Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this positive and nurturing school. Their learning is personalised to meet their unique needs. Pupils know they are valued and that their opinions matter in this inclusive school.

Staff know pupils well. There are warm, caring relationships. They model positive character traits.

Pupils behave well in a calm learning environment. Pupils are keen advocates for the school. They are confident in communicating with visitors.

Pupils take on many roles of responsibility, including trans...port monitors.

Pupils' education, health and care plans (EHC plans) are at the heart of curriculum planning. Learning is adapted effectively to meet pupils' sensory and physical needs.

Staff have high expectations about what pupils can do. As a result, pupils make progress through their different learning pathways. Preparation for adulthood is planned throughout the curriculum.

Pupils learn valuable employability skills and recall them with enthusiasm. For example, they complete work experience at the zoo and a garden museum. Pupils also learn to stay safe in a complex world.

Pupils develop confidence through their musical performances. They are particularly proud of the achievements of the school's choir. Most parents and carers applaud the school's support for their children.

Pupils are proud to show parents what they have learned.

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

The federation has experienced a period of leadership turbulence since the last inspection. Although this has slowed some curriculum developments, the school is in the process of transforming its offer.

The profile of pupils' special educational needs has changed. Leaders have considered carefully the ages and stages of pupils and developed appropriate semi and formal pathways of learning. Also, there has been an increased focus on important topics such as online safety.

The arts curriculum, including music and drama, is a particular strength. In some lessons, however, the chosen activities do not always closely match pupils' needs. This can lead to pupils completing work that does not allow them to build on prior experiences.

Staff continually check pupils' needs and responses to activities in detail. They use the information contained in their EHC plans to adapt future learning. The school is developing detailed procedures for checking pupils' progress.

These checks are not consistently applied as the new systems are being implemented. The school has suitable plans in place to ensure that support for pupils in achieving ambitious outcomes is in place. However, this work is in the early stages of implementation.

The development of communication skills, including reading, is a high priority for the school. Staff teach phonics well. They provide extra phonics support for pupils when needed.

Younger children enjoy listening to stories and joining in with songs and rhymes. Those with profound and multiple learning needs particularly enjoy and benefit from sensory stories. Staff confidently support pupils with communication difficulties.

The needs of pupils with complex, profound and physical difficulties and those who require intimate care are skilfully met.

Curriculum leaders are relatively new to their roles. Most have a secure grasp of the curriculum and a clear understanding of pupil learning needs.

However, the school has not fully evaluated the impact of the curriculum and how effective the learning has been adapted to meet all learners' needs. Pupils, including those in the sixth form, attend school regularly. The school collects and checks in detail the attendance of all pupils.

Any attendance concerns are followed up immediately to ensure those not in school are safe and well.

The school's promotion of pupils' wider personal development is a strength of the school. A range of people visit the school to inspire and motivate pupils, for example in sport, music, art, dance and drama.

The school encourages pupils to make healthy lifestyle choices. Students in the sixth form learn in the wider community. This includes preparing breakfast and taking regular trips to the local supermarket to buy items for a healthy diet.

Pupils benefit from high-quality careers education and guidance. This enables them to make informed choices about their futures and smooth transitions to the next stages of their education, employment or training.

Staff value opportunities to share good practice and to access training.

Most staff feel that the school considers their workload, for example, by providing time to check pupils' progress and adapt teaching plans. Although some governors, including the chair of governors, are relatively new to the role, they are using a broad range of experiences to support and challenge the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What the school needs to improve?

• In a few subjects, the new curriculum and strategies for checking pupils' learning are not fully embedded. In these subjects, pupils have some gaps in their prior learning, and this affects how well they learn new content. The school should ensure that, in these subjects, the revised curriculums and assessment strategies are fully embedded so that pupils' knowledge is secure and they achieve well.

• Curriculum leadership is inconsistent across the school. This means that the school's strengths and areas that require further development are not identified precisely. The school should ensure that leaders effectively check pupils' progress and therefore evaluate the curriculum accurately.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 third ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2013.