News shared by Caroline on behalf of Christ the King College. Ed
Christ the King College had an Ofsted Inspection last November. After a lengthy delay, due to some concerns the school had regarding the process, the Report will be published today.
In four out of the five categories, Christ the King received a judgement of ‘Good’. This is an improvement from the last Inspection nearly three years ago, and reflects the upward trajectory the unique joint-faith school is on.
Mr Montrose, Headteacher, said,
“Ofsted have recognised and acknowledged the improvements we have made in all areas of school life since our last Inspection. Whilst we are disappointed with (and sceptical of) the ‘Requires Improvement’ judgement overall, there is a palpable positivity amongst the staff and students.
“We are particularly pleased that Ofsted continue to acknowledge both our great Sixth Form provision, and also the wide and varied aspects of school life which make Personal Development another strength here at Christ the King.
“We will continue to serve our community with passion and purpose, and with a strategic vision that enhances and supports the education and well-being of our students.
“The on-going engagement of our parents and carers is an important part of the journey we are on, for which I am very grateful. Governors and the Local Authority have also been instrumental in supporting Christ the King, and will continue working with us as we go from strength to strength.”
Letter sent to Parents
Almost 5 months after we had our Ofsted Inspection (28th/29th November), Ofsted will publish their report on Wednesday, 24th April. I wanted to share with you the outcome and – more importantly – some of the comments made by Inspectors and our response to them ahead of the report being in the public domain.
The reason the report has taken so long to be published is because we fundamentally disagreed with the overall outcome on several levels, and felt it was necessary to lodge a formal complaint regarding some concerns we had. This part of the process has now concluded, with Ofsted not upholding any of our complaints. We remain unconvinced that due diligence and fairness have been applied in this process, but nevertheless we now have to acknowledge that they are publishing the report as it currently stands despite there being an ongoing challenge to the process and the judgement.
Christ the King is a great school. We have had some challenges over a number of years, but our improvement journey has been well-documented and we really do have a passionate, loyal and hard-working community of people who strive hard every day to give our students the very best education and opportunities. Notwithstanding this, our staff and Governors are also mindful that there are areas we do need to focus on to ensure we refine and improve. With this in mind, we do have a robust quality assurance system and Development Plans which are monitored and reviewed regularly.
The report itself reflects an overall improvement since our last inspection. We are now graded as ‘Good’ in all areas except one, which in itself is a marvellous achievement. Our Sixth Form continues to be highly commended, and in the ‘Personal Development’ area we have gone from strength to strength. In the area we have been graded as ‘Requires Improvement’, there are some specific things we need to work on moving forward; these were already part of our Development Plan, and will continue to be priorities for us as we work with key partners and the Local Authority. We are continually striving for consistency and excellence in terms of what we do in the classroom, and have already put in place several key whole-school expectations for all lessons to facilitate consistency and academic progress.
As you can see from reading the report, the inspection team highlighted many areas of good practice, and as such there is much to be positive about. That said, the report is very limited in terms of both how it can adequately reflect the immense amount of good work which happens here every lesson of every day, and also the work which happens ‘behind the scenes’ to ensure your children are happy, safe and well looked after. An Ofsted Inspection is a snapshot of a very busy school over two days, which is distilled into a few pages of narrative and about 800 words.
I don’t wish to regurgitate what the report says – you can read the report yourselves and digest the contents accordingly. That said, I would like to highlight some positive comments made by the inspection team during their visit and in the report itself, as follows:
- Safeguarding is effective
- We have a well-designed curriculum
- Students behave well – students say behaviour has improved
- We have a clear system of addressing disruptive behaviour
- Our social spaces and corridors are orderly
- Our attendance is improving slowly
- Rewards are valued by the students
- Our Sixth Form students engage in a range of leadership opportunities
- Our students feel that their voices are heard and that they are known as individuals
- Our students feel happy and safe
- Our pastoral support is effective and caring across all Key Stages
- We have a welcoming and inclusive ethos
- Recent changes we have made are having a positive impact
- We have a coherent approach to how teaching builds students’ knowledge over time
- Students access a broad range of subjects
- Reading is a priority in our school
- Our students are well-equipped for life in modern Britain
- Our careers programme prepares students well for the future
- We devote substantial time to teaching about personal, social and health education
- Students achieve well in the Sixth Form
- Staff workload and well-being are considered thoughtfully
- Feedback from yourselves/staff/students is very positive across the board
As you can see, there is much to celebrate. I am particularly pleased that feedback from all members of our community (especially parents) was overwhelmingly positive. Christ the King and our staff are here to serve, educate and support your children and wider community, so it is good to know that you are on-board with our upwards trajectory.
The Local Authority continues to work with leaders and staff at Christ the King College, and supports the on-going work that is happening to provide the best for all our children and young people.
Thank you for your on-going support and engagement in what we are doing here at Christ the King. I remain a proud Headteacher of a unique school which continues to make a difference to the lives and aspirations of our young people.
The report can be read below.
