King Edward VI High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher, well supported by senior leaders, has ensured rapid improvements in all aspects of the school's work since the previous inspection.

Effective teaching means that pupils in key stages 3 and 4 now make good progress. Assessment information is used very well throughout the school. Teachers use it to inform their lesson planning.

Leaders scrutinise it thoroughly to identify issues and to plan future interventions. However, leaders do not analyse information about attendance and behaviour as effectively. Governors know the school very well.

They provide leaders with effective support and rigorous challenge. They have ...contributed considerably to the school's recent improvement. Middle leaders form a committed and improving team.

However, some currently lack the expertise to lead the improvement of teaching in their subjects without considerable support from senior leaders. Most teachers use their good subject knowledge to plan engaging and challenging activities which help pupils to make good progress. They use questions well to deepen pupils' understanding of their work.

Relationships are strong throughout the school. Teachers know their pupils well. Pupils trust their teachers and other adults.

Consequently, they feel safe and well supported. A little weaker teaching remains. Here, teachers do not check on pupils' understanding or use questions to deepen their learning.

At times, some pupils find work too easy. Pupils now make good progress in almost all subjects by the end of Year 11. Achievement is strongest in the humanities subjects.

It remains weakest in science. Pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities make very good progress. They are well taught and provided with excellent support.

Pupils behave well in lessons and at other times of the day. They are polite, articulate and friendly. The school is calm and orderly throughout the day.

The sixth form requires improvement because, until recently, some students embarked on A-level courses that were not appropriate to their abilities. Several then failed to complete their courses. Additionally, non-qualification activity is not as well planned as other aspects of students' study programmes.

Information about this school

The school is smaller than the average-sized secondary school. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is well below average, as is the proportion who speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is a little above average.

The school has an average proportion of disadvantaged pupils. A very small number of pupils attend alternative provision at The Hollies in Stafford. These pupils are not referred to in the body of this report, because to do so would risk identifying them.

The school's sixth form provides a range of academic and vocational courses which are taught on site, or through attendance at other providers within the Stafford Sixth Form Partnership. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' progress by the end of Year 11. The school receives support from the Blackfriars Teaching School Alliance.