Queensmead Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Queensmead Primary Academy continues to be a good school.

The headteacher of this school is Liz Latham. This school is part of Greenwood Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school.

The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Wayne Norrie, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mike Hamlin.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this welcoming school. It is a positive and ambitious place to learn.

Pupils achieve well. This begins in the early years, where they get off to a strong start. Children immerse themselves in learning when they begin school.

...>They show curiosity and independence in exploring the range of activities provided.

Pupils' behaviour and their attitudes to learning are excellent. Pupils concentrate in lessons.

They are proud of the respectful relationships they have towards each other. As one pupil explained, 'We are respectful of difference. We have all different people here and we respect each other.'

Pupils look after each other's well-being. They ensure that everyone has a friend in the playground. They are a united and extended family.

The school's ambition for all pupils to achieve their very best shines out of this school in every direction. The school itself is a vast canvas of high-quality displays that showcase creative and academic achievements. This includes the achievements of pupils in their lessons.

These displays reflect what pupils say about their enjoyment of learning in a range of subjects. Pupils enjoy the time they spend at school and they love to learn.

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

Reading is taught well.

It is given high priority. Pupils enjoy reading. They benefit from reading a range of books linked to the curriculum, as well as from an inspiring library.

As soon as children start in the early years, they prepare to learn to read by repeating rhymes and hearing staff share letters and their sounds. Expert staff across the school teach reading well. Pupils enjoy reading lessons.

The school is meticulous in carefully checking how well pupils are developing their reading skills. This means that those who need support to keep up get this straight away.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported to achieve as well as they can.

Lessons are adapted to ensure that pupils get help linked precisely to their needs. This includes, for example, by breaking learning down into small steps with instructions tailored to individual pupils.

The school has a curriculum that is ambitious for all.

The curriculum is being taught well in many subjects. Staff have good subject knowledge across the range of subjects that they teach. However, in some foundation subjects, pupils do not always have opportunities to revisit the knowledge they have learned.

In some subjects, pupils do not always remember the important knowledge that they need to. They sometimes struggle to recall knowledge or connect their learning across subjects.

The early years setting provides a carefully organised environment for learning.

Children show positive attitudes to their learning. Relationships are strong. Adults are aspirational for what children can achieve.

The conversations they have with children help to develop children's vocabulary and confidence. Adults ensure that routines are understood well.

The school has prioritised improving pupils' attendance.

It is effective in helping many pupils to improve their attendance. The school supports families where there might be barriers to pupils attending school every day. However, there is more work still to do, as too many pupils are absent from school for long periods.

This means that they miss learning, leading to gaps developing in their knowledge.

The wider opportunities the school provides for pupils are extensive and innovative. The school ensures that pupils develop their leadership skills.

Pupils can become eco-warriors and school councillors. To take up leadership roles, pupils must complete an application form and experience an interview process. The school's 'purple pound economy' scheme makes a significant contribution to the development of pupils' life skills.

Pupils thrive on the opportunities to earn purple pounds. They learn about making prudent decisions. Pupils act as the bank managers and supervisors organising the purple pound economy.

They save and spend purple pounds in the emporium shop. The school provides a wide range of other opportunities, such as clubs and educational visits to broaden pupils' interests. Pupils take part in football, choir and fencing.

They develop their sports skills with a sports coach at lunchtimes.

Trustees understand their statutory responsibilities. They check on the improvements being made in school and are mindful of staff well-being.

Staff say that they feel well supported by all leaders. There is a culture of mutual support among the staff team. Staff value the development opportunities in school, across the trust and beyond.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not yet ensured that all pupils attend well. This means that too many pupils miss out on the good quality of education that the school provides.

The school should ensure that those pupils who require it receive the necessary support to help them attend regularly. ? The school has not yet ensured that the curriculum in some foundation subjects is taught well enough so that pupils learn and remember more over time. Sometimes pupils do not have enough opportunity to go back over knowledge that they must know.

This means important knowledge is not secured for pupils in some foundation subjects. The school should ensure that all staff are supported to teach the curriculum consistently in such a way that pupils learn and remember more.

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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2018.