Queensbridge School

Queensbridge School Queensbridge Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8QB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  This outstanding school ensures that students achieve exceptionally well.  All groups of students make outstanding and rapidly improving progress. By the end of Year 11, attainment is above average and rising year on year.  Key to this success is the meticulous way leaders check on how well each individual student is achieving, and step in quickly if any are in danger of falling behind.  Students do particularly well in reading, writing and communication, and many relish reading across a wide range of topics.  The exciting and very well planned curriculum in Years 7 and 8 makes a considerable contribution to students’ strong enjoyment of learning and rapidly developing literacy skills.  The headteacher demonstrates great determination in his drive to ensure that all students succeed. With strong support from talented senior leaders, he has brought about great gains in students’ attainment and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

progress since the previous inspection by ensuring that teaching is far better.  Teaching is now consistently good or better, with much that is outstanding. Teachers plan exciting and fast paced lessons, and demand high standards and hard work.  Senior leaders check regularly and carefully on the quality of teaching, and take great care to link teachers’ effectiveness to their pay rises.  Students respond to their outstanding education with eagerness and enthusiasm. Behaviour is outstanding and they feel extremely safe in school.  Students’ positive relationships with one another and staff generate excellent learning.  Leaders at all levels are passionate about their roles, and their commitment to improve all aspects of the school’s work is inspirational.  The governors are very well informed and share the ambitions of school leaders to ensure all students achieve the best they can. They carry out their duties exceptionally well.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The continual drive for improvement is reflected in leaders recognising that more can be done to make sure students consistently respond to the advice teachers give when they mark their work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 35 lessons or parts of lessons, including 12 that were seen together with senior leaders.  Inspectors listened to students read and visited classrooms with senior staff to look at how well disabled students and those who have special educational needs were learning. Inspectors also visited lessons with senior staff to look at students’ progress in mathematics, English and science, and at learning in a wide range of other subjects.  Discussions were held with senior and middle leaders, staff, the Chair of the Governing Body, two other governors and groups of students.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at its self-evaluation and planning documents, external evaluations of its work and examples of students’ work. A telephone conversation was held with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took note of the 85 responses to the online Parent View survey and spoke to a group

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Information about this inspection

of parents and carers invited to comment by the school. Inspectors also analysed 57 questionnaires returned by staff.

