Queensway Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where pupils understand and follow clear rules. These rules, supported by staff guidance, allow for an environment where learning can take place.

The school has made significant improvements in how pupils behave and how well they learn. Pupils are enthusiastic and keen to learn. They begin their work quickly and are eager to achieve.

The school has welcomed a significant number of new staff. These staff are quickly building effective relationships with pupils. Pupils' positive attitudes to their learning begin in the early years.

Rules and expectations are carefully introduced and modelled to children.

Pupils move around the school c...almly. During more unstructured times, such as lunchtimes, pupils play alongside each other with respect and kindness.

Some pupils who need more help with behaviour receive targeted support. This is making a positive impact, contributing to the school's calm and focused learning environment.

Pupils benefit from educational visits and experiences that extend beyond the classroom.

They enjoy accessing the local area to enrich learning in subjects such as geography and history. Additionally, pupils learn to understand groups of people in society who may face discrimination.

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

The school is ambitious for what it wants pupils to achieve.

This ambition extends to pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils build their knowledge in different subjects. They enjoy talking about their achievements.

The school has ensured that there are clear lesson structures in place in different subjects. This contributes to a sense of consistency for pupils and supports their learning. However, in some subjects, the school gives pupils activities and tasks that do not give pupils the best chance of building their knowledge further.

As a result, some pupils develop gaps in their learning.

Children's learning in the early years prepares them well for their future learning in key stage 1 and beyond. Children with SEND in the early years are quickly identified and well supported.

The curriculum in the early years is well defined and understood by staff. Activities and tasks that children complete have a clear purpose. Staff interact positively and meaningfully with children.

Children develop positive relationships with staff and other children. They develop the skills of confidence and collaboration through their time in the early years.

The school has ensured that the phonics curriculum is clearly structured and well understood by staff.

Staff receive regular training to deliver the programme. Staff quickly become confident and effective teachers of early reading. Pupils are given regular opportunities to practise reading books with sounds that align with the sounds they have recently been taught.

This helps pupils to develop fluency in reading. The school identifies pupils who need support with reading. These pupils receive the support they need to catch up with their peers as quickly as possible.

However, some older pupils, including those with SEND, do not receive the correct support to address their specific needs as effectively. As a result, these pupils develop gaps in their knowledge in some subjects, which hinders their progress.

The school has worked to develop a culture of positive attendance.

This work begins in the early years, where staff promote the importance of attendance to parents and carers. The school provides support for families where attendance is low or causing a concern. This makes a positive difference to pupils' attendance.

However, some of this work and support could begin earlier so that more pupils attend school more frequently.

The school's personal development offer is clear and carefully considered. Pupils benefit from opportunities to contribute to local charities.

They enjoy having roles and responsibilities around school. Pupils are taught about important issues such as staying safe online and the characteristics of healthy relationships. Pupils develop an understanding and awareness of world faiths.

The school has introduced specific texts for different year groups that support pupils to understand various protected characteristics in society. Through these efforts, the school supports pupils to develop an understanding and consideration for others within the school, the wider community and the world. Pupils are polite, considerate and empathetic of others.

Governors have a clear understanding of how well the school is performing. They offer both challenge and support to leaders. The school has improved significantly since its last inspection and has a clear awareness of the areas that will need further focus.

Leaders are considerate of staff workload and well-being. The school actively engages with parents and the local community to strengthen its work and build positive relationships.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the school does not select the most appropriate activities to help pupils learn and remember what they are being taught. This can lead to pupils developing gaps in their knowledge. The school should ensure that it continues to identify and support staff members who require further training to develop their pedagogy.

• Some older pupils, including those with SEND, do not receive the most effective support to help them recover gaps in learning in reading and mathematics. This means that gaps in their knowledge persist. The school should ensure that it routinely evaluates and adjusts the support for these pupils.

• Some families who need support with their children's attendance do not benefit from the school's positive work early enough. This means that for some pupils, they continue to miss school or become persistently absent. The school should consider engaging with these families sooner, to avoid pupils developing poor attendance.

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