Queen's Park Primary School

Inspection of Queen’s Park Primary School Park Street, Brighton, East Sussex BN2 0BN

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Inspection dates: 13 to 14 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 13 and 14 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy here. The very youngest children, who have only just started school, have settled well and engage confidently with the many activities on offer. Elsewhere, pupils and staff say that they can see and appreciate the initial improvements being made across the school’s provision.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The expectations of what pupils will learn and how they will behave are increasing following new guidance and training for staff. Staff, many of whom are new to the school, recognise the importance of the current focus on the much-needed improvements. However, many of these are at early stages and there remains variability across the school in how they are being implemented. As a result, pupils do not currently always behave and learn as well as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. While a few pupils do not always feel listened to when they raise playground issues or bullying, most do feel included and well cared for. Relationships across the school are warm. Pupils move around safely and are typically polite and friendly. Playtimes are a hive of happy activity where older pupils support the younger ones as part of the new ‘playground leaders’ system. Pupils enjoy the opportunities to play games, exercise and socialise.

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better?

The school has experienced a period of disruption that has led to pupils not achieving as well as they should. Decisive and effective action has recently been taken by the new headteacher and the newly formed leadership team. Staff are positive about the results of the recent changes and morale is high. They are keen to work with senior leaders, including the new special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), to ensure that the necessary improvements to support for all pupils are quickly put in place. This includes further training and support for subject leaders to check teachers have the knowledge and expertise they need to teach the curriculum.

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better?

Pupils learn across a broad range of subjects. They are keen to take part in enjoyable activities. However, the curriculum has not yet been fully ordered in all subjects so that pupils learn new knowledge that builds on what they have learned before. Consequently, pupils are unable to explore different concepts in depth. In subjects such as mathematics, pupils do not always have the necessary knowledge of number concepts, such as place value, to understand what they are being taught. While pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are increasingly having their individual needs identified, teachers are not yet consistent in adapting learning to ensure all pupils with SEND learn successfully.

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better?

The school has made significant changes in the teaching of reading. Staff now have the training and resources they need to prioritise reading for all. They report how this has raised pupils’ interest in the books that they read. Many pupils choose to read often. In early years, children are excited by books which they eagerly bring to 13 and 14 September 2023

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adults to share. Children now get off to a strong start in learning to read because the teaching of phonics is regular and effective. Staff across the rest of the school have developed their expertise in supporting those pupils who need additional help. This is beginning to have an impact in helping these pupils to read fluently and with confidence.

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Staff and pupils say that behaviour has improved since the introduction of the new policy. Staff are beginning to apply the strategies that underpin the principles of ‘respectful, responsible, safe’. However, this is not yet consistently in place. While some pupils more readily understand how to act responsibly, some still struggle to learn independently. The school also continues to take action to promote and support regular school attendance. However, currently, not all pupils attend school as regularly as they should.

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While the school promotes personal development opportunities for pupils, as yet the personal, social and health education curriculum is not effectively or coherently organised. Pupils do learn about a range of faiths and develop some understanding of equality. Pupils also enjoy representing the school in sporting tournaments and community events. They know how to keep themselves safe and healthy.

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The school is working to improve communication with parents and strengthen positive links with the wider community. Parents recognise the recent improvements that have been made. Specific training has supported the governing body in holding leaders to account for school performance and they have now begun to revise how they support improvements in the school. However, governors do not yet have sufficient understanding about the effectiveness of how additional funding is used to support the achievement of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The knowledge that pupils should learn across the curriculum has not yet been carefully identified or ordered. Teachers do not always know precisely what to teach and when, meaning pupils are not learning important knowledge and skills securely. The school should ensure that a fully sequenced curriculum is in place across all subjects that links learning from early years to Year 6.  Teaching is not always underpinned by secure pedagogical or subject knowledge. This means that pupils’ misconceptions are not always identified and addressed. The school should continue to provide support and training for staff to deliver sequences of learning effectively. This includes making appropriate adaptations to help pupils with SEND achieve well. 13 and 14 September 2023

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 The leadership and oversight of individual subjects is at an early stage. The effectiveness of the curriculum is not routinely checked by subject leaders. The school should continue to support leaders at all levels as they implement the much-needed improvements to the curriculum.  Governors do not always have sufficient oversight of how resources are allocated and used. This means that they do not evaluate sufficiently well the impact of additional funding. Governors should further develop their oversight and evaluation of the schools’ resources to support ongoing improvements in the school.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.queenspark.brighton-hove.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher and SENCo joined the school in January 2023. Prior to this was a period of interim leadership. Many new staff also joined the school in September 2023.  The school currently use one registered alternative provider of education.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 13 and 14 September 2023

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 During the inspection, the inspectors met with school leaders. The lead inspector also met with representatives from the governing body and spoke to representatives from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, physical education and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to pupils read.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s parent, pupil and staff surveys. An

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inspector spoke to parents at the school gate.  The inspectors talked to staff to gather their views about the school, including their workload and well-being. The inspectors met with several groups of pupils, as well as speaking to pupils during lessons and at lunchtime.

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Deborah Gordon, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Mark Rivers Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 September 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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