Kings Rise Academy

Inspection of Kings Rise Academy Hornsey Road, Kingstanding, Birmingham, West Midlands B44 0JL

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding 22–23 October 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school. They told inspectors, ‘everyone helps you when you get stuck’ and ‘you make good friendships here’. Pupils feel safe and happy at school because they know that staff care about them. Pupils know that bullying is wrong and it would be stopped if reported. Junior ‘police community support officers’ also help resolve any problems at playtimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Each class is uniquely named after a different country of the world. Staff use this as an opportunity to develop pupils’ knowledge of different cultures. This works well as pupils themselves come from a wide range of backgrounds.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons. However, behaviour at lunchtime is less good. Pupils appreciate the introduction of play leaders and equipment at dinner times and say this is helping to improve behaviour. Leaders and staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. They manage this well most of the time. Nevertheless, more pupils than average are excluded for short periods each year.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are lots of school clubs and events for pupils to take part in. Pupils particularly enjoy singing in the choir and going on trips. They readily take on additional responsibilities in school.

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better?

Leaders know what needs to be improved at the school. They have already had some success. Reading and mathematics results at the end of Year 6 are much improved and attainment is above average, including for disadvantaged pupils. But although leaders have had an impact on key stage 2, they have not yet managed to improve key stage 1 and early years enough.

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better?

Newly appointed subject leaders are well supported. They are quickly developing the skills needed to plan and keep a close check on different subjects. History, design technology and science planning is clearly sequenced. This builds up pupils’ skills and knowledge well. However, pupils have had less teaching in some subjects in some classes, such as Spanish and geography. Their skills in these subjects are therefore at an early stage of development.

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better?

Leaders have made important changes in key stage 2. Checks at the start of lessons mean that work is set at the right level for pupils of different abilities. This is not the case in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 or Year 2. Teachers do not always match what they expect pupils to do with what pupils already know. This means that learning slows in these year groups.

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better?

Some weaker readers are unable to read the books teachers give them. Their phonic knowledge is weak and pupils struggle to work out some of the words. Staff do not hear these pupils read frequently enough. This means that pupils stay at the same 22–23 October 2019

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level and do not get enough practice to help them become fluent and confident readers. Pupils do not read as well as they should in Years 1 to 3.

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In Years 1 and 2, lower-ability pupils find mathematics challenging. They find it hard to work out problems or explain how they reach their answers. Other pupils are not moved on quickly enough or are given too much adult help. This slows their learning.

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There are examples of some good-quality writing in upper key stage 2 for the most able pupils. However, too many pupils do not know words like ‘adverb’ or ‘preposition’. This is because teachers do not ensure that subject vocabulary is built up steadily and used regularly.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do well. Staff identify pupils’ needs early. Extra adult help or special resources are provided. Pupils are fully included in lessons. Regular communication with parents takes place. Leaders ensure that pupils receive additional support when changing year group or school.

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Pupils have a good understanding about different cultures and religions. They learn about healthy living from an early age. They know what being British means and the importance of rules.

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Staff appreciate leaders’ efforts to reduce their workload. They also value highly the rewards and non-contact time they receive from leaders to aid their well-being.

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Pupils’ attendance is closely scrutinised. All absences are swiftly followed up. Systems in place are highly successful.

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Children settle quickly in Nursery and the Reception Year. They learn to take turns and listen to adults. Children are very well cared for and kept safe. Leaders have a good understanding of what is working well and what can be improved. They have reorganised classrooms to use the space available more effectively. Children enjoy the sand area and natural resources provided in activities. There is plenty to see, do, touch explore and talk about. However, children’s literacy and numeracy skills are not developed well enough. This means that they are not prepared sufficiently for learning in Year 1.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding leaders and all staff are appropriately trained. This means that they can spot different forms of abuse and know how to report it. Leaders deal with these reports promptly. They are relentless in following up cases when they have reported their concerns to other agencies. Records are thorough and kept securely. There are good links with support services. Leaders ensure that families and children get the help that they need. Staff regularly teach pupils about the risks that they 22–23 October 2019

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might face in their everyday lives and online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The number of children reaching a good level of development in the early years has been below the national average for the last four years. Teachers’ expectations are not always high enough, particularly of learning in literacy and numeracy. Leaders should ensure that activities are challenging for all children so that a greater proportion reach the levels expected and are better prepared for Year 1.  Lower-ability pupils in key stage 1 are not provided with enough support in reading to help them make the progress they should. Their phonic skills are underdeveloped and they struggle to blend sounds together. Leaders should ensure that pupils are heard read regularly in school to ensure that they become confident and fluent readers.  Pupils are not provided with work at the right level in mathematics in key stage 1 and are not moved on when they show that they are ready. Leaders should replicate

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

the successful assessment system used in key stage 2 in key stage 1. Greater attention should be paid to the development of pupils’ problem-solving and reasoning skills so that a higher proportion of pupils reach greater depth by the end of Year 2.  Pupils have gaps in their subject vocabulary in English. For example, they do not know what a ‘preposition’ or ‘adverb’ is. This means they cannot apply this knowledge to their writing. Teachers should ensure that subject vocabulary is built up systematically and progressively and pupils apply this knowledge to their writing in different subjects.  Leaders’ curriculum intent is strong. Some subjects, such as science, history and design technology, are planned and taught well. However, other subjects, such as Spanish and geography, have received less focus and pupils’ exposure and experience of these subjects has been limited. Leaders should ensure that planning is

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

completed for all curriculum subjects and that subjects are given sufficient teaching time to ensure that pupils develop their skills and knowledge across the full range of subjects.  The number of fixed-term exclusions has been in the highest 20% of schools for the last three years. Fixed-term exclusions and recorded in-school behaviour incidents are also high this term. Pupils say that behaviour is less good at lunchtimes. Leaders should identify strategies to improve behaviour, including at lunchtime, so that fixed- term exclusions reduce and pupils have a consistently positive view of behaviour outside lessons.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection. 22–23 October 2019

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The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 22–23 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10088608 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8–9 July 2014

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Information about this school

 The number of pupils on roll has increased significantly since the previous inspection. This has risen from 242 pupils to 439.  There is a high level of mobility within the school. Approximately a third of pupils join the school at times other than at the start of the early years.  The principal was appointed in April 2015. She was previously the deputy headteacher the school. She is supported by an executive principal who oversees three schools in the trust.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held meetings with the principal, senior leaders, subject leaders and teaching staff. The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer and regional director of the Elliott Foundation multi-academy trust. Discussions were also held with the attendance officer.  Inspectors looked in depth at early reading, English, mathematics, history and design technology. In each subject, inspection activities included discussions with 22–23 October 2019

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subject leaders, visits to lessons, discussions with teachers, scrutiny of pupils’ work and discussions with pupils.  Inspectors observed pupils from Year 1 to Year 3 reading to a member of staff. They also heard pupils read their work in classes.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at breaktime. They spoke formally with three groups of pupils as well as talking to pupils in lessons and around school.  Inspectors checked safeguarding and staff vetting records. They met with four of the school’s designated safeguarding leaders to judge the effectiveness of child protection and safeguarding procedures.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plans, a review of the trust’s effectiveness, behaviour, exclusion and attendance records and information on the school’s website.

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Inspection team

Heather Simpson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Graeme Rudland Ofsted Inspector 22–23 October 2019

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regulates and 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 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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