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22 November 2012
Mr Paul O’Brien
Interim Executive Headteacher
Kingswood College of Arts
Wawne Road
Bransholme
Hull
HU7 4WR
Dear Mr O'Brien
Special measures monitoring inspection of Kingswood College of Arts
Following my visit with David Brown, Seconded Inspector, to your school on 20 and
21 November 2012, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education,
Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. Thank you for the
help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss
the actions which have been taken since the school’s recent section 5 inspection.
The inspection was the first monitoring inspection since the school became subject
to special measures following the inspection which took place in June 2012. The full
list of the areas for improvement which were identified during that inspection is set
out in the annex to this letter. The monitoring inspection report is attached.
Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time:
The school is not making enough progress towards the removal of special measures.
Newly qualified teachers may not be appointed.
This letter and monitoring inspection report will be published on the Ofsted website.
I am copying this letter and the monitoring inspection report to the Secretary of
State , the Chair of the Governing Body and the Corporate Director of Children and
Young People's Services for Kingston-Upon-Hull.
Yours sincerely
Tanya Harber Stuart
Her Majesty’s Inspector
Annex
The areas for improvement identified during the inspection which took
place in June 2012
 Rapidly improve the quality of teaching and learning in all subjects, particularly in
English and mathematics, to raise attainment and accelerate progress by:
- ensuring that all lessons suitably challenge and engage all students in
appropriate activities
- adapting learning activities in response to students’ different rates of progress
- raising teachers’ expectations of the capabilities of all students
- improving the regularity, quality and effectiveness of marking and feedback to
all students so that they understand how to improve their work
- making sure that all staff take responsibility for developing literacy and
numeracy in their lessons
- ensuring that staff adopt and implement a consistent approach to the
management of students’ behaviour in lessons.
 Urgently improve the standard of behaviour throughout the college by:
- ensuring that all staff take full responsibility for securing students’ high
standards of behaviour around the college site
- guaranteeing that all students are aware of the need for an orderly
community and that they understand how to respect and value others’
opinions.

Improve swiftly the attendance of all students so that it is at least in line with
the national average.
 Swiftly develop leadership and management at all levels by:
- making sure that leaders and managers have the requisite skills and abilities
in order to monitor and evaluate accurately the quality of provision overall
and in particular subject areas
- ensuring that leaders and managers at all levels rapidly improve their
understanding of and accountability for the implementation and embedding of
college systems and procedures
- increasing the pace of improvement so that planned actions have a positive
impact on all students’ life chances.
Report on the first monitoring inspection on 20–21 November 2012
Evidence
Inspectors observed the school’s work, scrutinised documents and met with the
headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, groups of staff, teachers with
responsibilities for subjects, groups of students and the Chair of the Governing Body.
The inspection team had telephone conversations with the prospective academy
sponsor and a representative from the local authority. The inspection team observed
21 lessons, 16 of which were joint observations with members of the senior
leadership team.
Context
The interim executive headteacher started at the school in September 2012. In
addition, three newly qualified teachers joined the school. A significant number of
staff are on long term sick leave. There are four members of staff on maternity
leave. The number of students attending the school is falling. The school will be
moving into a new building in January 2013. It is expected that the school will
convert to a sponsored academy on 1 March 2013. The prospective sponsor is
already involved with the school.
Achievement of pupils at the school
The school is not doing enough to raise students’ attainment and accelerate their
progress. The school’s assessment records show the progress students in Years 10
and 11 are making is not improving. This means students are not making up for the
inadequate progress they have made in the past. Students who are supported by the
pupil premium are making less progress than that of their peers.
Students’ progress in lessons is highly variable. In a very small number of lessons
students make good progress. However there are far too few of these lessons and in
too many lessons students make inadequate progress. The progress the students
make in English lessons is better than the progress that they make in mathematics
lessons.
