Queensway School

Queensway Primary School Queensway, Banbury, OX16 9NH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils make good progress across the school. As a result, attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 has been rising and is now at the national average for primary schools.  Provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage is well managed which results in good progress.  Teaching is usually at least good with some outstanding practice.  Pupils feel safe, behave well, and enjoy their learning which is clearly reflected in their above average attendance.  The headteacher has been highly effective in leading the changes that have resulted in rapid improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement since the previous inspection. She is ably supported by senior leaders and the governing body.  Pupils enjoy a wide variety of exciting visits, residential stays and visitors to school throughout the year.  The school has a proven track record of helping disabled pupils, those with special

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

educational needs and the high number of pupils joining midway through the year, to make the best of their education.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Progress in mathematics is not as rapid as in reading and writing.  Pupils in Years 3 and 4 are not always clear about what they need to do to move up to the next level in their work.  Sometimes the pace of learning slows because teachers spend too long talking.  In a few lessons, particularly in Key Stage 2, activities are not matched closely to pupils’ needs and the pace of learning slows.  The way teachers use teaching assistants to support learning is not always effective.  Marking is not consistent across the school and not all pupils respond to teachers’ comments about how to improve their work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 19 lessons involving 10 teachers.  They held discussions with school leaders, staff, representatives of the governing body and a representative of the local authority, and met with parents and carers at the start of the school day.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and reviewed documentation, including improvement plans, the systems for tracking pupils’ progress, the arrangements for safeguarding pupils and samples of pupils’ work. They heard groups of pupils read and spoke with others about behaviour and safety arrangements at the school.  They took account of the 22 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View,in planning the inspection.

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Inspection team

Michael Bartleman, Lead inspector Additional inspector Lynne Kauffman Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Queensway Primary School is slightly smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The majority of pupils come from a White British background.  An increasing proportion of pupils enter the school speaking English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average, as is the proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding for specific groups of pupils).  The proportion of pupils joining and leaving the school, other than at the usual times, is higher than in most schools.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment in mathematics across the school by ensuring:  all pupils, particularly those in Year 3 and Year 4, know what level they are working at and how they can improve  marking is used consistently in all classes to help pupils improve their work  pupils have time to respond to teachers’ comments  pupils always have access to apparatus and visual clues to aid their calculations in mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Move teaching from good to outstanding by ensuring all teachers:  match activities to pupils’ next steps in learning  move learning on quickly throughout the lesson  balance the amount of time they talk with pupils’ independent activities  manage teaching assistants so they are fully involved in all aspects of the learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards have improved rapidly and are continuing to rise. By the time pupils leave in Year 6, pupils’ attainment is close to the national average. It is higher in reading and writing than in mathematics because there has been insufficient emphasis on pupils’ basic mathematical skills across Key Stage 2. This has resulted in pupils’ lack of confidence to undertake mental and written calculations independently.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 When children start at the school, their skills and understanding are well below the levels expected for their age. Highly effective transition, including home visits and additional support for potentially vulnerable families, ensures children settle into school quickly. Children make good progress in the Reception classes.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards rose in the 2012 national tests at the end of Year 6 with an increased number of pupils attaining the higher Level 5 in English and mathematics. Standards at the end of Year 2 are continuing to rise to above national levels. Overall progress is good across the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ progress in writing is accelerating as a result of improved teaching, a faster pace of learning and good opportunities to write at length in a range of subjects. Writing tasks are well structured and supported, so all pupils can achieve well, and often start with a considerable amount of discussion which develops vocabulary well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress in reading is stronger than in writing and mathematics. Pupils of all ages are supported to use a range of strategies that help them to read with confidence. They make excellent use of their knowledge of the sounds that letters make (phonics) to read unfamiliar text and most enjoy reading a wide variety of books. Adults, including governors, regularly listen to readers and are effective in promoting pupils’ reading skills and confidence.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are supported by well-trained teaching assistants which results in good progress for most pupils, particularly in out-of-class activities. In lessons, there are times when the teaching assistants are not so actively involved and the support is not as effective. The additional support that these pupils receive is managed very effectively by the special educational needs coordinator and well matched to pupils’ individual needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who join the school outside normal times are quickly supported so that any interruption to their learning is kept to a minimum.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils supported by the ‘pupil premium’, including those at an early stage of learning English, do well across the school. A range of approaches, such as one-to-one support, ‘the listening shop’, and the highly effective support from the home-school community link worker, is resulting in an increasing number of pupils making good or better progress. The ‘pupil premium’ is also used to enable eligible pupils to take part in a wider range of after-school clubs, activities and visits.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Lesson observations, scrutiny of pupils’ work and the school’s monitoring data confirm that the overall quality of teaching is good. An increasing proportion of teaching is outstanding, although there a few lessons which require improvement.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of reading and writing has improved since the last inspection. Staff training, both within the school and provided by the local authority, has generated greater consistency in the effectiveness of the teaching, which is now good.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ behaviour and standards of work are high. The few pupils who find it difficult to control their behaviour are exceptionally well managed by the teachers and adults assigned to support them. Pupils respond well to the school’s reward systems.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the good lessons, teachers plan tasks that rapidly build on what the pupils are already able to do and make them think hard. Occasionally, the work, particularly in mathematics, does not demand enough of pupils at differing ability levels.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ progress is not as rapid when they are given work that is too easy or too hard or when they do not have access to apparatus to aid their calculations. In the less successful lessons teachers also talk for too long which limits the time pupils have to practise skills and to develop their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The use of computers and other technology is a strong feature of the work of the school. Teachers are confident with technology and the pupils feel that using computers has really made learning exciting. They particularly enjoy the new netbooks which can be used anywhere in the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most teachers give pupils helpful encouragement about where they have succeeded, as well as feedback about what they need to do next, particularly in English where ‘Pink for think’ (a marking strategy where pink highlights are used to show where improvements are needed) is used well. It is used less well in mathematics where pupils do not always have sufficient time to respond to teachers’ comments. Not all pupils, particularly in Years 3 and 4, know how they can improve their work or move it to the next level of attainment.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading is taught well. Teachers and teaching assistants successfully promote the pupils’ knowledge and use of phonics. They provide interesting opportunities for pupils to read, both for enjoyment and to find information to support their topic work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 All groups of pupils, including those from minority ethnic backgrounds and those learning English as an additional language, are taught well and make good progress. Transition into the school is well managed so that teachers are able to quickly meet the pupils’ needs.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers create opportunities to write in many different contexts, which develop pupils’ interests and stamina for writing well. During the inspection, pupils wrote instructions for looking after guinea pigs and for skipping games, poetry in Year 1 and Year 6, and designed a non-fiction page with captions and headings in Year 4. Before they begin to write, pupils often talk to their teacher and to each other about their ideas. This develops vocabulary well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to the learning in most lessons. Occasionally they are not fully involved, particularly during teachers’ introductions.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. The team of adults works together very well. They have managed the increase in numbers efficiently. The children are encouraged to become independent, both through teacher-led activities and those they choose for themselves.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Most pupils behave well around the school and in their lessons. From the time they start in the Reception classes they are helped to develop the social and learning skills that enable them to get on well with each other and with adults.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are polite, friendly and courteous. Pupils of all backgrounds mix well together. They are proud of their school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school has close working relationships with a number of outside agencies to support pupils and their families whose circumstances make them potentially vulnerable. Attendance is above average reflecting the effective work of the home-school community link worker.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 All parents and carers who responded to the online questionnaire or spoke to inspectors judged behaviour to be good. The Jigsaw Room, where members of the community can meet, is much appreciated by parents and carers.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 There are few incidents of unacceptable behaviour. The school has clear procedures that are implemented consistently for the effective management and support for pupils who find it difficult to behave well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The caring atmosphere of the school is a strong feature and is promoted effectively. Staff know the pupils and their families extremely well. Pupils’ respect for adults and each other, and their clear understanding of how they are expected to behave, are strong features of lessons that enable most to proceed without disruption. Pupils say they like the rewards they get for good work and behaviour.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Parents and carers said their children are safe and well cared for. This view is reflected in the confidence expressed by pupils that they are safe at schooland that any bullying is dealt with effectively. Pupils have a good knowledge of all forms of bullying, for example cyber bullying, and have great trust in the headteacher and home-school community link worker. Staff ensure there is no discrimination and ensure all pupils have the best opportunities to achieve.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Older pupils take responsibility well, including in ‘maths muscles’ where they work alongside younger ones in Key Stage 1 and Year 3.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Through a well-planned curriculum and focused weeks, for example Safety Week, pupils are helped to develop a range of strategies so they are able to manage everyday risks for themselves, such as those associated with the internet, fire and roads.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the previous inspection, the highly effective headteacher and governing body have continued to lead the school well. There are clear and high expectations of all staff. The quality of teaching and pupils’ progress have improved.

