Prince Albert High School

Inspection of Prince Albert High School 115 Holford Drive, Perry Barr, Birmingham, West Midlands B42 2TU

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Manjit Harvey-More. This school is part of the PA Community Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Phillipa Sherlock- Lewis, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Paulette Osborne MBE. 6 and 7 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Prince Albert High is a school where pupils and staff alike embody the school’s values of integrity, excellence and service. An example of this is how pupils clear up the dining hall, knowing the importance of not leaving a mess for others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a culture of mutual respect and care for each other that is exceptional. Interactions between staff and pupils are warm and sincere. Even though the school has been open for less than three years, there is a shared understanding that everyone will work together to help each other succeed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has very high conduct and academic expectations of every pupil. Pupils behave very well in lessons and at social times. On the odd occasion when they do not, the school applies consequences fairly and consistently. Lessons are highly focused and pupils pay close attention to their teachers. They take pride in the high- quality work they produce in their books and are keen to work hard for future success.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school and value how they learn about keeping themselves safe and healthy. They have enjoyed trips to different universities. Many attend the clubs on offer, especially the broad range of sports activities.

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better?

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum that is followed by all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Careful thought has been put into making sure that pupils’ learning builds in small steps over time. The school has ensured that the curriculum also reflects their community. For example, in history, Year 7 pupils compare society in medieval London and Baghdad.

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better?

The school uses an approach to learning that is consistent across the curriculum. Pupils recall previous learning in their starter tasks. Through their strong subject knowledge, teachers provide pupils with clear explanations of new learning, and pupils listen attentively. However, in some subjects, teachers do not help pupils to understand, sufficiently well, the key subject-specific skills they are developing that will help them be successful in the future.

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better?

Teachers provide regular tasks to check that pupils have understood their learning before they progress to independent practice activities. However, sometimes there are not enough planned opportunities for pupils to engage in discussion to deepen their understanding and strengthen their oracy skills in lessons. Pupils produce strong written outcomes. The standards pupils achieve by the end of key stage 3 show that they are well prepared to take the next step in their education as they move into key stage 4. 6 and 7 February 2024

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The school has made reading a priority. Pupils who are not secure, fluent readers are given appropriate support to make rapid progress. Pupils are encouraged to read widely. In form time, classes read a shared book from a diverse and engaging selection.

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Staff accurately identify the needs of pupils with SEND. This information is then shared with all staff in a user-friendly way. There has been a recent shift in how some pupils with SEND are supported. This has resulted in more of their lessons being spent working with and alongside their classmates. Because their learning is effectively adapted when needed, pupils with SEND achieve impressive outcomes.

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Pupils know the importance of excellent attendance and punctuality. They buy into the school’s expectations of behaviour wholeheartedly. The school’s holistic approach to safeguarding, pupil welfare and pastoral care means that pupils are understood as individuals. The school does all it can to remove any personal barriers to good attendance or behaviour. Through assemblies, religious studies and citizenship lessons, pupils learn well about wider society and the active role they can play in improving the world. They receive useful guidance about their future education and career options.

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Prince Albert High opened with a clear vision to be a school for its community and relentless in its pursuit of excellence and success for all pupils. Through robust governance and visionary leadership, this ambition is quickly becoming a reality. The school is significantly oversubscribed because of its strong reputation. Pupils and staff are rightly proud of their school and how they are contributing to its growing success.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum does not always provide enough planned opportunities for pupils to discuss their learning and express the reasoning behind their ideas. This means that pupils do not always get the chance to deepen their thinking as well as they could. The school should ensure that pupils develop their oracy skills effectively, to extend their ideas and deepen their learning across the curriculum.  Teachers are not always explicit enough about the key subject-specific skills pupils are developing. This means that pupils sometimes do not understand the relevance of what they are learning to what will come next. The school should ensure that pupils have a better understanding of how their current learning will support their future learning. 6 and 7 February 2024

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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’ is used to mean pupils with SEND; pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 6 and 7 February 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school opened on 1 September 2021.  There are only pupils in Years 7 to 9 currently attending the school.  The school is one of seven academies in the PA Community Trust.  The headteacher took up post in September 2023.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 6 and 7 February 2024

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, other school leaders, the trust CEO, the chair of the trust board and another trustee.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in English, science, physical education and geography. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work in other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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 The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including comments submitted via the free-text facility.

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Inspection team

Nicola Beech, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Liz Todd Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 February 2024

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