Queensmead School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong culture of respect and tolerance at the school. Pupils are calm and mature.

The school's values of kindness, respect, resilience and independence shine through when staff and pupils interact. Pupils want to learn and are confident that their teachers will help them to do so.

Leaders are focused on encouraging pupils' academic excellence and pupils are ambitious to reach leaders' expectations.

This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils progress rapidly through the planned curriculum.

Behaviour around the school is excellent.

All staff are supported by leaders and school systems to ...maintain high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils feel safe and supported. While bullying is rare, should it occur staff address it at once.

In the online survey, parents and carers made a point of expressing their appreciation for leaders' work to ensure pupils' welfare.

All pupils are encouraged to participate in activities outside of lessons. For example, all students in the sixth form take part in volunteering.

Staff encourage pupils to look after their mental health. Sports clubs are popular and some students take on responsibility in the school council. Pupils learn about the different cultures through activities such as South Asian heritage month.

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

Teachers have high expectations of pupils' work. In most subjects, the curriculum is well-planned. For example, in science, the curriculum is broken down into connected concepts and is logically ordered.

In history, the teaching of historical events through time is carefully planned. This supports pupils to gain strong subject understanding.

In a few subjects, the curriculum is not as ambitious in Years 7 to 9.

This is because leaders' expectations of what pupils can achieve are not as high as in other subjects. In the school's timetable, leaders have allocated little time for these subjects, which limits how securely pupils develop their knowledge.

Subject leaders and teachers are experts.

They explain new information clearly and build on what pupils already know. In the sixth form, teachers' subject knowledge is strong. Sixth-form subject courses are well-structured.

Throughout the school, teachers often check that pupils understand what has been taught. This helps teachers to identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge. All this has created a culture where pupils try their best, without fear of failure.

In mathematics, for example, pupils attempt the most challenging questions with skill and confidence. In a few subjects, assessment is time consuming for teachers and does not specifically assess the subject content that pupils have learned.The previously high proportion of pupils studying the English Baccalaureate combination of subjects at GCSE has recently declined.

This is because the number of pupils studying modern foreign languages at GCSE currently is low. Leaders and governors have plans in place to increase the proportion of pupils who study modern foreign languages.

Pupils who enter the school with weak reading skills are given effective support to improve and build reading fluency.

They quickly gain the knowledge they need so that they can access the curriculum.

Pupils with SEND are well supported. Staff are provided with relevant and regular training to help them to support the learning of pupils with SEND.

Teachers are aware of pupils' needs and take these into account when planning and teaching the curriculum.

Pupils settle quickly in lessons, contribute when asked and listen to one another. This enables learning in lessons to proceed without hinderance.

Between lessons and at breaktimes, pupils are equally as respectful and caring. Leaders have effective processes to support any pupils who may struggle to meet leaders' expectations. In the sixth form, professional relationships between students and staff are strong.

Sixth-form students felt supported. A high number of students move on to higher education after leaving the school.

Pupils receive impartial careers advice throughout their time at the school.

They attend careers fairs and have access to a careers adviser in school. In the sixth form, students are well guided to enrol on the right course. Leaders have thought carefully about the personal, social and emotional education (PSHE) programme and made sure that it is responsive to world events.

Leaders organise a broad range of extra-curricular clubs. These include mindfulness and diversity club. Leaders are working currently to track and increase the number of pupils taking part in enrichment opportunities.

Staff spoke highly of leaders. They said that leaders are approachable and mindful of their workload. Professional development programmes for new and experienced teachers are well-regarded.

However, leaders and members of the governing body are overconfident in their assessment of some aspects of the school's provision. This is because members of the trust do not scrutinise the impact of leaders' actions routinely and in sufficient detail.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff know the pupils well and are trained to identify possible safeguarding risks. Once identified, concerns are swiftly reported to leaders and leaders with responsibility for safeguarding take appropriate action to safeguard pupils' welfare. Leaders offer a range of support to pupils when they need it.

This includes support from outside agencies where appropriate. Decisions taken are written down. However, some aspects of administration and record-keeping are not as efficient as they could be.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few foundation subjects, curriculum content is not covered as deeply in key stage 3 as in other subjects. This limits how securely pupils develop their knowledge. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is equally ambitious in all subjects.

• Processes for scrutinising the effectiveness of the school's work lack rigour. This limits the ability of senior leaders, members of the governing body and trustees to identify quickly where further improvement may be needed. Members of the trust should sharpen the processes of accountability further to support leaders to provide a consistently high-quality education across all subjects.