Queen's Drive Infant School

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

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Mrs Sarah Skinner Headteacher Queen’s Drive Infant School Queen’s Drive West Peterborough Cambridgeshire PE1 2UU

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Short inspection of Queen’s Drive Infant School

Following my visit to the school on 14 September 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 July 2013.

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Short inspection of Queen’s Drive Infant School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the previous inspection. Your evaluation of the school is accurate and, consequently, the plans to address any areas of weakness are well focused. Plans are reviewed frequently to make sure they result in sustained improvement. Governors, several of whom have been recently appointed, support leaders well. They are increasingly involved in checking the work of the school and creating plans for future improvements. Governors speak with pride about the school and share your enthusiasm and desire to raise standards further.

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Short inspection of Queen’s Drive Infant School

Since the previous inspection, Queen’s Drive Infant School has grown from having two classes in each year group to three. Leaders and governors managed this change effectively. You did not allow the growth of the school to distract you from your day-to-day focus on developing the quality of teaching and, subsequently, ensuring that pupils achieve well. Overall outcomes at the end of key stage 1 are improving year on year, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils are very well positioned to move on to their next phase of learning by the time they leave the school at the end of Year 2.

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Short inspection of Queen’s Drive Infant School

You and other leaders ensure that the school’s inclusive values are put into practice. You rightly identify that a significant number of pupils have substantial barriers to learning, including joining the school with very little or no understanding of the English language. However, you and your staff are totally dedicated to providing what is needed for pupils to overcome any barriers and succeed. Pupils spoke of their pride in the school and how Queen’s Drive is a ‘very friendly school’. As one pupil proudly stated: ‘We are good at looking after each other. We care and share.’ The pupils’ enjoyment of school and respect for each other, alongside the high expectations of staff, lead to an atmosphere across the school which is calm and purposeful but, equally, lively and fun.

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Short inspection of Queen’s Drive Infant School

The school is moving forward. The areas for improvement in the previous inspection report have been tackled effectively. Pupils are provided with opportunities to work both independently and with each other. Teachers’ clear instructions and careful questioning help pupils work through their learning tasks successfully. High-quality feedback from teachers gives pupils a greater awareness of what they need to do in order to move their learning forward.

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Short inspection of Queen’s Drive Infant School

You have put in place a consistent whole-school approach for writing. Pupils are given many opportunities to practise their writing skills in a wide range of genres and across all subjects. Pupils’ workbooks from the previous academic year evidence strong rates of progress for most pupils. Pupils’ progress in writing is now as positive as it is in reading and mathematics. Although this is a clear improvement on pupils’ previous achievements, you know there is still work to do to ensure that boys do as well as girls in writing.

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Short inspection of Queen’s Drive Infant School

The attendance of pupils has improved across the school. You and your leaders promote good attendance, using positive praise and reinforcement effectively. You track the reasons for absence carefully and work closely with parents to manage situations that affect attendance. As a result, you are increasingly successful in preventing the persistent absence of any pupils, and this is enhanced by the effective support provided to vulnerable families by the family liaison officer.

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Short inspection of Queen’s Drive Infant School

There is a strong culture of keeping pupils safe. You have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and records are detailed and of high quality. You work closely with other professionals and services to ensure that children and families receive timely and effective support. Rigorous systems are in place for the recruitment and induction of new staff. The training staff receive means that they are effective in recognising and responding to signs of concern.

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Short inspection of Queen’s Drive Infant School

Pupils say they feel safe and are well looked after, and parents unanimously agree. Pupils have complete faith that adults in the school will listen to them if they are worried at all. They do not feel that bullying is an issue. They are confident that staff deal with the rare issues of poor behaviour firmly and fairly. The curriculum provides countless opportunities to support children in being safe. Pupils talk confidently about how to stay safe, for example when they are online or crossing the road .

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Inspection findings

 The inspection focused on the key lines of enquiry agreed at our first meeting. One of the key lines of enquiry I explored was whether teaching and learning in the early years is effective, and how you and other leaders are ensuring that children make at least good progress from their starting points. This was because published assessment information showed that, although children’s attainment is improving, the proportion of children in the early years who achieved the expected level in literacy was below the national average.  You have worked hard to improve the provision for the early years, both indoors and especially outside, so that there are now increased opportunities for children to develop their skills across all areas of learning. Your capable deputy headteacher oversees the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in the Reception classes. This ensures that the early years staff provide a consistent

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Inspection findings

and positive learning environment where most children flourish. During the inspection, I observed children happily enjoying the activities that teachers plan for them. There is a strong focus on developing reading and writing skills for children who speak English as an additional language. Staff intervene with appropriate questions and prompts. They model language well so that children quickly become more confident and skilful with their communication skills.  From looking at the school’s assessment information, including children’s work from the previous academic year, it is clearly evident that most children in the early years make at least good progress from their starting points. You acknowledge that your focus on improving boys’ literacy skills remains a priority as they do not always attain as well as girls.  I also checked whether there is a difference in the achievement between boys and girls in key stage 1. You and your leaders have already reviewed and

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Inspection findings

developed your curriculum plans to ensure that boys are provided with interesting and relevant experiences that fully engage them in their learning. The school’s assessment information and work in pupils’ books from the previous academic year demonstrate that the differences between the achievement of boys and girls in reading and writing are diminishing. You have rightly identified that there is more work to do in key stage 1 to ensure that boys always achieve the best that they can.  Finally, I investigated how well you and your leaders ensure that the needs of the most able pupils are being met, so that they make rapid progress and attain well. This was because published assessment information showed that at the end of key stage 1, the proportion of pupils achieving the greater depth in reading and writing was below the national average. The work in pupils’ books and the school’s assessment information for the previous academic year show that the

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Inspection findings

most able pupils make at least good progress in reading, writing and mathematics from their starting points. During the inspection, I observed that the most able pupils are provided with challenging tasks that make them think more deeply. One pupil told me that ‘The work is about right because it is not too easy.’

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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 differences in achievement in reading and writing rapidly diminish so that boys attain as well as girls.

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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 Peterborough. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

 Meetings were held with you, the deputy headteacher, a group of governors and a representative of the local authority. I spoke informally to a number of pupils in classrooms and met more formally with a group of pupils.  I gathered a range of evidence to judge the quality of teaching, learning and assessment over time. This included joint observations of teaching and learning in classes with you and the deputy headteacher. I looked at samples of pupils’ current work across all subjects and across a wide range of abilities.  Policies and procedures for the safeguarding of pupils were examined.  I took into account the school’s own parent survey which included the views of 111 parents.

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