leaders have taken effective action to ensure that the independent school standards are now met.  The teaching of phonics is effective and enables pupils to read and understand their Christian education workbooks (PACEs).  Pupils’ behaviour and welfare is good. Pupils develop confidence and show extremely positive attitudes to learning.  Pupils feel safe in school. Safeguarding procedures are effective and meet statutory requirements.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that: – the school’s self-evaluation and plans for development relate clearly to the school’s priorities for improvement and focus relentlessly on improving the progress of pupils – leaders develop the roles of senior and middle leaders, so that they are able to play a full role in school improvement – leaders continue to work more closely with external agencies and other providers so that good practice can be shared and knowledge and practice further improved – teachers continue to develop links with other schools to share effective practice and further enhance their skills and understanding of highly-effective teaching and learning – governors develop systems to manage the performance of the headteacher to hold her firmly to account for all aspects of school life – provision for outdoor learning improves for children in the early years.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment so that it is consistently good and pupils make strong progress by ensuring that: – accurate assessment of pupils’ progress is used to plan activities which are well suited to the varying needs and abilities of pupils – appropriate levels of challenge are provided to ensure that the most able pupils achieve well and make good progress – teachers assess pupils’ attainment and progress across all subject areas, including the complementary curriculum – students in the sixth form are provided with a range of opportunities to make good progress across the Christian curriculum and the complementary curriculum.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 The headteacher and governors have taken effective action to ensure that the independent school standards are met. Despite some aspects of the building being in a poor state, the quality and safety of the premises meet requirements. Policies to ensure effective safeguarding are in place and all staff are aware of these and know how to report any concerns.  The headteacher demonstrates unwavering passion and commitment to ensuring that pupils benefit from a Christian education. She ensures that pupils develop well personally, socially and emotionally. Parents send their children to this school as they believe in the qualities that pupils develop through following a Bible-based curriculum.  The curriculum meets the requirements of the independent school standards. Pupils study English, mathematics, literature, social studies, word building and biblical studies. The complementary curriculum delivered in the afternoon sessions enables pupils to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

supplement these subjects through additional work in other areas, such as French, art, science, mental arithmetic, current affairs and history.  Leaders do not assess robustly the impact of the curriculum on pupils’ progress. Leaders are not clear to what extent pupils develop a comprehensive and deep understanding of these complementary subjects, including in music, physical education and information technology.  The curriculum prepares pupils adequately for life in modern Britain. Pupils gain a good understanding of democracy and the rule of law. Pupils learn about diversity, for example, in personal, social and health education lessons and through attending international student conventions. As a result, pupils speak knowledgeably about other faiths and respect others, regardless of their differences.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is evident throughout many aspects of the school. Caring attitudes and respect are highly valued. All pupils talk about

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

understanding the views of others.  Careers guidance is impartial and pupils experience visits from a range of external adults. They have learned about apprenticeships and taken part in webinars with the National Careers Service. Nonetheless, some pupils are still unsure about their pathways and are unclear about the wide range of pathways available to them.  The headteacher and governors have evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of the school and consider the independent school standards regularly. The evaluation also considers how well pupils progress in the religious curriculum. The school does not consider how well pupils progress in the complementary curriculum. As a result, leaders’ evaluation is incomplete and does not accurately identify the school’s weaknesses.  The headteacher and governors have written a school improvement plan which includes many of the areas which require improvement and some appropriate actions to address

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

these. However, the development plans do not focus sharply enough on the identified areas for improvements. These plans lack clear action, success criteria and appropriate timescales for actions. This means that improvement planning is not strong enough to bring about rapid improvement. Leaders are committed to developing middle and senior leaders further, so that all staff can play a pivotal role in continuing to move the school forward.  Leaders and staff are beginning to develop links with outside agencies and other schools. Teachers develop links with staff from other schools so that they can begin to discuss pedagogy and keep abreast of the latest educational developments. Leaders make appropriate use of Manchester City Council’s services to provide training in safeguarding and in the early years provision.  Leaders have recently put systems in place for managing staff performance, but these systems are in their infancy. The targets that leaders set for improvements do not relate

