Queens Park Community School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Key findings

This is a good school with a good sixth form. Students are happy, enjoy lessons and participate enthusiastically in the many activities on offer.

A respect for diverse faiths, ethnic backgrounds and cultures permeates the extremely harmonious atmosphere. The school is not outstanding because the predominantly good progress students make is not consistent across all subjects and groups of students. A-level and GCSE results have gone up significantly since the previous inspection and, in many subjects, they are above average.

A relentless drive to improve progress has generated good achievement for practically all students. A few students with special educational needs and/or low reading ages do... not make the rapid progress required to catch up with their peers. Students' behaviour is good, despite a small minority of parents, carers and students being less positive about it in their questionnaire responses.

A major push to improve behaviour, started 18 months ago, has made the school calmer and most lessons proceed without interruption. Exclusions have dropped, attendance is above average, students feel safe and bullying is rare. Teaching has improved so that it is now consistently good, and sometimes, but not often enough, outstanding.

Teachers know their subjects extremely well and many deliver lessons at a good pace using imaginative resources to stimulate students' interest. The quality of their marking varies and some teachers do not regularly plan work to match students' different levels of prior attainment. The way in which the curriculum supports aspects of pupils' personal development is outstanding.

Under the headteacher's effective leadership, leaders and managers have established an inclusive school where all students are well supported. Senior leaders assess the quality of teaching accurately and use their findings to inform relevant training for teachers and other staff. Performance management arrangements are robust and teachers know that they are responsible for the standards their students achieve.

Information about the school

The school is larger than average with more boys than girls. Students come from a wide range of socio-economic, ethnic and religious backgrounds. Almost four out of five students are from minority ethnic backgrounds, the largest groups being Black Caribbean, Black African and any other White background.

The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is much higher than that found nationally; few are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of students known to be eligible for free school meals is above average. The school is oversubscribed.

A number of students enter the school other than at the usual time, some of whom have experienced circumstances that make them potentially vulnerable. An above average proportion of students have disabilities or special educational needs. The sixth form shares courses with another local sixth form.

The school has business and enterprise status. The school is at the heart of the local community and shares its site with a City Learning Centre and children's centre. The school meets the current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for students' attainment and progress.