Examination results in 2012 were better than in recent years, but were still well
below average. More students left the school with five A* to C grades including
English and mathematics. Students made better progress in English and
mathematics but the proportion meeting the national expectations for expected
progress was still far too low. The gap between students who are supported by the
pupil premium (additional government funding) and other students was smaller than
in 2011.
Progress since the last section 5 inspection on the areas for improvement:

Rapidly improve the quality of teaching and learning in all subjects,
particularly in English and mathematics, to raise attainment and
accelerate progress – inadequate
The quality of teaching
The quality of teaching and learning is not improving rapidly enough. In too many
lessons the activities planned are not challenging because teachers do not have high
enough expectations of what the students can do. In addition, students are often all
asked to complete the same work. Some students finish the work quickly and then
have nothing to do. Other students do not engage with the activities. Too often
teachers talk for too long. This slows the pace of the lessons and reduces the
amount of progress the students can make.
In the few lessons where students make good progress, teachers have high
expectations of what the students can do and how much they can learn. They plan
interesting activities which motivate students to succeed. The students respond
positively, behaving well and making constructive contributions. Questioning ensures
that the students give extended answers and build on the answers of others.
The quality of marking is highly variable. Some marking clearly tells the students
what they have done well and what they need to do to improve. However, too much
marking is superficial and focuses on the presentation of the work rather than the
quality of the work.
Senior leaders have audited, with the support of the sponsor academy, the provision
for literacy and numeracy. The development of literacy is focusing on training for
staff looking at how students’ reading ages affect their ability to understand what to
do. Numeracy is less well developed.
Progress since the last section 5 inspection on the area for improvement:
 Rapidly improve the quality of teaching and learning in all subjects,
particularly in English and mathematics, to raise attainment and
accelerate progress – inadequate
Behaviour and safety of pupils
There have been some improvements in behaviour. There are new systems in place
to manage behaviour and these are being used more consistently. However, there
are some students who do not behave appropriately; they are late to lessons and
can disrupt the learning of other students. Around the school, at breaks and lunch,
the majority of the students are courteous and appropriately behaved. Students say
behaviour has improved.
Students behave well when teaching is good. They respond well to being given the
opportunity to work independently, and in groups, when the work is appropriately
challenging and motivating. However, when teaching is less effective students do
not behave as well.
Attendance has not risen, and too many students, especially in Years 10 and 11 do
not attend school.
Progress since the last section 5 inspection on the areas for improvement:
 Urgently improve the standard of behaviour throughout the college –
satisfactory
 Improve swiftly the attendance of all students so that it is at least in line
with the national average – inadequate
The quality of leadership in and management of the school
The newly appointed executive headteacher has delivered a powerful and consistent
message since his arrival: things have to improve. He has introduced a new
meetings structure. Staff are expected to show how their actions are having an
impact on the students’ behaviour, attainment and achievement. Middle leaders are
being held to account more for the progress students make in their subjects.
Expectations of what the students can do are being raised. The target setting
process has been reviewed and more challenging targets, based on national
expectations, are in place.
Senior leaders are fully aware of the low quality of teaching and the reasons why
students make inadequate progress in so many lessons. Feedback to staff is precise,
focusing on what needs to improve and how it can be improved. Additional support
for staff is provided by the local authority, the sponsor academy and by other
teachers in the school. Training has focused on how students’ behaviour affects their
learning. Behaviour has improved because staff are managing it more consistently.
Governors have been actively involved in the improvement agenda since the school
went into special measures. Individual governors have responsibility for aspects of
the improvement plan and there are links with senior leaders. Information given to
the governors from the headteacher is regular and comprehensive.
Progress since the last section 5 inspection on the area for improvement:
 Swiftly develop leadership and management at all levels – satisfactory
External support
The local authority is providing effective and well-targeted support. It is focused on
supporting the school to improve behaviour and attendance. Although attendance
has not risen the support has ensured that the school has much needed procedures
in place to tackle the issue. The prospective academy sponsor has allowed the
school access to its online resources which have been used to develop bespoke
training packages for individual members of staff.
The local authority’s statement of action was judged fit for purpose.