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

strongly enough to improving pupils’ learning and progress.  Leaders and staff have high expectations for pupils to succeed in their studies and to behave impeccably. Staff are very supportive of leaders and are proud to be members of staff at the school. Parents and pupils, without exception, would recommend the school to others. Parents spoken with during the inspection held very positive views of the school and staff. They commented on the warm welcome, the feeling of belonging and the pleasing progress that their children make in their studies.  Leaders provide ongoing training for staff in health and safety, safeguarding and first aid, including specialist paediatric training for all. There are written first aid and medication policies and risk assessments are undertaken as appropriate.  The quality of the premises is very variable. While classrooms are warm, bright and well organised, the quality of other rooms is poorer. There is running hot and cold water for

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

pupils and an appropriate medical room. Leaders are aware of the limitations of the premises, including the lack of outdoor space for general recreation. They are creatively searching for a longer-term solution to this issue. Leaders and all staff work tenaciously to maintain the premises and involve parents for additional support and resources.  As part of this standard inspection, a progress monitoring inspection was also undertaken. All independent school standards which were unmet at the previous progress monitoring inspection are now met. These include the standards relating to the effective use of classroom resources, impartial careers advice and guidance, effective implementation of risk assessment policies and relating to the quality of leadership and management at the school.

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Governance

 Governors have ensured that all the independent school standards are now met.  All members of the governing body are absolutely committed to improving the school. All governors invest significant time and effort to ensure that the school develops. They have recently appointed an independent governor to the governing body to ensure transparency and impartiality and to offer challenge to leaders.  Governors bring a range of relevant expertise to support them in their roles and know the school well. They have regularly attended additional training to develop further the role they play in governing the school.  Governors have not yet established a system to enable an appraisal of the headteacher’s work. As a result, the headteacher has not been robustly held to account for targets directly relating to key school improvement priorities.  Governors ensure that the school’s website is informative for parents and carers. The

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Governance

website meets requirements for safeguarding, complaints and curriculum information.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The safeguarding policy takes into account current government requirements and is published on the school website.  Safeguarding policies and practices meet requirements. All training for staff is up to date and staff know who to go to if they have any concerns regarding the welfare and safety of pupils. Staff know how to report any worries to the designated safeguarding lead or the appropriate person at the local authority.  The governors and headteacher ensure that adults’ suitability to work with children is checked prior to appointment. All procedures for recruiting staff meet statutory requirements.  Pupils feel safe in school and they say that they can talk to any member of staff if they have any worries or concerns. Health and safety is managed appropriately, with a wide range of risks assessed. Leaders make sure that pupils are safe on site, off site and when

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement as it is not consistently strong across all year groups and across the curriculum.  In the morning sessions, pupils follow a highly individualised and structured Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) programme. Pupils work individually through workbooks (known as PACEs) and self-assess their work. Teachers provide appropriate guidance and support to help facilitate learning. Pupils’ understanding is checked regularly through a series of tests which must be mastered before a pupil can progress further.  Pupils follow a wider, complementary curriculum in afternoon sessions which meets the requirements of the standards for independent schools.  Appropriate schemes of work are available for all subjects that are taught. However, teachers are not systematically assessing pupils’ progress in lessons other than those involving PACEs. As a result, in some subjects teachers do not match the level of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

challenge well enough to meet the differing needs of pupils.  The teaching of phonics is effective and enables younger pupils to read and begin to understand their PACEs.  Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning by setting personal targets and correcting their work using markbooks. Pupils indicate, by raising a flag, when they need help form a supervisor or teacher. Pupils say that on the whole, they enjoy their learning, although they occasionally find some PACEs less challenging than others.  Interactions between pupils and staff are positive. However, across the age ranges, teachers’ questioning does not routinely encourage pupils to explore concepts in more detail or to explain their reasoning.  The range of different approaches to teaching used in the afternoons complements the approach of pupils working independently through their PACEs. For example, pupils have

