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Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Ingrid Abrahams Executive Headteacher King Solomon International Business School Lord Street Birmingham West Midlands B7 4AA

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Ofsted visit to King Solomon International Business School

Following my visit with Mark Howes, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 6 October 2020, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the visit’s findings. Thank you for the time you made available to discuss your actions since September 2020, when the government expected all schools to open fully to all pupils.

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Ofsted visit to King Solomon International Business School

This visit was conducted under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 (as amended) and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for visiting schools while routine inspections are temporarily suspended.

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Ofsted visit to King Solomon International Business School

Ofsted’s visits to schools during the autumn term are not inspections. We are not giving graded judgements. We did not undertake the usual range of inspection activities and were unable to check other sources of evidence, such as visits to lessons or looking at pupils’ work. The content of this letter gives an overview of our discussions about what has happened in your school this term.

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Ofsted visit to King Solomon International Business School

During the visit, we spoke to members of the senior leadership team, including the designated safeguarding lead. We did not speak to pupils because of the protective measures in place.

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Context

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s education system is managing the return to full education for pupils, following an extended break in formal schooling due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

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Context

In undertaking this focused work, HMI are visiting a broad range of schools. HMI will visit a sample of:

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Context

 approximately 1,200 schools across all Ofsted grades (outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate)  maintained schools, academies and free schools, special schools and centres of alternative provision, including those in cities, and coastal, town or rural communities.

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Context

The information from this visit will feed into Ofsted’s national reporting so that the insights can be shared with the government and the education sector. We did not find any significant concerns during the visit. In such a case, an inspection report would be published on our website and available to parents and carers.

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Context

We did not consider your response to COVID-19 during the spring and summer terms 2020, when the school was not open to all pupils.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 The school opened fully to all pupils on 3 September 2020.  You told us that the overall rate of attendance is lower than normal for this time of year. You attributed this entirely to COVID-19-related absences. You said that you have communicated to parents the expectation of regular attendance for their children through newsletters, website information and text messages.  Leaders in both the secondary and primary phases have prioritised English, mathematics, science, religious education (RE) and personal, social and health education (PSHE).  Leaders have assessed the phonics knowledge of pupils in the early years and primary phase. They said that they have already started to address this through planned additional support.  In mathematics, primary leaders are focusing on closing learning gaps in place value, multiplication and division, and reading and writing numbers up to 100.  Plans are in place to assess where primary-phase pupils have missed learning

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

in the foundation subjects later this term. Leaders said that they have prioritised physical education (PE) after the period when schools were only open to some children due to COVID-19 restrictions. Pupils in the primary phase and in early years are studying their normal curriculum in all subjects except music, which is due to resume after the autumn half term.  Pupils in key stage 3 are studying the full range of subjects in their normal curriculum. Leaders have identified where Year 7 pupils have gaps in their learning in English and mathematics. Leaders have also identified that pupils have missed experiences, particularly in performing arts, modern foreign languages, computer science and visits in religious education.  In key stage 4 and in the sixth form, pupils are studying their normal range of option subjects.  Students in the sixth form who are studying for their English language and mathematics GCSE resits do so remotely.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 There are plans to deliver the curriculum remotely in the early years, primary and secondary phases in future if required. Leaders said that there is a significant shortfall in available laptops at present, which means they are making more use of paper-based learning.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

Thank you again for contributing to this important national work. The views and experiences you have shared will help to inform future policy.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

I am copying this letter to the chair of the directors, the chair of the board of trustees, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Birmingham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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