Kingsway Park High School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Kingsway Park High School Turf Hill Road, Rochdale, Lancashire OL16 4XA

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school's work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Simon Ward. This school is part of the Altus Education Partnership Trust, which means that other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Richard Ronksley, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Jock Rodger.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is warm and welcoming. It has high expectations of how pupils should behave. Recently, the school has begun to take effective action to address the poor behaviour of some pupils. Most are polite, respectful and behave well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is taken seriously and not a widespread issue. Nevertheless, a minority of pupils have ongoing concerns that bullying is not addressed consistently well. This impacts negatively on how safe and happy these pupils feel at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations of what pupils can achieve through the ‘Kingsway’ of learning. Most pupils understand what is expected of them. The school has worked with the trust to improve the curriculum. Even so, in some subjects, the delivery of this curriculum does not help pupils to achieve as well as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Some pupils benefit from a vast array of enrichment opportunities. This helps them to develop their talents and interests. For example, pupils enjoy sports clubs such as jujitsu, football and climbing, as well as theatre club. They are proud to hold positions of responsibility. For instance, ‘student leaders’ enjoy delivering activities to promote equality and diversity. Pupils enjoy helping the school community to get along harmoniously.

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The school and the trust regularly review the curriculum with external experts to ensure that it remains broad and ambitious. The key knowledge that pupils should learn is identified well. Nevertheless, some weaknesses in the delivery of the curriculum means that this work has not had the intended impact.

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Some teachers have secure subject knowledge. This helps them to present new ideas clearly. At times, some teachers do not check that pupils understand new learning in sufficient depth. As a result, they are not aware of some of the gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This limits how well these teachers address misconceptions and help pupils to achieve.

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The school has recently strengthened how it identifies the additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This information is shared with teachers so that they can better adapt the learning for pupils with SEND. However, this practice has been slow to implement and is not applied consistently well. Consequently, this hampers some pupils with SEND from progressing through the curriculum.

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The school promotes a culture of reading through a variety of reading activities, such as reading ambassadors and reading lessons. In addition, the school is beginning to identify and support pupils who struggle to read. However, some of this work is in an embryonic stage. Older pupils are not supported well enough to improve their reading to better access the curriculum.

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The school has effective systems to improve pupils’ attendance. Most pupils attend school regularly. The school has established clear classroom routines that most pupils understand and follow. In the main, these systems help to create a purposeful learning environment. Even so, the school does not challenge the poor behaviour of some pupils consistently well. As a result, some pupils miss vital learning due to high rates of suspension. This hinders them from achieving as well as they should.

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The programme to promote pupils’ personal development has recently been enhanced. Pupils learn to respect and celebrate different cultures through various events such as ‘culture day’ and community events. They develop a secure understanding of how to keep safe online and within the community. Pupils are encouraged to be active citizens by raising money for food and clothing for less privileged members of the community. Pupils take part in work experience and engage with various organisations to learn about different careers. As a result, pupils are prepared well for their next stage in life.

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The trust and members of the local governing body have strengthened their support for the school. Staff are increasingly gaining confidence in the school’s ability to manage their well-being and workload. For instance, external support helps staff to understand the key actions that are needed to drive improvements. However, some of this improvement work is in its infancy and has not had the intended impact. For instance, recent barriers, such as building work and staffing issues, have slowed the pace with which the school has taken steps to improve aspects of its provision.

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The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some staff do not check what pupils understand and remember over time effectively. As a result, misconceptions and gaps in pupils’ knowledge remain. This means that pupils do not build on their learning as well as they should. The school should ensure that teachers check for misconceptions and gaps in pupils’ knowledge before moving on to new learning.  Some of the work to help pupils to overcome the gaps in their reading knowledge is in the early stages of development. This means that pupils, especially older pupils, are not supported well enough to become confident and accurate readers who access the school’s curriculum. The school should ensure that it implements its strategies to support reading so that pupils become confident and fluent readers.  At times, learning activities are not adapted consistently well to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This limits how well pupils with SEND achieve. The school should

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

ensure that teachers have the skills and knowledge required to adapt their delivery of the curriculum so that pupils with SEND can access and learn the curriculum successfully.  Some pupils do not behave as well as the school expects. Pupil suspension rates, although declining, are high. This means that many pupils miss time from school, which hampers their learning. The school should ensure that poor behaviour is suitably challenged and enhance its strategies to reduce the number of suspensions and repeat suspensions, especially for pupils with SEND.  Some pupils lack confidence in how the school deals with their concerns about bullying. As a result, some pupils do not feel safe and happy in school. The school should strengthen communication with pupils and review the effectiveness of its actions to resolve bullying issues.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a 25 and 26 February 2025

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school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Kingsway Park High School, the school to be good for overall effectiveness in September 2013.

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How can I feed back my views?

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 special educational needs and/or disabilities (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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1323

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school opened with the Altus Education Partnership multi-academy trust in February 2022.  There have been many changes to the staffing and leadership of the school since it joined the multi-academy trust.  The current acting headteacher was appointed in January 2023.  The school makes use of two registered alternative providers and seven unregistered alternative providers.  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

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school's education provision. 25 and 26 February 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, other school leaders and trust executive leaders. Inspectors also met with a range of other staff.  Inspectors spoke with members the chair of local governing body, the chair of trustees and the CEO of the trust. They also spoke with representatives of the local authority.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour across the school, including at social times.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke with the leaders responsible for pupils’ personal development, behaviour and attendance, alternative provision, careers, the provision for SEND and

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reading.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and records relating to pupils’ attendance and behaviour.  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.  The inspectors considered the responses of parents to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils.

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Inspection team

Amina Modan, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Tim Long Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 February 2025

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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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