The King David High School

Inspection of The King David High School Eaton Road, Crumpsall, Manchester M8 5DY

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Inadequate 6 and 7 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ mutual respect, and their willingness to help each other out, underpins the strong feeling of community at The King David High School. Pupils are taught to be optimistic about their futures. They learn how to find solutions to the challenges that they may encounter.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, and students in the sixth form, benefit from a rich, broad curriculum that sets them up well to accomplish their future goals. Pupils enjoy their learning. Most pupils live up to their teachers’ high expectations of achievement and attain strong academic outcomes. Students in the sixth form achieve impressive A-level results.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get on with their learning because the school environment is usually calm and orderly. Serious incidents of misbehaviour are rare. However, there are some inconsistencies in how well staff apply the behaviour policy. This means that pockets of pupils’ disengaged behaviour go unchallenged, and some pupils are late to lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils extend their skills and develop their independence through participating in a wide range of extra-curricular clubs, including orchestra, basketball and athletics. Pupils make an active contribution to the local community. For example, they made doves as part of Yom Hazikaron (Israel’s Remembrance Day), commemorated at a local synagogue.

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better?

Senior leaders have been instrumental in bringing about considerable change to address the previous weaknesses at this school. Their drive for improvement has been relentless. Governors’ work is making a much stronger contribution to the school’s continued progress. Governors’ actions are strategic and focused on what matters for pupils. They hold leaders accountable for pupils’ outcomes.

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better?

Leaders have designed a curriculum that enables pupils to build easily on their prior knowledge so that they can make sense of new learning. The revitalised key stage 3 curriculum means that all pupils are properly equipped with the knowledge that they need to cope with the demands of key stage 4. Changes to the order in which teachers deliver curriculum content have helped to secure greater learning. Pupils commented favourably on these changes, describing their learning as more interactive and enjoyable.

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better?

Teachers select appropriate learning activities that enable pupils to develop their understanding in a steady way. Teachers’ specialist subject knowledge is evident in the way that they deepen pupils’ thinking through skilful questioning. For example, pupils expanded their responses about imagery in the poem ‘London’ by William Blake because of the teacher’s sophisticated questioning. Teachers’ expertise in their subjects also facilitates clear explanations in lessons. They address pupils’ errors quickly before misconceptions form. 6 and 7 June 2023

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Teachers’ systematic, routine checks on pupils’ understanding help to minimise the development of gaps in learning. Pupils’ work demonstrates that they remember what they have learned and can build securely on it. Students achieve very well in the sixth form, enabling them to apply successfully to a range of prestigious universities. This includes students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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Leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND accurately. Teachers adopt a range of strategies and/or adaptations to learning tasks so that most pupils with SEND learn equally as well as others. However, at times, some pupils with SEND do not get the most effective help that they need to achieve well.

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Leaders check how well pupils can read when they first join the school. Teachers provide extra help for pupils who struggle with reading. However, this support is not consistently well targeted for some of the weakest readers. As a result, they do not catch up quickly enough.

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Pupils’ behaviour in lessons varies. It can be focused and positive. However, at other times, it can be disruptive and hinder learning. Despite leaders’ efforts, general routines are not fully embedded across the school. This results in some pupils arriving late to lessons. In addition, internal suspensions are high, which negatively impacts on pupils’ learning. Leaders’ actions to improve pupils’ attendance are making a difference, but some still do not attend school regularly enough.

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Leaders have overhauled the curriculum to support pupils’ personal development. Pupils now benefit from a comprehensive programme that gives them the knowledge that they need to make informed decisions about life choices. Pupils learn about respectful relationships and know that sexual harassment should not be allowed. Pupils and sixth-form students receive good-quality, independent careers advice and guidance. Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in school. They know the staff with whom they can share any worries.

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Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, choose from a variety of extra- curricular opportunities to widen their experiences. There is something for everyone, whether this is an academic study club, badminton or conversational Spanish classes. Leaders ensure that Yavneh girls and boys have the same access to extra- curricular activities. Yavneh girls are also able to socialise with their friends outside the single-sex unit. Key stage 4 pupils and sixth-form students undertake work experience and gain valuable life skills. However, the wider offer in the sixth form, beyond the academic, is more limited and does not ensure that all students develop their personal skills to the full. 6 and 7 June 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff understand and carry out their safeguarding responsibilities earnestly, quickly identifying any pupil who may need help. They take prompt action, involving other agencies as necessary. Leaders and staff are knowledgeable about the many elements of safeguarding, including self-harm and neglect. They apply their knowledge effectively to ensure a safe school environment. Staff put in place preventative measures for pupils and students with mental health issues. Students in the sixth form are taught about the dangers of unhealthy relationships and sexual violence.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some staff do not apply the school’s behaviour policy as it is intended. This leads to different expectations and a lack of consistency from staff. Consequently, some pupils do not behave as well as they should or do not follow expected routines, including arriving to lessons on time. Leaders should ensure that all staff adhere to the school’s behaviour policy to improve pupils’ behaviour and reduce the need for internal suspension.  Some pupils and some students in the sixth form do not attend school as often as they should, and too many pupils are persistently absent. This means that they miss out on learning and on the wider experiences provided by the school. Leaders should bolster their efforts and implement additional strategies to ensure that all pupils are helped to attend school regularly.  Some pupils with SEND do not get the most effective support to help them overcome their barriers to learning, including managing their behaviour. This

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

means that some are less successful in making gains in their learning. Leaders should ensure that all pupils with SEND get the right targeted support to help them achieve well, including those who most find reading challenging.  Leaders have placed less emphasis on the non-qualification aspects of the sixth- form provision. The option of ‘opting-in’ to wider opportunities leaves the potential for some students to miss out. This means they are not as well prepared for their next steps as they could be. Leaders should ensure that all students get a high-quality, equitable non-qualification offer that prepares them fully for the next stage of their education, employment or training. 6 and 7 June 2023

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How can I feed back my views?

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

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How can I feed back my views?

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

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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. 6 and 7 June 2023

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The board of trustees

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sixth form

Dates of previous inspection 22 and 23 November 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a mixed-sex Jewish school. Within the school, there are three units: a main mixed-sex school, Yavneh Boys and Yavneh Girls. The two Yavneh units are single sex.  A new chair of trustees took up post in December 2022.  Leaders make use of three alternative providers, including one unregistered, for a small number of pupils.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The last section 48 inspection was in February 2017. 6 and 7 June 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a graded (section 5) inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector met with ten members of the board of trustees, including the chair of trustees. Inspectors also held telephone discussions with a representative of Manchester local authority and the school’s improvement adviser.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other senior leaders. They also met with other members of school staff.  Inspectors looked in detail at the following subjects: English, mathematics, science, art and design and history. Inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders and visited a sample of lessons. Inspectors met with teachers and spoke with pupils about their learning. Inspectors also scrutinised samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils and students about their experiences of

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Information about this inspection

school life.  Inspectors considered a range of school documentation relating to governance, pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  The lead inspector checked documentation relating to safeguarding, including the single central record.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments, and the responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Tim Hill, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Pippa Jackson Maitland His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ben Hill His Majesty’s Inspector 6 and 7 June 2023

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