Queensway School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Miss Sarah Jakeman Headteacher Queensway School Queensway Banbury Oxfordshire OX16 9NF

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Short inspection of Queensway School

Following my visit to the school on 15 March 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in November 2012.

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Short inspection of Queensway School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection.

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Short inspection of Queensway School

In the five years since the last inspection, there have been significant changes in staffing and the school has been expanding to become a two-form entry primary school. Through this period of change you have ensured that the school has maintained a clear sense of purpose and you are ambitious for your pupils and the wider school community. Working closely with other school leaders, you have developed a high-quality learning provision. You have established a leadership structure that focuses on teamwork and shared responsibility. Consequently, leaders are highly ambitious for every pupil, with a clear emphasis on developing the whole child. As a result, current pupils are making good progress across the curriculum. Parents recognise the impact of your leadership and the support you provide to ensure that their children flourish. One parent said, ‘This is a great school, well led, and children thrive to do the best they can.’

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Short inspection of Queensway School

Queensway is a very caring school. All staff and governors work hard to live up to the school’s vision, ‘Rise to the challenge, to be the best I can be.’ Relationships between staff and pupils are excellent and, as a result, pupils work hard, are willing to take risks and want to do well. Pupils are proud of their school and describe the community as ‘one big family’. At the time of the last inspection, inspectors highlighted good teaching, improving standards and highly effective leadership as some of the school’s strengths. These aspects remain strong. Inspectors asked you to improve outcomes in mathematics and to ensure that teachers provide pupils with useful advice on how to improve the quality of their work. In lessons, there are now more opportunities to allow pupils time to reflect on their previous learning and think more deeply. As a result, pupils are clear about what they need to do to develop their learning. In the 2016 national

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Short inspection of Queensway School

assessments, pupils’ mathematics attainment was in line with the national average. However, progress in mathematics at key stage 2 was below expectations. Since September, you have taken decisive action to address this, including by providing highly focused training for staff in mathematics. Your swift action has ensured that pupils are currently making good progress in mathematics.

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Short inspection of Queensway School

In September 2016, leaders identified some gaps in pupils’ mathematical knowledge and writing skills and recognised that assessment procedures needed to be reviewed and updated. Teachers now provide tasks and activities that help pupils of all abilities to ‘fill in’ these gaps in their knowledge and skills. Hence, pupils’ understanding has improved and they make even better progress. Current assessment information shows that the proportion of pupils achieving at least expected progress is improving in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders recognise the importance of maintaining this focus so that progress in these subjects is sustained over time.

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Short inspection of Queensway School

The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and that records are detailed and of high quality. Safeguarding is at the heart of the school’s nurturing and caring environment. Staff and governors experience high-quality training. For example, all staff have received training to recognise potential radicalisation and extremism. As a result, staff can quickly identify concerns and take action with confidence.

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Short inspection of Queensway School

Most parents who completed the online questionnaire stated that their child feels safe. Pupils I spoke to, and the vast majority that completed the online pupil questionnaire, agreed that they feel safe in school. One child told me, ‘If you ever have a problem there is always someone to talk to, and they always solve it.’ You know your pupils well and they value the strong sense of community that pervades this school.

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Inspection findings

 In 2016, the proportion of pupils who were making at least expected progress in mathematics had fallen significantly from previous years and was below the national average. The school’s reorganised mathematics curriculum now meets the higher expectations that are required for the most able pupils. The school recognises that the focus on mathematics must be continued to ensure sustained progress over time, so that pupils make the most rapid progress of which they are capable.  Teachers’ assessments and pupils’ work in books show that pupils are making good progress in writing. You instigated a detailed evaluation of the 2016 key stage 2 writing outcomes, and, as a result, introduced procedures to enable more pupils to make effective progress. Writing in pupils’ books confirms that they are becoming increasingly skilled at editing and improving their writing. Pupils take pride in their work and present it neatly.

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Inspection findings

 Phonics teaching has improved substantially since the last inspection. You have provided high-quality training for all staff to ensure that all pupils benefit from good-quality phonics teaching. Leaders make sure that any pupils making slow progress receive prompt and effective support. Therefore, more pupils achieve the standard expected of them in the phonics screening check by the end of Year 1 than is typical nationally.  Disadvantaged pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, are achieving well. Leaders have established a clear strategy to ensure that all interventions have a sharp focus and this has helped develop pupils’ confidence. For example, the writing booster classes have enabled pupils to improve their understanding of grammar. Extra support to help these pupils learn in lessons is effective in building pupils’ independence and helping them to become good learners. Careful monitoring of pupils’ progress shows that the vast majority are

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Inspection findings

making the same progress in reading, writing and mathematics as other pupils nationally by the end of Year 2 and Year 6.  You have taken firm action in an attempt to improve attendance, including meeting with parents when their child’s attendance has been poor. Attendance dipped last year, with a few pupils missing too much school. Records show that, because of your actions, the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent has fallen. Nevertheless, you are far from satisfied and continue to work closely with families, the home–school link worker and other agencies to ensure that pupils attend school regularly.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 the school’s new assessment procedures are used effectively by staff to ensure that gaps in pupils’ knowledge are closed rapidly  changes in the school’s approach to teaching mathematics are fully embedded, to make sure that the pupils achieve well from their starting points.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Oxfordshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

I met with you, your deputy headteacher and your staff. We talked about the improvements which have been made since the last inspection. Together, we undertook observations of learning in lessons. I examined pupils’ work, focusing on mathematics and writing. I also held discussions with four governors, including the chair of the governing body, and talked informally to pupils in lessons. A meeting was held with a representative from the local authority. Before the inspection, I examined a variety of documents including the school’s website, published performance information and a summary of your school’s self-evaluation document. I took into account the views of 59 parents who responded to Parent View and 24 staff questionnaires. A range of documentary evidence was evaluated, including documents relating to safeguarding and governance.

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