Prince Albert High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

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.

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.

The school has very high conduct and academic expectations of every pupil.

Pupils behave very well in lessons and at s...ocial 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.

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.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(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.