Queensbridge Primary School

Queensbridge Primary School St Germain Street, Farnworth, Bolton, Lancashire, BL4 7BL

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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.  Achievement is good in all key stages.  Standards have risen in Key Stages 1 and 2 over the last two years and are close to average.  Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics, from their different starting points.  The quality of teaching in classrooms and small-group activities is good. As a result, different groups of pupils, including the most able, those with special educational needs and those who join at different times, do well.  Pupils feel safe, behave well and their willingness to accept others is evident in the way that they share and cooperate harmoniously.  Attendance is close to average because the school works successfully to support parents in ensuring their child’s regular attendance.  Parents praise the school because of the caring and nurturing support it provides for their children and themselves.  A wide range of appropriate performance data

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

is collected. Senior and middle leaders use data accurately to improve pupils’ achievement and teaching and to ensure that this is an improving school overall.  The governing body holds school leaders to account extremely rigorously, to ensure that their clear view for the future is helping the school to improve further.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Sometimes activities provided for pupils in lessons do not precisely match their varying abilities so they do not always make enough outstanding progress.  Teaching assistants did not always have enough information about how to make the best improvements for pupils.  Teachers do not make full use of the expertise of the best teachers in the school to improve their own practice.  Resources provided for outdoor play in the Early Years Foundation Stage do not fully develop children’s physical skills.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 14 lessons including parts of lessons. All teachers were observed at least once. One lesson was observed jointly with the headteacher.  The inspectors met with staff, pupils and parents. They held a meeting with the Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors. They spoke on the telephone to the school’s improvement partner and held a meeting with a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors took into account of 36 staff questionnaires. They looked at information from previous surveys carried out by the school to gather views of parents, pupils and staff. There were not enough responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) to make a meaningful evaluation.  The inspectors talked to pupils in the playground and classrooms and held discussion with pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2. They listened to pupils read and observed them moving around inside and outside the school at different times of the day.

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Information about this inspection

 They observed the school’s work and considered a number of documents, including the school’s safeguarding and recruitment arrangements, evaluation of its performance, its improvement plan and minutes from governing body meetings.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Woodyatt, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Eric Craven Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is similar to the average sized primary school.  The majority of pupils is of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils who come from minority ethnic backgrounds is above average. While a small number of nationalities are represented, the largest group is of Pakistani heritage.  There are high proportions of pupils who speak English as an additional language, although very few of these are at an early stage of learning English.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is much lower than average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is higher than average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding is much higher than average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after by

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Information about this school

the local authority.  The proportion of pupils joining and leaving the school other than at normal times is higher than in the average primary school.  The school is designated by the local authority as one of its inclusive primary schools and receives a small amount of additional funding to support the inclusion of pupils with specific learning needs and disabilities.  The school provides a specialist room on site for pupils with complex disabilities and special educational needs, known as the ‘Smart room’. Three pupils were using this room at the time of the inspection.  The school is part of the ‘Farnworth Cloud’ which is a cluster of local schools. It is also part of the South Bolton Learning Partnership.  The school works closely with the Hallé Orchestra and Shine Trust to provide a Saturday school for up to 85 local children.  The school runs a ‘breakfast club’ during the week providing food and drink.

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Information about this school

 The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching and, therefore, raise pupils’ attainment further by:  ensuring that all work set helps pupils to achieve as well as they can  teachers providing the best guidance for teaching assistants  leaders ensuring that the school’s best practice in teaching is more widely shared in order to improve the skills of all teachers.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that there are sufficient, suitable resources provided outdoors to better promote the physical development of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start in the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are typically low compared with those expected. They make good progress from their starting points, but as some spend only a short time in the Early Years Foundation Stage, because they join later in the year, overall, children enter Year 1 with skills well below those expected for their age. They make less good progress, however, in their physical development when working and playing outside.  Between Years 1 and 6, pupils make good progress from their individual starting points in reading, writing and mathematics, including those who join at different times and those who are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language.  Although floor standards were not met in 2012, pupils’ attainment has risen well since as a result of effective teaching that is promoting pupils’ increasingly good progress in reading, writing and

