Queen Emma Primary School

Inspection of Queen Emma Primary School Gunhild Way, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB1 8QY

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 29 and 30 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

At Queen Emma Primary School, pupils enjoy being part of a diverse and welcoming community. The school is a place for learning and for making friends. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about their learning across a broad range of subjects. They are confident to share their ideas and learn to listen carefully to what others have to say.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to the high expectations that staff have of their learning and their behaviour. Older pupils act as positive role models and are encouraged to take on leadership roles. Routines are quickly established for children who join the school in the early years. Pupils who join the school in older year groups are made to feel welcome. This helps new pupils settle quickly and participate fully in school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between pupils and staff are respectful and warm. Pupils know there is always an adult they can talk to if they need help. They are confident that staff listen and help them resolve any worries they may have. Pupils and parents value their school. They enjoy opening their school to the wider community of families and friends. This includes through exciting events hosted in school, including sports days and family picnics.

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better?

Leaders have taken a measured approach to designing a relevant and aspirational curriculum. This sets out the specific knowledge that pupils need to learn in all subjects. Leaders have given particular consideration to how knowledge builds over time. As a result, pupils have the opportunity to revisit important concepts and skills. This builds the secure knowledge they need to achieve well.

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better?

Starting in the early years, children have daily opportunities to read. They have opportunities to practise; repeating and applying the important sounds they need to know. Expectations are high, so children respond well and build secure knowledge. Pupils practise using books that are carefully chosen to build fluency. Pupils requiring extra support are swiftly identified. They receive additional time to read with an adult in school, and this support positively contributes towards pupils learning to read fluently.

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better?

Leaders have invested in the growing expertise of staff. This leads to high expectations for what pupils can achieve in all subjects. Teachers and support staff use precise language to help focus pupils’ attention on the most important ideas and concepts. This is strongest in curriculum areas that are more established. There are a few areas of the curriculum that have been more recently reviewed and updated. In these areas, there is some minor variability in teachers’ subject knowledge. This can also lead to some less effective use of assessment to check what pupils know. Where this is the case, leaders’ ambitions for the quality of education are not fully 29 and 30 June 2023

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achieved. Leaders are taking action to further embed these aspects of the curriculum.

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Staff know the pupils well. This supports effective adaptations to help pupils successfully take part in learning. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders work effectively with staff to accurately identify the needs of these pupils. This results in precise and targeted plans for support. These plans help pupils, including those with behaviour needs, to access the same curriculum as others. This approach to support helps pupils with SEND to achieve well.

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Adults in school promote high expectations for behaviour. There are clear and established routines from the moment pupils join the school. As a result, pupils’ conduct in and around lessons is cooperative, and classrooms are spaces where learning is the priority. Some pupils find managing their behaviour more difficult. Where this is the case, there is detailed and reliable support to help them manage this so learning is not disrupted.

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Pupils have access to a wide range of opportunities for their personal development. The school’s values are woven through the curriculum and staff model these. This helps pupils to put these qualities into practice. This is seen in the respectful way pupils embrace cultural differences in their school community. Leaders have a sharp focus on the pastoral needs of pupils. This informs both the curriculum and specialist intervention support provided. This helps pupils to thrive.

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The governing body offers a range of expertise and specialist knowledge. This ensures that leaders are supported and that the school continues to improve. Governors are actively involved in monitoring the quality of education. As a result, they have an accurate understanding of what is happening and the impact of recent changes. Governors hold leaders to account to ensure that pupils access a high-quality education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established an effective culture of safeguarding. This is underpinned by a reliable and well-understood system for reporting and sharing concerns. Leaders continue to sharpen their use of an electronic system to support them to monitor pupils and take effective action. Staff across the school have impactful training and feel empowered to fulfil their safeguarding roles.

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Safeguarding

Governors share the high expectations for safeguarding practices. They have routines in place to ensure that systems are compliant and that pupils are kept safe. This includes robust oversight of the recruitment and vetting checks that are in place. 29 and 30 June 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A few areas of the curriculum are at an earlier stage of implementation. Within these areas, there is some minor variation in the expertise and specialist knowledge that teachers have. This limits the degree to which leaders’ ambitions are fully seen in practice. Leaders, including subject leaders, should continue to develop the confidence and subject knowledge of teachers to fully implement the new curriculum, including use of assessment. This will support all pupils to achieve the best they can across all subject areas.

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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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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. 29 and 30 June 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10299044 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 29 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There has been a change in headteacher since the previous inspection. The current headteacher took up post in September 2021.  The school provides wraparound childcare for children in early years and Year 1.  The school does not use off-site alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this graded 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 school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher, deputy headteachers and a range of other staff to explore provision across the school, including curriculum design and provision for children with specific needs, including SEND. 29 and 30 June 2023

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 The lead inspector met with nine governors, including the chair of governors. A separate discussion was held with a school improvement partner from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in three areas of learning: early reading, mathematics, physical education, design & technology and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors met with curriculum leaders, looked at curriculum documentation, visited lessons, spoke with teachers and staff, spoke with children about their learning and looked at examples of their work.  Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding leaders, the school’s secretary, governors and other staff to discuss safeguarding practices.  During the inspection, inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the single central record of recruitment and vetting checks, curriculum plans, school development plans, and safeguarding and behaviour records.

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 Inspectors also spoke with children about their experiences of school life and their learning in lessons to understand what it is like to be a child in this school. Inspectors also observed the behaviour of children in classrooms and outside areas.  Inspectors considered 136 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including parents’ free-text comments. Inspectors also considered 36 responses to Ofsted’s survey for school staff.

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Inspection team

Kristian Hewitt, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Katherine Douglas His Majesty’s Inspector 29 and 30 June 2023

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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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