Queensway

Inspection of Queensway School Hinkshay Road, Dawley, Telford TF4 3PP

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 14 and 15 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

At Queensway, leaders and teachers expect the pupils to be the best they can be, and pupils work hard to meet these expectations. These high expectations and ambition for all are driving all the developments that are currently happening at Queensway.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Queensway have various learning barriers, such as autism spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. Pupils leave as successful learners and confident members of society. Pupils whom inspectors spoke with are happy at Queensway because they feel that the staff listen to them and act when they need help.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Preparing pupils for the world around them is the school’s top priority. Residential visits, forest school, fundraising, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) projects excite them and broaden their education and life experiences. Visits to places such as Premier League football stadiums and different countries develop pupils’ cultural awareness. Pupils learn about the risks in society and what to do when faced with them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is positive across the school. Pupils behave well in lessons, during breaktimes and around the school. In most cases, staff act quickly where needed to ensure that pupils can focus on learning and get the most from lessons. Bullying is rare. Leaders investigate any incidents and act when needed.

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better?

The recently appointed headteacher and brand-new senior leadership team are tenacious in working to get the best outcomes for all pupils. Strong support and challenge from the multi-academy trust and governing body are helping to make leaders’ ambitions a reality.

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better?

Leaders and staff are committed to overcoming the barriers to learning that pupils experience as a result of their individual special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with autism spectrum disorder at the north campus and pupils with SEMH needs at the south campus benefit from caring relationships with staff. All staff are trained as mental-health first-aiders. Consequently, staff can spot those times when pupils need additional support for their SEMH needs. However, some teachers do not always consider pupils’ speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), or the impact that sensory processing disorder (SPD) can have on how pupils learn.

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better?

The new curriculum at Queensway is ambitious and focused on pupils gaining a deep knowledge across various subjects. Subject leaders are passionate about their subjects. Planned lessons are precisely designed to develop pupils’ knowledge over time. 14 and 15 June 2022

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Making sure that all pupils are confident readers is a top priority. Not all pupils can read well enough when they join the school to access the curriculum easily. When needed, reading intervention is prioritised to help pupils catch up. The ‘drop everything and read’ strategy emphasises reading for enjoyment at different points in the day. Visits to the theatre bring books to life. From this intervention and support, pupils secure strong outcomes in English Literature GCSE and entry-level qualifications.

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Lessons in subjects such as science, design and technology and mathematics broaden pupils’ academic experience. Vocational classes in photography, hair and beauty, car maintenance and land management provide pathways to employment, training or further education. Most pupils are confident in recalling things they have learned in the past. For example, in one lesson, pupils could recall their knowledge of the First World War to consider its causes. However, a few pupils struggle to remember what they have learned in the past. This is because lessons do not always prioritise helping pupils remember what they have learned.

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Behaviour across the school is positive because relationships between staff and pupils are calm, purposeful and nurturing. A new behaviour for learning policy prioritises pupils’ understanding of the impact of their actions. However, there are too many occasions when staff support pupils too readily and do not allow them opportunities to develop their independence and problem-solving skills.

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Staff work hard to ensure that pupils are ready for the world around them. Social education lessons develop pupils’ awareness of the risks in society, such as gang culture and county lines. Visits from police community support officers and guest speakers develop this understanding. Pupils whom inspectors spoke with said that these experiences have helped them deal positively with difficult situations out of school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff know that keeping pupils safe is their top priority. Leaders have trained staff well. As a result, staff know the signs that indicate pupils might not be safe. Staff pass on to leaders any concerns they have. Leaders deal with these appropriately, bringing in external help when required. Pupils and families, therefore, get the high- quality support they need.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors make sure that all required pre-employment checks are in place. All safeguarding policies and procedures are clear and understood by staff. 14 and 15 June 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Lessons do not always consider every pupil’s varying SEND. In some cases, most noticeably for a small number of pupils with SLCN or SPD, teachers have not considered the impact that these needs will have on how well pupils learn, which hampers pupils’ learning. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum implementation is carefully adapted to consider the barriers for pupils with these particular needs.  Not all pupils have securely remembered what they have learned in the past. In some cases, lessons have not fully embedded knowledge into the long-term memories of the pupils, which means that staff have to work harder at the beginning of the next lesson to help pupils remember. Leaders need to ensure that curriculum implementation prioritises embedding knowledge into pupils’ long- term memory.  On too many occasions, staff do not take advantage of opportunities to help pupils develop their independence, problem-solving skills or resilience. Supportive

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

intervention, while well meaning, happens too quickly, which makes pupils over- reliant on staff. Leaders should ensure that the promotion of learning behaviours is utilised to ensure that pupils can develop essential life and independent skills.

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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. 14 and 15 June 2022

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School details

School category Academy special sponsor-led

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is split between two campuses. The north campus has provision for pupils with autism spectrum disorder, and the south campus is for pupils with SEMH needs.  A new headteacher took up post in September 2020.  Since September 2020, a new deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher have also taken up post.  The school uses two unregistered providers of alternative provision.  Programmes of study for older pupils meet 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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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

 During the inspection, inspectors focused on the following subjects: reading and English literature, mathematics, science, and design and technology. In these 14 and 15 June 2022

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subjects, they visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and talked with pupils and staff about the way these subjects were taught. Inspectors also looked at other subjects in less detail to check how they were planned and taught.  Inspectors asked pupils, staff, leaders and governors about safeguarding arrangements. They scrutinised the record of employment checks on school staff and looked at other school records. They also found out about safety procedures and routines.  Inspectors observed informal times to evaluate safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour.  As part of the inspection, inspectors visited one of the school’s providers of alternative provision to sample the work done to support young people who attend there.  During the inspection, inspectors had formal meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject teachers, governors, teachers and pupils. Inspectors also talked informally with parents and carers, pupils and staff to gather general

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information about school life. One inspector spoke to representatives from the multi-academy trust.

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Inspection team

Chris Pollitt, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Russell Hinton Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 June 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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