Setting

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

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Darren Turner Executive Principal Tudor Grange Academy Kingshurst Cooks Lane Solihull Birmingham B37 6NU

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Tudor Grange Academy Kingshurst

This letter sets out the findings from the monitoring inspection that took place on 25 and 26 June 2025, on behalf of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills. The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and was the fourth monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require special measures following the graded (section 5) inspection that took place in January 2023.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Tudor Grange Academy Kingshurst

The purpose of a monitoring inspection is not to grade the school’s key and (where applicable) provision judgements, but to identify and report on the school’s progress. It is to highlight to the school and parents any improvements that school leaders have made since the school’s previous graded inspection.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Tudor Grange Academy Kingshurst

During the inspection, Peter Bassett, Ofsted Inspector (OI) and Caroline Hoddinott, Ofsted Inspector (OI) and I discussed with you and other senior leaders, trust leaders, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the trust, chair of the trust board and another trustee the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection. We discussed the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also visited lessons, observed pupils at different points of the school day, met with staff, spoke with pupils and scrutinised a range of documents. I have considered all this in coming to my judgement.

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Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but more work is

necessary for the school to no longer be judged as requiring special measures.

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Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but more work is

HMCI is of the opinion that the school may appoint early career teachers.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The school is now experiencing greater stability than before. There have been few staffing changes since the previous monitoring inspection. You and your team have maintained your focus on the improvements needed, and progress continues to be made.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The school’s work to improve the quality of education is ongoing. There has been a helpful programme of professional development for staff, which is strengthening the shared understanding of what effective learning should look like at Kingshurst. The school has maintained an appropriate focus on providing effective support for less-experienced teachers. These staff feel well supported by the school. However, leaders know that more work and time is needed to further reduce the variability in the quality of teaching. The outcomes achieved by pupils, including the quality of their learning in books, need to improve. The school has recently introduced an oracy strategy, and there are early signs of this helping pupils to talk more confidently in lessons and about their learning. Year 11 pupils benefited from bespoke timetables to help them feel as prepared and confident as possible when facing their recent GCSE examinations.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The previous monitoring inspection highlighted improvements that had been made in supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This area of the school’s work continues to strengthen, although there remains some variability in how well teachers use the strategies identified for each pupil. There is not the same clarity around how other disadvantaged pupils should be supported. This is why outcomes for these pupils are not improving as they should. The school makes appropriate use of alternative provision for some pupils. There are regular checks on the well-being and academic progress of these pupils to ensure that the provision is supporting them to be successful.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Behaviour has continued to improve. The number of suspensions has reduced. The use of ‘Tudor alternative to exclusion’ (TATEs) and the work on ‘restorative action’ has resulted in increasing numbers of pupils taking more responsibility for their behaviour choices. The recent changes made to reduce the number of detention refusals has seen this number decline sharply. However, the behaviour of some pupils in younger years is having a negative impact on the learning and school experience of other pupils. Last term the school introduced a ‘college’ just for Year 7 pupils. Some improvements in behaviour within this year group are starting to be seen but there is more to do.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Pupils are increasingly confident that any bullying would be dealt with effectively. Everyone is now familiar with the different ways that they can report concerns. The school has taken action to address the incidents of sexist attitudes and language that pupils reported in the previous monitoring inspections. Pupils now have a clear understanding about the different forms of gender discrimination. Through thought- provoking theatre workshops and carefully chosen resources used in tutor time, they have been encouraged to develop a deeper understanding of the impact of using discriminatory language on others. Pupils report that this type of behaviour is still happening but not with quite as much frequency as before. Some remain reluctant to report it as they are not confident all staff would take appropriate action in response. Leaders know more time is needed to develop a school-wide culture of shared understanding and refusal to accept

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Attendance continues to improve, and leaders are determined that overall attendance will reach the national average. There are several success stories where the school’s targeted work has seen specific pupils improve their attendance. However, the number of pupils who are persistently or severely absent remains high. This is especially the case for disadvantaged pupils. Consequently, they miss out on important learning and do not achieve as well as they should.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Pupils and staff talk positively about the ongoing improvements at the school. Pupils experience more opportunities to enrich or enhance their learning. This includes Year 12 geography students who have recently been on a field trip to Aberystwyth and Year 10 pupils enjoying their virtual work experience day. Staff know their work is valued by leaders, and this is reflected in their own commitment to the school and its ongoing improvement.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The school has been responsive to the feedback given in previous monitoring inspections, for example in the progress seen in support for pupils with SEND. However, some of the school’s improvement work, such as the oracy strategy, is still in the early days of implementation and is not yet routinely part of practice across the school. There is not sufficient evidence that pupils’ outcomes are improving to the extent that they will be well prepared for their next stages in education, employment or training. This continues to be the key priority for school improvement.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Trust leaders, trustees and local governors continue to frequently scrutinise the progress being made against the school’s areas for improvement. Staff and middle leaders appreciate the support they receive from trust leaders to develop their classroom practice.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees, the CEO of the Tudor Grange Academies Trust, the Department for Education’s regional director and the director of children’s services for Solihull. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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