Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Ms Sarah Bailey Queensbridge Primary School Queensbridge Road Haggerston Hackney London E8 4ET

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No formal designation inspection of Queensbridge Primary School

Following my visit with Rekha Bhakoo and David Bryant, Ofsted Inspectors to your school on 6–7 November 2019, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings.

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No formal designation inspection of Queensbridge Primary School

This inspection was conducted under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for inspecting schools with no formal designation. The inspection was carried out because Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector was concerned about aspects of the quality of education at the school.

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Evidence

As part of this inspection, we did deep dives in these subjects: reading (particularly early reading), mathematics, music and history. We visited lessons, talked with pupils about their learning, spoke with teachers and leaders, and looked at pupils’ work.

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Evidence

We met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher and other school leaders. We spoke with a representative from the local authority and held a meeting with four governors, including the chair of the governing body. We spoke with pupils in class and around the school. We also spoke with parents and carers.

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Evidence

We scrutinised the single central record and other documents relating to safeguarding and child protection arrangements. We scrutinised a wide range of records and documentation, including behaviour and bullying incident logs.

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Evidence

Having considered the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Evidence

Queensbridge Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

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Context

Queensbridge Primary School is two-form entry and located in the London Borough of Hackney. The current Year 6 has three forms. The number of pupils on roll is 505. The largest ethnic groups are White British and any other White background. Many pupils are at the early stages of learning to speak English. The school caters for a wide range of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), 4.2% of whom have education, health and care plans. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.

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Content

The school provides a quality of education that is exceptional. The headteacher and governors involve all staff in deciding what they want pupils to learn. The views of pupils are important in deciding what is meaningful for them. Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including pupils with SEND. All pupils know that teachers are ambitious for them and want them to be the best they can be.

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Content

Most pupils achieve well. They learn new things by building on what they already know and can do. Inspectors saw that the curriculum was taught well. The school’s curriculum is well designed, with many strengths. For example, the school has achieved national recognition for its work in art and science. Leaders are ambitious that the curriculum covers a wide range of interesting subjects. For example, pupils can develop their own talents, such as film-making. All pupils enjoy the opportunity to take part in a wide range of sporting activities.

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Content

Curriculum plans help pupils to learn new skills and key knowledge in the vast majority of subjects. However, the school knows this is not fully embedded across all subjects. For example, in computing, leaders are developing a progression of skills. In addition, leaders are continuing to ensure that pupils remember and understand key vocabulary in all subjects. This has been identified in the school’s current improvement plan.

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Content

Staff are enthusiastic and carry out their responsibilities well. Teachers make learning exciting. They plan visits to interesting places to help the pupils remember important pieces of knowledge about the topics that they are learning, for example to the Museum of London, the Tate Gallery and the Houses of Parliament. Teachers used a range of historical artefacts relating to the Great Fire of London. This encouraged pupils to want to know more about this historical event.

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Content

Provision for children in the early years is strong. Teachers understand the needs of young children so that they are well prepared for key stage 1. They provide a wide range of activities that children enjoy, both inside and outdoors. Children have fun while they are challenged to develop their skills in mathematics. For example, during imaginary telephone calls to famous television characters, one child read out a telephone number and another child had to identify and press the numbers on a telephone. Staff promote speaking and listening especially well. Children show sustained concentration and behave well.

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Content

Teachers help pupils build the basic mathematical knowledge and skills that they need. They encourage pupils to explain their answers and how they have solved mathematical problems. If pupils begin to struggle, teachers help them to catch up quickly. This includes the use of additional support, including specialist teachers. Such strategies help the pupils to achieve well.

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Content

From the moment that pupils start school, they learn how to become effective readers. Staff check what pupils can do before moving them on to learning new sounds. Phonics is taught in a logical order. Teachers read to pupils daily so that they learn to love books. Pupils take books home regularly. Staff help pupils to catch up quickly in their reading if they struggle in class. They give reading books to pupils that match the sounds that they have learned.

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Content

Pupils told us they love music. They have the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of musical experiences. These include the school orchestra, the choir and the chamber choir. Pupils can learn to play many instruments, including recorder, guitar and clarinet. We heard pupils using their voices expressively when they sang and spoke chants and rhymes.

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Content

Pupils like learning history. Recently, they particularly enjoyed finding out about Stone Age people and life in Victorian times. Pupils demonstrate that they can remember their learning from previous historical topics. They can chronologically order events using a timeline. For example, older pupils knew the correct order of events in the Second World War. Good use is made of local history, such as the impact of the Blitz on the area.

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Content

Pupils know that they are expected to behave and follow the school’s set of values. The behaviour of pupils in lessons and at playtimes is of a high standard. Pupils are confident that teachers deal with any bullying well. Leaders keep comprehensive records of any concerns. Pupils have opportunities to take responsibility, for example as members of the school council or peer mediators. Pupils support each other, share their feelings with each other and learn how to become resilient.

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Content

We spoke with many pupils, who all told us they like coming to this school. Pupils are happy at school. They are secure in their surroundings and feel safe. They say that adults listen to them about their learning. The adults help the pupils to understand the importance of being kind to one another. Pupils are encouraged to respect diversity in modern Britain. Pupils recently gained an understanding of people with different sexual identities.

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Content

Pupils are polite, honest and respectful to staff and visitors to the school. Almost all parents agreed that their children enjoy school. Parents appreciate that they are made to feel an important part of the school community. They are happy to recommend the school to other parents.

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Content

The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils are effective. Leaders have systems to carefully check that the school is a safe place. Staff receive up-to-date training on safety matters. They have a good awareness of local issues and concerns in the local community. Staff take good care of the pupils. Leaders have close links with parents and know individual families well. Pupils understand about dangers in the world. They know how to keep themselves safe. For example, they learn about online safety and the dangers of gang culture and knife crime.

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External support

The local authority provides light-touch support to the school. Visits to the school support leaders in a range of ways. For example, following the drop in the attainment in key stage 2 in 2018, the local authority supported the school in reviewing its practice. Pupils’ achievement rose in mathematics and reading in key stage 2 in 2019.

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Priorities for further improvement

 Pupils said how much they enjoy learning in all subjects. They are interested in learning more and developing their talents. Leaders should continue to develop the computing curriculum. In addition, leaders should continue to check that pupils remember and understand key vocabulary across the curriculum.

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Priorities for further improvement

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

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