Queen’s Park Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Queen's Park Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

This school is a friendly and nurturing place to learn. Pupils are kind and considerate towards each other. Pupils behave well in lessons and when moving around the school.

Pupils are happy here.

Bullying rarely happens in this school. However, pupils do understand what bullying is.

Teachers take swift action if there are any early signs of unkind behaviour. Warm relationships between pupils and staff permeate the school. Pupils know who to talk to if they are worried.

They know they will be listened to, and as a result feel safe.

Pupils are confiden...t when talking about their learning. They take pride in their achievements.

Pupils help the local community. They wrote letters to their local council suggesting ways to use a piece of donated land as a well-being area. Pupils are involved in making decisions for their school.

They vote to elect their classmates to positions of leadership, such as members of the school council.

Leaders have high expectations for what pupils can achieve. Leaders make sure that pupils learn the curriculum well.

Parents and carers appreciate the warm and welcoming atmosphere.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

From the time they start at the school, pupils are taught to read. Teachers and teaching assistants are well trained in the school's phonics programme.

This means they are consistent in their teaching of early reading. Teachers recap previous learning so that pupils remember what they have been taught over time. Reading books are closely matched to the sounds pupils know.

Leaders work with parents so that they know how to support their children with reading at home. Those pupils at the early stages of reading learn skills and strategies that help them read with fluency and enthusiasm. Pupils who find learning to read difficult receive additional support to help them catch up.

Leaders have a curriculum in place that meets the ambition of the national curriculum. They have identified the most important knowledge and skills that they want pupils to remember from the early years to Year 6. In a few subjects this knowledge is not taught in a logical order, so that each new piece of knowledge builds on the last.

This means that some pupils do not remember the key concepts and knowledge that leaders have identified as being important.

Leaders provide effective training and support for teachers who teach subjects outside of their area of expertise. Teachers teach subject content clearly.

They are quick to identify those pupils who need extra support. This is evident in mathematics. Teachers use questions to identify which steps in a problem need further explanation.

Teachers check that pupils remember important information before they move on. For example, in Year 5 pupils can compare fractions with different denominators because they have previously been taught about equivalent fractions.

Leaders and teachers adapt learning so that pupils get the most out of their lessons.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive support so that they can access learning alongside their peers. Leaders and teachers work in partnership with parents, so pupils' needs are met. Leaders work effectively with outside agencies such as speech therapists and educational psychologists who provide support and guidance for teachers and teaching assistants.

Teachers ensure that pupils with SEND develop independence through practice.

Leaders choose activities to support the wider curriculum carefully. For example, pupils visit financial businesses to learn about money and investment.

Pupils can explain what needs to be done to ensure money grows. Leaders provide a range of after-school activities. These are well attended.

Leaders invite visitors to speak to pupils about keeping themselves safe. Leaders provide opportunities for pupils to understand and regulate their feelings. Pupils manage their emotions well.

Leaders and teachers have high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Pupils show positive attitudes when learning and know what is expected of them. This means that learning is rarely interrupted by poor behaviour.

Governors are committed to and ambitious for the school. They work with leaders to make appropriate decisions. Governors work with leaders to check on the well-being of staff.

Staff feel very well supported by leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that pupils' safety and welfare take priority and are everyone's responsibility.

Staff know pupils and families well. They are well trained and receive regular safeguarding updates. As a result, they are aware of the potential risks to pupils and how to respond.

Leaders act swiftly when concerns arise. They seek additional help and support for pupils who may be at risk.

Leaders teach pupils how to stay safe.

Pupils learn about online safety and healthy relationships. Safer recruitment procedures are followed rigorously.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, concepts are not routinely taught in a logical order.

This means that some pupils cannot securely link new knowledge to what they already know. Leaders need to ensure they have sequenced the curriculum in all subjects so that pupils build the knowledge they need over time.Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2013.