Queenswood School

Inspection of Queenswood School Queen Street, Morley, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS27 9EB

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils happily attend this friendly and inclusive school. They are looked after by their friends and by caring adults who know them well. A positive and respectful culture threads through everything that the school does. Every pupil is an important member of the school family and takes an active role in contributing to the school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a good quality of education. In many subjects, the school’s ambition for pupils to flourish is realised. Pupils embrace every learning opportunity. Pupils’ knowledge and skills are often impressive, particularly in the creative subjects such as art. Pupils’ behaviour is exceptionally positive. This is the result of their understanding of important concepts such as the need to respect others who may be different to them. Pupils support each other to maintain the high standards that the school has set for their behaviour and conduct.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils embrace the wider opportunities that the school arranges for them. Some have leadership roles such as safety councillors, while others are reading buddies. Older pupils are enjoying working through the different challenges that are set as part of the Queenswood Award. All pupils enjoy the music offer and delight in taking part in performances.

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better?

There is a broad and rich curriculum in place across all year groups. Teachers are mindful of the challenges of teaching mixed-age classes. They ensure that each pupil receives work that is matched well to their age and their knowledge of the curriculum. Pupils achieve well, and older pupils excitedly look forward to their next steps. Teachers help pupils to achieve highly.

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better?

In each subject, the school has clearly identified what they want pupils to know by the end of each year. In many cases, teachers are clear about what to teach to help pupils achieve these outcomes. Where there are regular opportunities for pupils to revisit important information, pupils do not forget what they have been taught before and achieve well. In a few subjects, the important knowledge that pupils should gain is not as carefully considered. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and some struggle to achieve as highly as they do in other subjects.

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better?

Most teachers have strong subject knowledge and ignite pupils’ curiosity and their love of learning. Teaching staff give clear explanations and help pupils both in lessons and at other times. Teachers are skilled at showing pupils the links between different topics and across subjects. This helps pupils build a connected knowledge of different areas of learning. However, teachers are not clear consistently about what pupils have learned in earlier key stages. As a result, teachers have to take valuable learning time to question and check pupils’ prior knowledge. 10 to 12 October 2023 The school has a focus on building pupils’ confidence and their character. From the moment they start at school, there is a focus on pupils reading aloud and performing. Teaching staff help those pupils who need more support in lessons. Pupils at the early stages of learning to read are well supported by skilled staff who

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better?

help them to read with increasing proficiency. However, not enough reading books are matched well to the sounds pupils know. Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to practise those sounds and further develop their confidence.

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better?

Pupils benefit from the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum that is in place across the school. They develop a deep understanding of different faiths and religions and what it means to be a respectful citizen in modern Britain. Pupils know that it is okay to be different. They have a strong understanding of their rights, the rights of others and the principles of respect and equality. This knowledge influences and guides pupils’ behaviour. It helps pupils to consistently make the right choices and to help others to do so. This is a calm, happy and respectful school where bullying is not tolerated and episodes of poor behaviour are vanishingly rare.

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better?

Staff enjoy working here. They are valued and well supported. The proprietor ensures that all of the independent school standards are met. The school building is maintained to a high standard. All necessary policies are in place. The proprietor ensures that all duties required by the Equality Act 2010 are met.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 There are not enough early reading books that are matched well to the sounds that pupils have been taught. Early readers do not develop reading fluency quickly enough. The school should ensure that pupils who are at an early stage of reading read books that are matched precisely to their knowledge of phonics.  In a few subjects, some of the important knowledge that pupils should learn has not been clearly identified. Teachers do not plan regular opportunities for pupils to return to this information over time. Consequently, pupils have gaps in their knowledge. The school should ensure that pupils have the opportunity to revisit this key information and learn equally well in all subjects.  Teachers do not have a clear overview of what pupils have learned in earlier key stages. This means that there are missed opportunities to ensure that new learning has the right level of ambition and builds from what pupils already know.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

The school should ensure that teachers are aware of what pupils’ prior knowledge is in all subjects so that they make rapid progress. 10 to 12 October 2023

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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. 10 to 12 October 2023

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £6,885 to £7,347

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School details

Email address headteacher@queenswoodschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 to 7 February 2019 10 to 12 October 2023

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Information about this school

 The previous standard inspection was on 5 to 7 February 2019.  The school operates from two premises: Queenswood School, Queen Street, Morley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS27 9EB and Central Methodist Church, 10a Wesley Street, Morley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS27 9SL.  The proprietor is also the headteacher.  Currently, there are no pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities or an education, health and care plan.  The school does not make use of any alternative providers.  The school makes use of a local church hall for its indoor physical education lessons.  The school holds the UNICEF silver accreditation for the Rights Respecting Schools award.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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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

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, who is also the proprietor.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in mathematics, humanities, PSHE and early reading. For each deep dive, inspectors spoke with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. An inspector listened to pupils read.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans, reviewed pupils’ work and spoke to pupils about some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors spoke with the designated safeguarding leads; 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 10 to 12 October 2023 pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors undertook a tour of the school and visited all areas, including classrooms, social spaces and other facilities. They checked the school buildings

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Information about this inspection

and grounds against the independent school standards.  The views of staff were considered through formal and informal meetings with staff and through their responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.  The views of parents were considered through the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire and through discussions held with some parents as they brought their children to school.  Inspectors spoke to pupils about their experiences of attending the school and considered their responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for pupils.

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Inspection team

Eleanor Belfield, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Dughall McCormick His Majesty’s Inspector 10 to 12 October 2023 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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