Queensway

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

At Queensway, leaders and teachers expect the pupils to be the best they can be, and pupils work hard to meet these expectations.

These high expectations and ambition for all are driving all the developments that are currently happening at Queensway.

Pupils at Queensway have various learning barriers, such as autism spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. Pupils leave as successful learners and confident members of society.

Pupils whom inspectors spoke with are happy at Queensway because they feel that the staff listen to them and act when they need help.

Preparing pupils for the world around them is the school's top p...riority. Residential visits, forest school, fundraising, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) projects excite them and broaden their education and life experiences.

Visits to places such as Premier League football stadiums and different countries develop pupils' cultural awareness. Pupils learn about the risks in society and what to do when faced with them.

Behaviour is positive across the school.

Pupils behave well in lessons, during breaktimes and around the school. In most cases, staff act quickly where needed to ensure that pupils can focus on learning and get the most from lessons. Bullying is rare.

Leaders investigate any incidents and act when needed.

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

The recently appointed headteacher and brand-new senior leadership team are tenacious in working to get the best outcomes for all pupils. Strong support and challenge from the multi-academy trust and governing body are helping to make leaders' ambitions a reality.

Leaders and staff are committed to overcoming the barriers to learning that pupils experience as a result of their individual special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with autism spectrum disorder at the north campus and pupils with SEMH needs at the south campus benefit from caring relationships with staff. All staff are trained as mental-health first-aiders.

Consequently, staff can spot those times when pupils need additional support for their SEMH needs. However, some teachers do not always consider pupils' speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), or the impact that sensory processing disorder (SPD) can have on how pupils learn.

The new curriculum at Queensway is ambitious and focused on pupils gaining a deep knowledge across various subjects.

Subject leaders are passionate about their subjects. Planned lessons are precisely designed to develop pupils' knowledge over time.

Making sure that all pupils are confident readers is a top priority.

Not all pupils can read well enough when they join the school to access the curriculum easily. When needed, reading intervention is prioritised to help pupils catch up. The 'drop everything and read' strategy emphasises reading for enjoyment at different points in the day.

Visits to the theatre bring books to life. From this intervention and support, pupils secure strong outcomes in English Literature GCSE and entry-level qualifications.

Lessons in subjects such as science, design and technology and mathematics broaden pupils' academic experience.

Vocational classes in photography, hair and beauty, car maintenance and land management provide pathways to employment, training or further education. Most pupils are confident in recalling things they have learned in the past. For example, in one lesson, pupils could recall their knowledge of the First World War to consider its causes.

However, a few pupils struggle to remember what they have learned in the past. This is because lessons do not always prioritise helping pupils remember what they have learned.

Behaviour across the school is positive because relationships between staff and pupils are calm, purposeful and nurturing.

A new behaviour for learning policy prioritises pupils' understanding of the impact of their actions. However, there are too many occasions when staff support pupils too readily and do not allow them opportunities to develop their independence and problem-solving skills.

Staff work hard to ensure that pupils are ready for the world around them.

Social education lessons develop pupils' awareness of the risks in society, such as gang culture and county lines. Visits from police community support officers and guest speakers develop this understanding. Pupils whom inspectors spoke with said that these experiences have helped them deal positively with difficult situations out of school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff know that keeping pupils safe is their top priority. Leaders have trained staff well.

As a result, staff know the signs that indicate pupils might not be safe. Staff pass on to leaders any concerns they have. Leaders deal with these appropriately, bringing in external help when required.

Pupils and families, therefore, get the high-quality support they need.

Leaders and governors make sure that all required pre-employment checks are in place. All safeguarding policies and procedures are clear and understood by staff.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Lessons do not always consider every pupil's varying SEND. In some cases, most noticeably for a small number of pupils with SLCN or SPD, teachers have not considered the impact that these needs will have on how well pupils learn, which hampers pupils' learning. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum implementation is carefully adapted to consider the barriers for pupils with these particular needs.

• Not all pupils have securely remembered what they have learned in the past. In some cases, lessons have not fully embedded knowledge into the long-term memories of the pupils, which means that staff have to work harder at the beginning of the next lesson to help pupils remember. Leaders need to ensure that curriculum implementation prioritises embedding knowledge into pupils' long-term memory.

• On too many occasions, staff do not take advantage of opportunities to help pupils develop their independence, problem-solving skills or resilience. Supportive intervention, while well meaning, happens too quickly, which makes pupils over-reliant on staff. Leaders should ensure that the promotion of learning behaviours is utilised to ensure that pupils can develop essential life and independent skills.