Star King Solomon Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an inadequate school Unstable senior leadership since the school opened has hampered improvement. Leaders and governors have not done enough to improve teachers' performance and pupils' achievement in key stage 3.

Leaders and governors do not make accurate assessments of the school's effectiveness and the quality of teaching. They do not have the capacity to effectively identify and prioritise what needs to improve and how best to address weak teaching. The school's action plans lack appropriate timescales and specific measures of success.

This makes it difficult for leaders and governors to gauge the impact of actions taken to bring about and sustain ...improvement. Too many pupils underachieve in key stage 3 because of weak teaching. As a result, they are not prepared well enough for key stage 4.

The differences between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and others are too great in some classes and are not decreasing quickly enough. There are too many inconsistencies in teachers' expectations of what pupils can achieve in key stage 3. Teachers are not using assessment information well enough to offer pupils the right level of challenge in lessons.

The most able pupils and those capable of reaching age-related standards do not achieve as well as they should. Although most pupils behave well, the behaviour of some pupils in key stage 3 lessons is not acceptable. This is because leaders and teachers do not consistently apply the school's behaviour management policy.

The school has the following strengths There is good management and leadership of the early years and key stage 1. This is sustaining improvements to pupils' achievement and the quality of teaching. The measures taken to improve attendance and reduce persistent absenteeism are effective.

The enrichment activities offered to all pupils outside school hours make a good contribution to their personal development. Safeguarding procedures are effective and pupils feel safe in school.

Information about this school

This is the school's first inspection since it opened as an all-through Christian academy free school in September 2015.

A charitable trust owns the school and includes founder members. The trust appoints and holds to account a board of directors that makes up the governing body. The school is affiliated to the Woodard Schools Group, which is a family of Christian faith schools.

The school is smaller than most schools but is growing in numbers. It opened in 2015, admitting Reception children aged four and five, as well as the first cohort of key stage 3 pupils in Year 7. At the time of this inspection the school comprised pupils aged four through to 14 years (Reception, key stage 1 and key stage 3).

The trustees and governors aim to establish an all-through school comprising five key stages, including a sixth form, by 2020. In September 2018, pupils currently in Year 2 will start the new key stage 2 in Year 3 and pupils currently in Year 9 will start the new key stage 4 in Year 10. There has been significant turbulence in staffing.

The current principal designate has been in post for two weeks. Trustees and governors are managing significant building and refurbishment programmes, which have been ongoing before and since the school opened. At the time of the inspection substantial building work was taking place.

Pupils are now all being taught in the newly refurbished main building, having previously been in temporary accommodation on the school's site. Most pupils are of Black British Caribbean and/or African heritage. Other pupils come from a wide range of backgrounds and heritages.

Very few pupils join the school learning English as an additional language. The percentage of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is in line with that of most schools. A small number of pupils have education, health and care plans.

Currently, no pupils attend any alternative off-site provision. The percentage of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is well above average. There is nothing to report regarding national floor standards at key stage 2 or key stage 4 because there are no key stage 2 or key stage 4 pupils currently attending the school.

The school receives a range of external support from other schools, trusts, higher education institutions and school improvement advisers. The school accommodates a breakfast club, which is managed by another organisation. This club is registered with Ofsted and will be subject to a separate inspection.

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