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

opportunities to present work to their peers and adults. This improves pupils’ confidence and public speaking skills.  There are many opportunities for pupils to read and they often opt to read during free time. Pupils discuss their favourite authors and read with great competency, fluency and meaning.  Teachers provide homework regularly to complement the work completed in the morning sessions or to enable pupils who have not reached their daily target the opportunity to catch up.  Leaders provide parents with reports on how well their children are progressing through their PACEs and other subjects. Some reports are helpful and indicate how pupils could improve their work. Other reports are merely information about the topics covered by pupils and do not provide detailed insights into how well pupils are progressing in that subject.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils feel safe in school and teachers and parents echo this view. Pupils are taught to stay safe, both personally and in a range of situations. Pupils are taught to stay safe when using the internet. Staff monitor the use of computers for personal study closely. Suitable internet filtering systems are in place.  As part of the school’s approach to education, pupils are taught ‘the character traits exemplified by Jesus’, such as diligence, efficiency, patience and perseverance. As a result, pupils understand the characteristics of effective learning and are proud of their achievements. Pupils readily take responsibility to set personal goals and work hard to complete these targets. Pupils become confident and independent learners.  The school is clear on its website, and in the information that it gives out to prospective

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Personal development and welfare

parents, that the qualifications that pupils achieve may, or may not, be accepted by colleges and universities. Current pupils are aspirational to continue their studies, for example in medicine and information technology. Previous pupils have left this school to go on to a diverse range of jobs, training and education. All pupils are given impartial careers information and advice and are encouraged to consider a wide range of aspirational careers.  Pupils say that bullying is extremely rare. They are confident that staff deal with any occasional concerns immediately and effectively.  Leaders promote British values throughout the curriculum. Pupils learn about the rule of law and democracy and develop tolerance and respect for others. Pupils spoken to expressed the view that everyone is made in God’s image and therefore all people should be respected, regardless of differences. Through learning about other faiths, including

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Personal development and welfare

Judaism and Islam, pupils develop an understanding and respect for others’ beliefs.  Other aspects of pupil welfare are good, particularly the promotion of pupils’ emotional well-being. Leaders and teachers care deeply about the welfare of all pupils. Adults in school know all pupils very well and hence know how and when to offer support. Children feel safe and well cared for.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are well mannered and respectful. The school is an orderly environment and disruptions to learning are rare.  Pupils across the school follow well-established routines. Pupils know what is expected from them in the classroom and follow instructions quickly and sensibly. The tangible ‘family feel’ helps pupils and parents to feel part of a welcoming community that prays and learns together.  Pupils manage their own behaviour well, particularly as they mature and move up through the school. At times, some more boisterous behaviour of younger pupils is evident, but older pupils model well the high standards of behaviour expected by teachers.  Pupils are keen to be recognised for their good behaviour and academic achievements and value the rewards that they receive for their efforts. Pupils say that they enjoy their learning and that behaviour is good. The inspector observed no incidents of poor

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Behaviour

behaviour during the inspection. The school’s behaviour records confirm that this good behaviour is the norm. Pupils behave well in lessons and in social times.  Attendance is in line with national averages and leaders follow up any absences promptly. Punctuality is poor for a very small minority of pupils, but leaders are working closely with families to overcome any obstacles for pupils. Pupils are well prepared for their lessons and look after their equipment and resources.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils all study for the International Christian Certificate in Education (ICCE) which can be achieved at six levels of certification. The vast majority of pupils leave school with a certificate appropriate to their starting points, including pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. However, outcomes require improvement as pupils’ progress is too variable across the curriculum and age ranges.  When pupils start at the school, leaders ensure that pupils begin with a range of diagnostic assessments. These assessments help leaders to identify any specific gaps or weaknesses pupils have in their understanding. Pupils then begin their learning at starting points which match their levels of understanding.  Pupils learn to read well. Reading skills are important as this is the main way in which pupils access the morning curriculum. As most of their workbooks require single-word or

