Queens Park Community School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

There is a warm and supportive environment at Queens Park Community School. Pupils say that adults are kind and approachable and they feel safe here. Everyone is proud of the inclusive culture.

They celebrate diversity and never tolerate bullying.

Pupils study a broad curriculum, including in the sixth form. This is supported by an extensive extra-curricular offer, including sports clubs, dissecting, art and debating.

Pupils take up many leadership roles with enthusiasm, including running the school newspaper and being an anti-bullying ambassador.

The school has high expectations for all. The school supports pupils with special educational needs and ...or/disabilities (SEND) well so they achieve highly alongside their peers.

Most pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They are encouraged to play an active role in school improvement by sharing their thoughts and ideas. Discussion and inquiry are part of day-to-day life.

Pupils learn important life skills appropriate to their age, including how to save and invest, how to challenge prejudice, and how to respond to harmful content online. They learn the study skills they need to achieve well in national examinations. As a result, pupils are very well prepared for the next stage in their education or training.

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

Leaders and trustees work proactively to identify areas for improvement. Pupil voice is at the heart of decision-making. Staff value pupils' perspectives and this helps to ensure that changes are made in the best interests of pupils.

The school has designed a broad and high-quality curriculum, including in the sixth form. Subjects include criminology, photography and music technology. Some pupils study two languages, where pupils achieve exceptionally well.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. This enables pupils to develop a depth of knowledge over time and explore complex, subject-specific questions.

The curriculum is well organised and sequenced.

It sets out the important knowledge that pupils need to learn. For example, in French and Spanish, pupils know which grammatical rules, verbs and vocabulary they should know securely by the end of each year. The curriculum has been designed to help prepare pupils for the next stage of their learning.

For example, pupils in Years 10 and 11 learn key vocabulary which will support their studies in Years 12 and 13. In the sixth form, students read extracts from academic journals to help prepare them for university.

The school's work to improve assessment has been broadly successful.

Staff value the opportunity to develop their knowledge and to work with other schools. However, teachers' checks on pupils' work are sometimes inconsistent. The quality of work in pupils' books is variable and some pupils are not making the progress they should.

The school has established an open culture, where pupils feel confident to report their concerns, which they do. Pastoral care is very strong. Sixth-form students value the school's recognition of them as young adults and take on a range of leadership roles.

The school quickly identifies the needs of pupils with SEND. The school provides effective support to help these pupils access the curriculum. Some staff in the inclusion team provide specialist support for pupils with autism.

Pupils speak highly of the help they receive.

The school has increased its focus on literacy. The 'word of the week' and 'read and rise' sessions help pupils build their vocabulary.

The school swiftly identifies support for pupils who need help with reading. Some pupils who speak English as an additional language complete paired reading with sixth-form students who share the same language at home. This helps pupils who have recently arrived in the UK to settle in quickly.

Pupils enjoy school and attend well, including the most vulnerable. The school has implemented a new behaviour system, and the impact of this work has been positive. Typically, behaviour does not interrupt learning in lessons.

Most pupils show respect and consideration for others. While the system is clear and well understood, it is not fully embedded. Sometimes, staff do not uphold expectations consistently, and a small number of pupils do not focus fully during their learning.

There is an ambitious personal development curriculum for pupils in Years 7 to 13. The school teaches content at the right time, supporting pupils to make informed decisions about their health, well-being and safety. Pupils have a good understanding of prejudice and discrimination, including the negative impacts of gender stereotyping.

In lessons and around the school, pupils demonstrate the confidence to ask questions and to discuss their learning with their peers. This is because the school is successful in developing pupils' confidence and skills in discussion and debate.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, teachers do not routinely check that pupils understand and complete the work set to a high standard. As a result, the quality of the work in pupils' books is variable. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment routines effectively, to check that pupils' work across the curriculum is of consistently high quality.

• The school's new approach to managing behaviour is not fully embedded. This means that a small number of pupils do not fully focus on their learning. The school should ensure that staff apply routines and sanctions consistently so that pupils are supported to meet the high standards the school has set for them.

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