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The achievement of pupils is good

mathematics. In the Year 6 national tests in 2013, as well as an average proportion of pupils making expected progress, a higher proportion than nationally made better than expected progress in all three subjects. In addition, greater numbers than ever before gained the higher Level 5 in reading, writing and mathematics, with a higher proportion than nationally reaching Level 6 in mathematics. Inspection evidence indicates that this good improvement in pupils’ achievement is being at least maintained.  Pupils with a statement of special educational needs and those supported at school action plus do as well as those in other schools nationally. Pupils who are supported at school action also do as well as others nationally because the teaching is good.  Pupils with complex disabilities make good and sometimes outstanding progress because the school provides appropriate resources, equipment and staff with the skills to enable these pupils

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The achievement of pupils is good

to be involved in learning activities that are suited well to their individual needs.  School records, lesson observations and work in books confirm that pupils supported by the pupil premium make good progress from their different starting points because they receive effective support from teachers and teaching assistants. The attainment of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals varies considerably from year to year making any reliable comparison between their attainment and that of others in the school unreliable.  Pupils make good progress in reading because the school ensures that all pupils read widely and often. In 2013, the national reading check of pupils’ phonic skills (the knowledge of letters and the sounds they make) carried out in Year 1 showed that the proportion of pupils reaching the levels expected for their age was similar to that in other schools. This is an improvement on the

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The achievement of pupils is good

proportion that reached the expected level in 2012. Inspectors confirmed the improving skills when they listened to pupils reading. Parents said their children were regularly bringing books home to read.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most teaching is good and some is outstanding. Teachers create a positive climate for good learning and provide work that stimulates pupils’ enthusiasm and interest, for example, in an outstanding Year 5 literacy lesson, pupils excitedly wrote a description of Christmas for an alien visitor and accurately used a range of features, such as adjectives, punctuation and sentence openers.  Teaching in mathematics quickly builds on the pupils’ necessary skills so that they rapidly move on to more complex calculations and challenges. In a Year 3 lesson, pupils were using arrays to help them solve multiplication questions. One pupil used the diagram they had drawn and explained to the inspector three different ways to answer the question.  Teachers frequently mark pupils’ books and provide written feedback so that pupils know what to do to improve their work. As a result, pupils are clear about what they have done well and

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The quality of teaching is good

what they need to improve and carry out the very helpful and appropriate suggestions for improvements made by teachers.  Teachers consistently encourage extremely positive behaviour and attitudes. Pupils respond very well to adults’ requests when carrying out tasks and cooperate fully. In a Year 6 sports lesson, pupils worked very well in teams in order to practise the different skills taught by the teacher.  Pupils who join the school at different times, who need support to improve their English, have special educational needs or who fall behind in their learning, are quickly identified using the school’s systems and provided with tailored support by teachers or teaching assistants. Evidence in the school’s records shows that they make good progress. Those who fall behind are helped successfully to catch up quickly.  Occasionally, in a few lessons the work provided is either too easy or too hard for some pupils

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The quality of teaching is good

and this prevents them from making good progress.  All teachers plan for teaching assistants to support and challenge pupils in lessons so that the learning is good. However, sometimes teaching assistants are not given enough information about what they need to do to provide even better support for pupils to enable them to make the best possible progress.  Children have stimulating and exciting activities in the Early Years Foundation Stage, which ensure that they can learn new things regularly and practise their skills successfully. Inspectors observed a child pushing a wheelbarrow around the hopscotch markings in the playground counting aloud as she went. However, their physical development when outdoors is limited by not having access more suitable resources.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is good. They are very accepting of other adults and pupils which leads to a calm and purposeful atmosphere around the school. Inspectors observed that pupils are polite to adults and each other at all times and respond quickly to the instructions and requests made by adults in lessons, inside and outside.  During lessons, pupils are attentive and keen to take part in the activities. They show positive attitudes and cooperate well with each other when carrying out tasks. Behaviour was at its best when the teaching fully challenged pupils, but sometimes it slipped when they were not fully involved in their learning, although they quickly responded when asked.  There are clear expectations and a consistent system of rules and rewards, such as the ‘smile file’. Pupils told inspectors that they really enjoyed doing well because the school sends out a text message as a reward.  Attendance is similar to that found nationally and has been rising over time. School leaders and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