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Inspection team

Michael Merchant, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Philip Winch Additional Inspector Rosemary Myers Additional Inspector Anna Fisher Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average secondary school.  The very large majority of students come from a wide range of minority ethnic groups, and a high proportion are learning English as an additional language.  The proportion of students that are known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding from the government for groups of students including those known to be eligible for free school meals) is high.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average, as is the proportion supported through school action plus or a statement of special educational needs.  A very small number of students spend some of their time studying work-related courses at South and City College, Birmingham.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ progress and attainment.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 To support students in achieving even higher rates of progress, make sure that all students act on the high-quality feedback they receive when teachers mark their books.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Students get off to an excellent start in Year 7, and make rapid progress from low starting points. They make particularly impressive gains in their English. Key to this success is the highly imaginative and innovative ‘enterprise’ curriculum, which provides an excellent transition from primary school and weaves aspects of writing, speaking and listening into all aspects of learning.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Results in external examinations rose by a considerable margin in 2012, continuing a strong upward trend. Over two-thirds of all students attained five GCSE A* to C grades including English and mathematics. Taking all subjects together, students’ attainment was considerably above average.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Senior and middle leaders check closely any variations in attainment and progress, and act promptly to address any issues. For example, the school plans well-judged extra support for students who are known to be eligible for pupil premium funding. This support has effectively reduced the attainment gap between these students and others so that it is much smaller than that seen nationally. In 2012, students entitled to free school meals attained, on average, one third of a grade less in English and mathematics than others in the school. This was a much smaller difference than in previous years.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The achievement of all groups of students, including those whose circumstances makes them vulnerable and those from the wide range of different heritages, is similarly strong. This reflects the success of the school’s commitment to ensuring that all students should have an equal opportunity to succeed.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The very high numbers of students who speak English as an additional language rapidly develop their speaking, reading and writing skills. Teachers are careful to distinguish English as an additional language from special educational needs, and their flexible approach allows students to move to higher-level groups when their progress starts to accelerate.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Disabled students and those who have special educational needs make outstanding progress. Teachers and other adults prepare work for these students at just the right level, and the extra help they give to students makes a big difference.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Across the school, teachers are very aware of the need to develop the reading, writing and speaking skills of students and they plan carefully to use these skills in lessons. Very well considered and highly effective reading support starts in Year 7 for any students who need it. As a result, students read, write and speak with increasing confidence as they move through the school.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The work seen by inspectors confirms the overall picture of outstanding and rapidly improving teaching.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers have very high expectations for what students can achieve. Students respond very well to their challenge and make excellent contributions to their own and each other’s learning. They grasp enthusiastically all opportunities to work in pairs and groups, or independently.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers often stand back and let students get on with their learning, intervening when necessary but giving the students plenty of chances to find out things for themselves. This practice is very effective. In an excellent Year 11 science lesson, students engaged in role play on controlled and uncontrolled nuclear reactions. They used sophisticated language and actions in their demonstrations and greatly extended their understanding of nuclear physics.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers and other adults have similarly high expectations of students who are disabled or need extra help. They strive, through high quality support, to help them reach the highest standards.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Constructive relationships in classrooms and throughout the school support a vibrant and productive learning environment. Students respect each other and the adults, and disruption to learning of any kind is virtually unknown.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers’ lesson planning is exemplary. It is detailed and takes full account of the needs of all students, contributing to the excellent learning and rapid progress of all groups of students.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Marking is meticulous in many subjects. The written comments on students’ work contribute well to the progress they make. Students are not always encouraged, or given the time, to reflect on and respond to these comments, so they are not always as valuable as they could be.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Students’ excellent behaviour makes a strong contribution to their learning because the teachers’ energies can go into teaching rather than behaviour management, so they can take a more imaginative approach in their lessons.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 School records show that students’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are exemplary. This was confirmed during the inspection. Students arrived on time to lessons, followed routines naturally and made excellent contributions to their own learning. Students move around the school sensibly and behave responsibly and with respect to others throughout the school day.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Parents and carers, staff and students are very positive about behaviour. Students say that bullying of any kind and racist incidents are extremely rare, but are dealt with promptly and effectively if any should occur. Students have a very good knowledge and understanding about the different types of bullying, such as cyber or homophobic bullying, and are aware of the importance of understanding different faiths and lifestyles.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 In discussions, students were adamant that they felt safe. They say that they greatly enjoy school and all that it has to offer. This is reflected in their ever-improving attendance, which is above the national average.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 There are many examples of where the school has linked with other agencies and families to improve the lives of students whose circumstances may make them vulnerable. One student told inspectors that the way in which the school had worked with them to resolve their problems had ‘…given me the courage to learn’.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher leads strongly and uncompromisingly. He is highly visible around the school and has been very successful in driving ambition and establishing a shared sense of purpose. He is very well supported by an outstanding senior leadership team, which shares a passion to achieve the very best for all students. This drive for improvement is evident in all aspects of school life, especially the ongoing increase in students’ achievement and the ever-improving quality of teaching.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The targets the school sets for teachers to improve their work are being used rigorously to reward good performance, and are based on an accurate review of teaching and progress. The excellent systems for monitoring the quality of lessons and the students’ progress are followed up with very clear feedback to teachers, coupled with appropriate advice and training. The school uses its excellent practitioners very well to spread good practice through coaching and mentoring of colleagues.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Teachers comment very positively about the opportunities they have to develop their skills at all levels. These are closely matched to teachers’ specific individual needs, and are reflected in the high quality of teaching and adult support observed in lessons.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 One of the most striking features of this successful school is its exciting and well thought out curriculum. It ensures that students from all backgrounds enjoy learning and rapidly acquire the basic academic skills they need, particularly in literacy, but also gain many skills in their wider personal development.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 There is a wide range of courses and subjects on offer, as well as an exceptional number of extra activities in music, the arts and sport. A small number of students take GCSE mathematics early. They follow a well-planned programme that is closely matched to their needs, and achieve as well as if they had taken the examinations later. They make rapid progress.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 A few students study practical, work-related courses at South and City College, Birmingham. Their progress and well-being are carefully checked by leaders to make sure they achieve as well as their peers.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The local authority has rightly judged that this successful school only requires ‘light touch’ support.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  The governors have played a strong role in helping the school to improve students’ achievement and teaching since the last inspection. They are very well informed about how well the school is doing and have a complete understanding of different types of school data. They know where the best teaching is in the school and have fully supported the initiatives of school leaders to improve classroom performance, including the changes to the curriculum. Governors have contributed fully to the discussions on how the pupil premium funding should be spent and have kept a careful check on the impact of the extra support and guidance provided for eligible students. They also control the systems for managing staff performance and the way that pay rises are decided. They are well trained and meet all their responsibilities very well, including national requirements for safeguarding students.

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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 103497 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 404879

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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 Comprehensive School category Foundation Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 706 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jenny Baines Headteacher Tim Boyes Date of previous school inspection 26 January 2011 Telephone number 0121 464 5566 Fax number 0121 464 5588 Email address enquiry@queensbridge.bham.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

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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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