INSPECTION REPORT KINGS COLLEGE for the ARTS and TECHNOLOGY Guildford LEA Area: Surrey Unique Reference Number: 131966 Principal
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
INSPECTION REPORT KINGS COLLEGE FOR THE ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY Guildford LEA area: Surrey Unique reference number: 131966 Principal: David Crossley Reporting inspector: Graham Preston 1990 Dates of inspection: 31 March – 3 April 2003 Inspection number: 249593 Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the College Inspections Act 1996 © Crown copyright 2003 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the college. Under the College Inspections Act 1996, the college must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. INFORMATION ABOUT THE COLLEGE Type of college: Comprehensive College category: Voluntary Aided College (Part of the Kingshurst Education Trust) Age range of students: 11-19 Gender of students: Mixed College address: Southway Guildford Surrey Postcode: GU2 8DU Telephone number: 01483 458 956 Fax number: 01483 458 957 Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Prue Leith Date of previous inspection: N/A Kings College for the Arts and Technology - 4 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM Subject Aspect responsibilities Team members responsibilities 1990 Graham Preston Registered inspector What sort of college is it? How high are standards? a) The college’s results and achievements How well are students taught? How well is the college led and managed? What should the college do to improve further? 9472 John Edmond Lay inspector How high are standards? b) Students’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the college care for its students How well does the college work in partnership with parents? 14490 Susan Jackson Team inspector History Sixth form co-ordinator History post 16 2728 Roderick Passant Team inspector Citizenship 31218 Tom Allen Team inspector Geography 8503 Alfred Alfree Team inspector Art Art post 16 15485 Roger Butler Team inspector Religious education 27058 Kathleen Cannon Team inspector Modern foreign languages SEN 30892 Keith Gordon Team inspector Mathematics Mathematics post 16 10060 David Gutmann Team inspector Information and communication technology 17201 Vikki Harrhy Team inspector Physical education English as an additional language 24026 Celia Holland Team inspector Music Kings College for the Arts and Technology - 5 10417 Kevin Lambert Team inspector Science Physics post 16 19983 Haydn Webb Team inspector Design and technology 19913 Roger Garrett Team inspector English 30648 Brian Skelton Team inspector English post 16 22948 Mary Vallis Team inspector PDU Special Educational Needs The inspection contractor was: Cambridge Education Associates Ltd Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to: The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division The Office for Standards in Education Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Kings College for the Arts and Technology - 6 REPORT CONTENTS Page PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7 Information about the college How good the college is What the college does well What could be improved How the college has improved since its last inspection Standards Students’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the college How well the college is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the college ANNEX: THE SIXTH FORM 12 PART B: COMMENTARY HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 15 The college’s results and students’ achievements Students’ attitudes, values and personal development HOW WELL ARE STUDENTS TAUGHT? 19 HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO STUDENTS? 21 HOW WELL DOES THE COLLEGE CARE FOR ITS STUDENTS? 24 HOW WELL DOES THE COLLEGE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS? 26 HOW WELL IS THE COLLEGE LED AND MANAGED? 27 WHAT SHOULD THE COLLEGE DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 30 PHYSICAL DISABILITY UNIT 30 PART C: COLLEGE DATA AND INDICATORS 32 PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES IN KEY STAGES 3 AND 4 38 PART E: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES IN THE SIXTH FORM 58 Kings College for the Arts and Technology - 7 PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COLLEGE The college opened as a new college in 2000 following the closure of Kings Manor College that had been unsuccessful in establishing itself as a viable and successful institution. Kings College is the first privately contracted state secondary college providing comprehensive education for students aged 11-19. The overall college population is just below 600 students and is growing rapidly. Over 90 per cent of students are drawn from white United Kingdom backgrounds with the remainder having various minority ethnic and white European backgrounds. There are a small number of students for whom English is an additional language though almost all are at higher English language skill levels. The college inherited the small cohort from the previous college that included many socially disadvantaged students with low primary college attainment. These have progressed through the college and are currently taking GCSE courses in Years 10-11. The college continues to provide for a local area with higher than average social and economic deprivation. However, the developing strengths of the new college has increased its popularity in the Guildford area and resulted in a near normal comprehensive college profile, with what is now a full intake. The small but developing sixth form increasingly draws students from a wide area, attracted by the International Baccalaureate. The college has a diminishing proportion of students with special educational needs as it achieves a more balanced intake. However, the percentage of students with more significant and therefore statemented needs is above national average and the college provides very effective support to accommodate this. There is a physical disability unit (PDU) on site and those students are well integrated into the life of the college. Attainment on entry is now almost in line with national average and students in Years 7-9 have significantly stronger literacy and numeracy standards compared with those in Years 10-11. HOW GOOD THE COLLEGE IS Kings College for Arts and Technology is a good and improving college with many excellent features. It is part of a growing federation of colleges run by a non-profit making company that promotes a distinctive ethos and a number of innovative features. It has quickly established itself as a strong centre for the arts and languages and through its status as a technology college uses information and communication technology very well to support student learning. The inspiring leadership of the principal, well supported by the team of assistant principals, guides an enthusiastic and talented staff who are working hard to develop students’ interest, self-esteem and commitment and so raise standards. Management systems are mostly excellent and are central to the college improvement. Standards in Years 7-9 are now mostly in line with national average, reflecting the good progress made by those students who joined the college in its present form. Students who attended the previous college often had poor previous educational experiences but are now making good progress. Their GCSE results have improved substantially in the last two years though standards remain below national average. Teaching is good overall with a significant proportion of very good and excellent teaching. Major investment in staffing, accommodation and resources has increased unit costs but the systems in place ensure the college has an excellent capacity to succeed. It is currently providing good value for money. What the college does well · The Principal provides inspiring leadership and has worked closely with senior colleagues to provide very effective and often excellent management and support systems. · The college benefits from a committed and talented governing body which is actively involved in developing and supporting an increasingly successful provision. · Teaching throughout the college is good and a quarter of teaching is very good and excellent. · The care and support systems, including those for special educational needs, have significantly improved the attitudes and behaviour of students, particularly the more challenging; students value the college and attend regularly. · The distinctive ethos of the college and the numerous innovative features, including the excellent use of ICT, promote student interest, self-esteem and a willingness to learn. Kings College for the Arts and Technology - 8 What could be improved The college has in place all the key systems and structures that will continue to improve standards. However, within those systems it needs to ensure that: · the strong specialist teaching seen in most subjects is extended to physical education, religious education and geography through training, recruitment and shared curriculum planning. · within the rigorous and supportive marking and assessment framework, teachers judge standards that more accurately reflect those