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

short-response answers, pupils are slower to develop writing skills which enable them to write in more depth. Leaders have recognised this issue and present pupils with planned opportunities for extended writing through discrete writing lessons and scripture lessons. Nevertheless, pupils’ skills in using paragraphs and writing for a range of purposes are variable.  Pupils’ mathematical knowledge is developed well and this is supplemented by afternoon activities based on mental arithmetic. There are few opportunities, however, for pupils to develop strong reasoning and problem-solving skills.  Variations in the progress of pupils across the curriculum are due in part to inconsistencies in teachers’ use of assessment. Through the knowledge-based content of the morning curriculum, teachers assess attainment frequently and use this knowledge to plan future work. However, in the afternoon curriculum teachers’ limited evaluation of

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

knowledge, skills development and understanding means that expectations are often the same for all pupils, irrespective of their ability and starting points. As a result, some pupils, including the most able pupils, make less than good progress due to insufficient challenge.  A Christian perspective underpins the teaching of all subjects, in keeping with the ethos and aims of the school. For example, pupils study plant growth alongside the ‘parable of the sower’ in science.  Pupils begin to develop a comprehensive understanding of other subjects to enable them to access a range of courses when they leave school. Pupils learn about other faiths and have a basic awareness of the protected characteristics under equality law.  Assessment information provided by the school shows that pupils achieve well over time in the religious curriculum compared to national averages. However, this measure has dropped for the last full academic year. Information provided by leaders does not clearly

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

demonstrate the progress that pupils make from their individual starting points. Leaders focus more on completion of tasks and coverage of the programme of study and less on whether or not this represents good progress for individuals.  Teachers do not assess progress and achievement rigorously in the afternoon sessions. As a result, teachers’ planning of work does not take into account the wide variety of individual needs of pupils sufficiently.  Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the Bible, Bible history and scriptures are strong. Pupils also make good progress in French and mental arithmetic. Pupils read with fluency and comprehension. Pupils develop a strong religious faith and also the confidence to discuss their views with others. Pupils become articulate and assured young people during their time at the school.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 Children in the early years begin in the pre-school class and progress to the ABC class when staff assess that they are ready to read and write. Children develop good literacy and numeracy skills in the early years. However, their progress in developing skills and knowledge in other areas is more varied.  When children begin school, staff check their starting points, but this information is not regularly used well enough to plan activities to meet children’s individual needs. Children’s prior knowledge is assessed on entry to school. However, leaders do not systematically track and analyse children’s progress across the main areas of learning over time.  Children settle quickly and develop positive relationships with staff. Staff communicate regularly with parents and build strong links between home and school. Parents praise the work of the staff, stating that their children make effective progress, particularly in

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Early years provision Requires improvement

communication and personal and social development.  Staff have a good understanding of the social and emotional needs of young children. They ensure that the children are happy and settled. Children are integrated well into life at the school. They play well with other pupils and take part in assemblies and other school activities alongside older pupils. Children behave well and show mostly positive attitudes to their learning.  Leaders provide a variety of resources in the pre-school indoor learning environment. However, the limited outdoor resources do not present opportunities for children in early years to develop their physical and gross motor skills as frequently as other skills. There is a planned programme of outdoor activities and children regularly play outside. However, leaders acknowledge that pupils’ outdoor experiences do not support learning as effectively as indoor experiences.  The leadership of the early years requires improvement as leaders have not yet secured

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Early years provision Requires improvement

consistently good outcomes for children, given their starting points. Assessment practices are not fully developed, but leaders ensure that learning journeys cover all aspects of the early years framework. Colourful learning journeys inform parents of the progress their children make throughout their time in early years.  Children’s welfare and safety are well considered. Pupils move safely around the building and to the park. Leadership of the early years is effective in promoting the safeguarding of children. All statutory welfare requirements are met. Leaders are beginning to work more closely with external agencies and, as a result, practice continues to improve.