attendance staff have worked successfully to ensure that parents know the importance of their children’s regular attendance. Parents commented that the school supports them as well as their children.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school. They told inspectors about different types of bullying and how they could keep themselves safe when using computers. Parents and staff all agree that the school deals well with any bullying.  The needs of a very small number of pupils who have significant behavioural difficulties are managed very well. Pupils told inspectors that there are very few incidents of misbehaviour and that teachers are quick to deal with any that occurs.  There have been no permanent exclusions for several years. The school’s records show that it has used a small number of fixed-term exclusions because these provided the most appropriate response for supporting the pupils’ needs. The few incidents of racist behaviour evident in the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

logs are mainly name-calling. These incidents are one-off events and are dealt with well by the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governing body, senior and middle leaders use the wide range of information that they gather on the performance of pupils to ensure that they quickly identify any pupil falling behind. Where this happens in reading, writing or mathematics, they intervene effectively and provide support, for example, through adult-led small group activities.  Leaders ensure that teachers’ performance is closely linked to pupils’ progress, school targets and salary progression. Teachers confirmed that regular training opportunities were provided, which included opportunities to work with other schools in the partnership. Leaders ensure that there is a strong team approach to sharing good practice, which is improving the quality of teaching. However, there are opportunities to raise its quality even further by sharing more widely the skills demonstrated by the best teachers in the school.  Parents are very positive about the way that the school supports their children. In conversation

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The leadership and management are good

with an inspector, they were highly supportive and commented on the difference that it makes for children to access learning when they have special educational needs. This is also reflected in the school’s own surveys and demonstrates the school’s commitment to providing equality of opportunity and tackling discrimination.  The curriculum ensures that pupils have opportunities to be involved in learning activities that are well-suited to their wide range of needs. It is extended by activities run before and after school, such as the ‘breakfast club’, a specialist sports teacher paid for by the Primary School Sport funding and the Saturday school provision. The sports funding is being used to provide pupils with extra support to help them and staff to improve their sports skills.  The school is highly committed to ensuring that all pupils can make the most of the broad range of learning activities, such as one-to-one support with adults, small groups, trips to the theatre

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The leadership and management are good

and fundraising activities in the community. This has a noticeably positive impact on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The local authority recognises that the school is led and managed well at all levels and as a result it needs to provide only ‘light touch’ support.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is uncompromising in its passion to ensure that pupils in the school have the best opportunity to learn and make progress irrespective of their circumstances or starting points. The governors set high standards for themselves and this can be seen in all their work in the school. They seek out the information necessary to ask incisive questions of the school’s leaders, including listening to the local authority and school improvement partner and analysing performance data. They spend time in classrooms, talking to teachers and pupils so that they are clear for themselves about the progress being made. They use this knowledge to

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The leadership and management are good

hold the headteacher to account fully when judging his pay and the school’s targets and ensure that the same rigour is applied to all teachers.  The finances are well-managed and the governors who focus on this have the necessary skills to make the best choices. This means that the school can quickly provide the additional support that is vital to meet the pupils’ very wide range of needs. Governors understand well how additional funding from the pupil premium and for sport is used well to ensure improvements for pupils. The governing body fulfils its statutory duties and safeguarding procedures meet requirements.

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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 133925 Local authority Bolton Inspection number 430510

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 238 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Joanne Latta Headteacher Christopher Fielding Date of previous school inspection 15 December 2011 Telephone number 01204 332577 Fax number 01204 332578 Email address office@queensbridge.bolton.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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