Queen Elizabeth's

Inspection of Queen Elizabeth’s Western Road, Crediton, Devon EX17 3LU

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 17 and 18 May 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

At Queen Elizabeth’s, staff expect pupils to behave well and, overall, they do. The atmosphere in lessons is very focused. Teachers have established clear routines to make lessons run smoothly. Pupils acquire useful study habits. They are getting better at remembering what they have learned.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff provide effective pastoral care. They routinely check in on pupils. They ask pupils how they are getting on and whether anything is troubling them. Leaders encourage pupils to report any concerns they may have about the behaviour they encounter around the school. Most pupils say that staff are good at resolving any incidences of bullying that occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils who struggle with their learning or their behaviour are mostly supported well by teachers and other staff. Nevertheless, for a small number of pupils, poor behaviour hampers their ability to make progress though the curriculum as well as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The sixth form is well regarded by students and parents alike. Students play an active part in furthering the school’s ethos of respect and tolerance. Pupils, of all ages, are well prepared for their next steps, whether that be in securing a place at a university or further education college, or taking up an apprenticeship.

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better?

Leaders have kept a resolute focus on curriculum development. They have created the conditions in which pupils can learn an ambitious curriculum. Pupils, parents and staff recognise and welcome this. As a reflection of this, pupils are showing more ambition in their subject choices for GCSE. For example, there has been a marked increase in the proportion of pupils choosing to study a modern foreign language.

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better?

The curriculum in different subjects is designed to help pupils, from Year 7 right through to the sixth form, to retain their knowledge. Teachers carefully select the ideas that are most important for pupils to remember. They give clear explanations of the subject matter and check that pupils and students understand.

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better?

Some pupils are still in the early stages of reading when they join the school. Leaders provide support but do not identify the gaps in pupils’ knowledge precisely enough so that all pupils become fluent, accurate readers.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well and therefore make successful progress through the curriculum. Leaders provide useful guidance to staff on how the curriculum can be adapted to best meet pupils’ needs.

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better?

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, some vulnerable pupils, including some with SEND, do not attend school as well as they should. When they do attend school, 17 and 18 May 2022

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some pupils find it difficult to meet the high expectations of behaviour in lessons. Consequently, these pupils do not learn the curriculum as well as they could and become demotivated. Leaders do not yet have a fully developed understanding of how their approach to the management of pupils’ behaviour helps or hinders the progress that pupils make through the curriculum.

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Through the personal, social and health education curriculum, pupils learn how to build and maintain positive and healthy relationships with others. Pupils have respect for, and interest in, people from different backgrounds. Students in the sixth form lead some of the school’s work on promoting the importance of equality for different groups. Pupils participate in a range of sporting and cultural extra-curricular opportunities which enhance their social development.

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Pupils and sixth-form students value the careers advice and guidance they receive. Leaders welcome feedback on their careers programme, and act on it. For example, they have strengthened governors’ oversight in this area. The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Leaders, including trust leaders and governors, are ambitious for the school and the opportunities it provides for local pupils. Trust leaders have helped the school to bring about improvements by providing leadership capacity where it is needed. Leaders encourage staff to learn from each other. Staff value the opportunity to challenge and support one another to improve. Leaders are considerate of staff’s well-being, although some staff would like more support to manage their workload. Nonetheless, most staff say that they enjoy working at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders anticipate risks to pupils and make them aware of these. They make sure that pupils receive clear information about how to keep themselves safe. Pupils are encouraged to report anything that concerns them.

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Safeguarding

A range of staff are involved in making sure that vulnerable pupils and families receive early help when they need it. Leaders work with safeguarding partners in external agencies to provide timely support for pupils at risk.

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Safeguarding

Adults working in the school are appropriately vetted. Leaders, including governors and trust leaders, continue to strengthen safeguarding practice by keeping it under review. 17 and 18 May 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders do not fully evaluate how the consequences of some pupils’ behaviour interfere with their ability to follow the curriculum, particularly pupils with SEND. Some pupils miss important curriculum content, leading to gaps in their knowledge. Leaders should consider more carefully the impact of their strategies on pupils’ learning.  Some pupils cannot read accurately when they join the school. Leaders do not use assessment precisely enough to pinpoint where pupils may have gaps in their knowledge of phonics. Leaders should assess reading more precisely and provide a well-sequenced phonics curriculum where needed.

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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. 17 and 18 May 2022

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1291

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sixth form

Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 June 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a larger than average-sized secondary school, operating on two sites approximately one mile apart. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 are taught at the Barnfield site. Pupils in Years 9 to 13 are taught at the Western Road site.  At the time of the previous inspection, the school had provision for boarders. This provision has since closed.  The school joined the Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust in February 2021. 17 and 18 May 2022

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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 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 of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, a group of leaders from the multi-academy trust, including the chief executive officer, and a group of trustees and governors, including the chair of the trust and the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, science, modern foreign languages, history and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors scrutinised the single central record of adults working in the school

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Information about this inspection

and held discussions with leaders, including the designated safeguarding lead, to evaluate the school’s work to safeguard pupils.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s questionnaire for parents. Inspectors also considered responses to the surveys for pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Lydia Pride, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Favager-Dalton Her Majesty’s Inspector 17 and 18 May 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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