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Sixth form provision Requires improvement

 Students in the sixth form follow a similar approach to their studies as the rest of the school. Students complete individual work in the morning and complementary lessons in the afternoon.  Sixth-form provision is not yet good. Students’ progress in both the morning and afternoon curriculum is varied. Currently, from work seen in books and from assessment data presented by the school, students do not make sufficiently rapid progress from their individual starting points. For some pupils, their progress links directly to punctuality concerns as a considerable amount of valuable learning time is lost, particularly in the morning. As a result, some students need to catch up on their missing work. Therefore, opportunities through the complementary curriculum and enrichment activities are lost as pupils are still making up lost ground in their PACEs.  Leaders check regularly on the skills and knowledge developed by students in order for

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Sixth form provision Requires improvement

them to achieve the ICCE qualification at advanced level. Leaders provide opportunities for students to study subjects such as science. For example, students study the structure of cells and undertake practical activities to research bacterial growth.  Sixth-form students are encouraged to take a full role in the life of the school. Students often lead worship assemblies and provide music for hymns. Sixth-form students are also involved in leading the school council and contribute to the wider life of the school by being positive role models for younger pupils.  Sixth-formers receive impartial information about careers and are given opportunities to attend student conferences and competitions, where they are good ambassadors for the school and achieve well. Several previous students have gone on to achieve well at university on courses such as linguistics, philosophy and economics.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, 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.

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School details

Type of school Christian independent school

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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School details

Of which, number on roll in sixth form 2

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School details

Email address kingofkingsschool@hotmail.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14–16 December 2015

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Information about this school

 King of Kings School is an independent Christian faith school which is located in the centre of Manchester. It was established in 1986 and has been on its present site since 1991.  The school occupies the top floor of a large Victorian building, formerly known as ‘The Ragged School’. It is registered to accommodate up to 45 pupils between the ages of three and 18 years of age. At the time of the inspection, there were 13 pupils on roll at the school. Pupils are from a diverse range of ethnic backgrounds and currently there are five pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and five pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The school makes use of the public park opposite the school to provide outdoor recreational space for pupils.  The school does not use alternative provision.  Since the previous inspection, the school has appointed an independent governor to the governing body.  The aim of the school is to ‘provide a caring and stable environment in which students

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Information about this school

can reach high standards of academic, social, moral, spiritual and emotional development through a Christian curriculum which ensures that the school day itself has Christ at the centre’.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to conduct a full standard inspection and to monitor the progress that the school has made in meeting the independent school standards that were judged non-compliant at its previous inspection.  This was the first standard inspection following the previous standard inspection in December 2015 when the school was judged to be inadequate. This was followed by a progress monitoring inspection in October 2016.  This inspection was conducted without notice to the school.  The inspector observed teaching and learning across a range of subjects and classes. The inspector toured the site and checked the school’s compliance with the appropriate regulations for independent schools.  The inspector met with pupils, both formally and informally, to listen to their views.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior teachers and other staff. The inspector

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Information about this inspection

also met with the chair of the governing body and two other governors. The inspector spoke with two representatives of the local authority by telephone.  The inspector considered the views expressed by parents in the 13 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. The inspector also met two parents during the inspection. The inspector also took into account the views of six members of staff who responded to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.  The inspector observed pupils in lessons and during social time. The inspector also scrutinised pupils’ work in lessons and looked at a sample of their books.  The inspector scrutinised a wide range of documentation that included: information about pupils’ attainment; the school’s self-evaluation and action points for improvement; and records relating to teaching and learning, pupils’ attendance and behaviour and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Helen O’Neill, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

Parent View 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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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