King’s Academy Prospect

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are aspirational and rightly optimistic about their futures. Leaders set high expectations for pupils' learning, behaviour and wider development, which are routinely put into practice.

Staff make sure that pupils' best interests are at the heart of all that they do. Staff look after pupils well and make sure they are safe. Pupils' achievement is good overall across all year groups, including in the sixth form.

They receive very effective support and guidance which helps them make informed, positive choices about what they do when they leave school. Pupils are, therefore, prepared well for the next stages in their lives.

Pupils learn to be respectful an...d responsible.

Most pupils enjoy school and are kind to each other. Bullying is not a major issue. Pupils recognise the diversity of their community, valuing the differences between people's backgrounds.

Many pupils take on leadership roles, such as house captains or 'anti-bullying' ambassadors, which make a substantial contribution to the life of the school. Older pupils coach younger pupils' learning effectively. Sixth-form 'student leaders' contribute to key aspects of the school, for example through further developing support for pupils' mental health.

The majority of pupils are committed to the school's very positive culture.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders' highly effective work means this is a good and strongly improving school. Leaders are focused fully on making sure that all pupils achieve their best.

They design and put in place strong processes that underpin the school's success. Teachers are able to concentrate on making sure pupils get a good education. Staff morale is high and they are supported well.

Leaders provide teachers with the right training, which has a very positive impact in classrooms.

The curriculum is ambitious and designed to include all pupils. Subject leaders support teachers well to teach pupils the right knowledge at the right time.

They also make sure teachers have secure subject expertise. Key stage 3 is strong. Pupils in key stage 4 study a wide range of subjects and the proportion of pupils taking the English Baccalaureate is rising rapidly to very high levels.

The growing sixth form offers a variety of subjects and qualifications, providing students with options that match both their needs and aspirations. In a number of subjects, teachers use well-designed, substantial tasks throughout the year that deepen and consolidate pupils' learning. In some subjects, however, this is not as well established.

Leaders make sure that pupils get the right help when they need it, prioritising the development of pupils' reading and writing. Support for pupils whose reading is weaker is especially effective. Provision for pupils who speak English as an additional language is very strong indeed.

While pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well overall, this is a little variable. Many receive exactly what they require in lessons, but some pupils with SEND could achieve more. This is because the support they get is not as precisely matched to their needs as it could be.

The vast majority of pupils behave well, attend regularly and are proud of their school. Most concentrate extremely productively in lessons, although some lose focus occasionally. Teachers manage pupils' behaviour by following the clear, strong systems in place.

Leaders take the right action to raise individual pupils' attendance when necessary. Pupils and staff recognise how much behaviour has improved since the last inspection. However, there are occasional instances of some pupils using discriminatory or derogatory language.

There is also a very small minority of pupils who cause trouble by behaving antisocially at breaktimes. These incidents are infrequent and leaders deal with them swiftly. Such behaviour is not tolerated by either staff or pupils.

Pupils' personal development is strong throughout the school, particularly so in the sixth form. Sixth-form students play an important part in school life, acting as mentors and role models for younger pupils. Pupils learn about a range of aspects of healthy living and relationships which prepare them well for modern life.

Many subjects, such as English, make a strong contribution to pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. While there are good quality extra-curricular activities on offer, pupils' participation rates are relatively low.

Trustees and local governors have strong expertise, maintaining tight oversight of the school's work.

They monitor and evaluate the impact of leaders' actions accurately. While recognising the school's many successes and improvements over the last two years, they have also set high expectations for the future. They make sure that processes for managing staff workload and well-being are in place and working very well.

The trust has challenged school leaders robustly and provided effective support.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safeguarding leaders are appropriately qualified and staff have up-to-date knowledge about safeguarding risks.

This means any issues are identified quickly and accurately. Leaders make sure the right help and support is put in place for pupils, liaising with other agencies well. Actions are recorded appropriately.

Trustees and governors monitor this aspect of the school's work closely, checking that policies and processes are working effectively. Leaders make the right checks on staff before they start working at the school. Pupils are knowledgeable about how to keep themselves safe, including online and in the community, because they are taught about this.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Adaptations to teaching to support pupils with SEND are not consistently effective. Although pupils with SEND learn well overall, some could achieve more. Leaders and teachers should make sure that provision is matched precisely to pupils' needs.

• Key assessment tasks do not help pupils consolidate their knowledge as well in some subjects as they do in others. This means pupils' learning is not as deep and secure as it could be. Leaders should ensure that assessment tasks make an effective contribution to pupils' learning in all subjects.

• Some pupils occasionally use unkind language to others and a very small minority of pupils sometimes cause trouble at breaktimes. While other pupils do not accept this kind of behaviour, it causes them to be offended or upset. Leaders should continue their work to eliminate any use of derogatory or discriminatory language and all antisocial behaviour.

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