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The leadership and management are good

 Highly constructive lesson observations and a successful programme of professional development have ensured that virtually all teaching is good, with an increasing proportion that is outstanding. The headteacher’s uncompromising drive has ensured that standards are continuing to rise.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher manages the performance of teachers effectively, with clear links between the salary that teachers receive and pupils’ good progress. Teachers are set precise targets linked to pupils’ progress, thus promoting good or better teaching.

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The leadership and management are good

 Self-evaluation is thorough, detailed and provides a realistic appraisal of where further improvements are needed. The school improvement plan is focused clearly on gaining and sustaining good achievement throughout the school. Members of the governing body frequently visit the school to check on how the improvement plan is being implemented.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has focused on improving literacy. With additional expertise and assistance from the local authority pupils’ performance in reading and writing has improved considerably.

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The leadership and management are good

 Topics bring together different subjects in a way that the pupils describe as ‘interesting and fun’. The range of subjects and activities contribute very strongly to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The leadership and management are good

 Lessons are enriched extremely well through a wide range of after-school activities and by opportunities for pupils to learn a foreign language and music taught by specialist teachers from the local academy. Visits, including residential visits, visits by theatre groups and opportunities to develop sporting and artistic skills, further enhance children’s learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body makes effective use of its expertise and effective training to support and monitor the work of the school and has a clear strategy to improve the school further. Governors understand the school’s performance information well and how the school has improved. They provide good support to the headteacher and senior leaders because they ask the difficult questions about what impact decisions will have on pupils’ learning. The governing body is regularly kept informed about how teaching is improving, which governors follow up in their regular visits. This has led to good decisions being made on staff appointments, rewards that teachers receive, effective allocation of the school’s finances and the allocation of the pupil premium which it monitors through regular visits and effective links with class teachers. The governing body carries out its statutory duties effectively, ensuring that procedures for

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The leadership and management are good

safeguarding pupils are well managed and regularly reviewed.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 122996 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 406128

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 221 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paddy Quinn Headteacher Sarah Jakeman Date of previous school inspection 1–2 December 2010 Telephone number 01295 251631 Fax number 01295 251550 Email address office.2057@queensway.oxon.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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