Queen Margaret Primary School

Inspection of Queen Margaret Primary School York Road, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire GL20 5HU

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 8 and 9 February 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is not having the intended effect. Pupils are not learning well enough. There is too much variability in the teaching of subject content. This is partly because teachers are not familiar with the curriculum’s expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that this is a happy school. Teachers expect pupils to behave well and work sensibly in lessons, and they do. Pupils get on well together and should bullying occur, they have confidence to report it to staff. In the playground, there is a wealth of healthy activities on offer, including the ‘daily mile’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults are caring and sensitive to the needs of pupils. Parents and carers appreciate the role the school plays in their children’s lives. A typical comment that captures the views of many is that the school provides ‘fantastic pastoral care with very warm and supportive staff’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The Reception class is a calm but busy place to learn. Children concentrate well. They use their new learning in their play when, for example, they ‘take orders’ in their class ‘café’.

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better?

Leaders have launched a new curriculum for subjects other than English and mathematics. However, it is not well thought out. It does not develop pupils’ knowledge as well as it could. Leaders intend that the curriculum be ambitious, so that pupils are successful and enthused by learning. However, over time, pupils have not learned all that they should. This hinders their ability to make progress through the curriculum. The new approach does not address gaps in pupils’ knowledge well enough.

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better?

Teachers do not know what pupils have learned. They do not always spot when pupils’ lack of knowledge hinders their ability to learn new content. Teachers are not sure how to address gaps in pupils’ knowledge. The guidance to teachers from leaders is not precise enough. Subject leaders are keen to make improvements. However, in some subjects, leaders do not have the expertise they need. This is slowing the pace of improvements to the curriculum.

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better?

Phonics is taught well in the Reception class. Children are quickly learning to read. Where needed, additional sessions help children keep up with the programme. Pupils benefit from books that help them practise the sounds they know. However, gaps in learning caused by the pandemic mean that some pupils in Years 1 and 2 need to catch up. Nevertheless, leaders have not ensured that additional support is effective. This means that these pupils are not catching up as quickly as they could.

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better?

Pupils enjoy the high-quality literature that they read in lessons. This is helping them in their reading and to develop their love of books. Pupils with special educational 8 and 9 February 2022

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needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have effective support with learning to read fluently.

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In mathematics, teachers know precisely what to teach and when. Pupils are learning consistently well across the school. Teaching focuses on the teaching of number and calculation. This helps pupils with arithmetic and problem-solving. Skilled teaching assistants support pupils with SEND effectively to learn alongside their classmates.

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The school guides pupils well in how to make good choices for their future lives. For example, children in the Reception class learn how to look after their teeth. Pupils understand the school’s values such as respect, and how they can use these in their relationships with others. Pupils take on roles as peer mediators and school councillors. Their knowledge of the range of cultures in modern Britain deepens over time.

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Governors know the school well. They recognise that the school is not yet where they want it to be. Leaders have the confidence of staff. Morale is high and teachers are enthusiastic about the professional development opportunities they have.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know pupils well and are quick to spot and report concerns about pupils’ welfare. Leaders seek advice from a range of agencies, which supports them in keeping pupils safe.

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Safeguarding

Staff and governor training in safeguarding is up to date. Governors meet with leaders to oversee the safeguarding measures leaders take. Leaders carry out appropriate checks on adults who work in the school.

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Safeguarding

The school prioritises teaching pupils to keep themselves safe. Pupils are knowledgeable about staying safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders do not have an overview of how knowledge is planned across the curriculum. This is restricting their ability to help teachers support pupils who have gaps in their learning. Leaders should ensure that there is clarity about what pupils should learn and when.  Teaching does not identify where pupils have gaps in their knowledge. New learning then falters. Leaders should ensure that accurate assessment identifies what pupils know and that, where gaps remain, pupils catch up quickly. 8 and 9 February 2022

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 The phonics curriculum is not as well planned as it could be to help pupils who need to catch up. This means that these pupils do not get the additional support they need. Leaders should ensure that the school’s agreed approach to the teaching of phonics is used consistently well, so that pupils catch up quickly.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 8 and 9 February 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

13 and 14 March 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been widespread changes in subject leadership over the past academic year.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher and senior leaders. The lead inspector met with a group of governors and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning, 8 and 9 February 2022

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listened to pupils read and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They also discussed the other curriculum subjects and looked at a sample of work.  Inspectors spoke with the special educational needs coordinator and the early years leader. They spoke to groups of pupils to discuss their personal development. Inspectors also spoke to pupils and staff on the playground during lunchtime.  The lead inspector looked at the recruitment checks the school makes and held a meeting with the designated safeguarding lead. Inspectors met with staff to talk about their training.  Inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including parents’ free-text comments. They also took into consideration responses to the staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Wendy Marriott, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Elizabeth Farr Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 February 2022

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regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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