Queens Park Community School

Inspection of Queens Park Community School Aylestone Avenue, London NW6 7BQ

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 January 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Good

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The headteacher of this school is Jude Enright. This school is part of Queens Park Community School Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Jude Enright, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Janet Gordon. 28 and 29 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a warm and supportive environment at Queens Park Community School. Pupils say that adults are kind and approachable and they feel safe here. Everyone is proud of the inclusive culture. They celebrate diversity and never tolerate bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils study a broad curriculum, including in the sixth form. This is supported by an extensive extra-curricular offer, including sports clubs, dissecting, art and debating. Pupils take up many leadership roles with enthusiasm, including running the school newspaper and being an anti-bullying ambassador.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all. The school supports pupils with special educational needs and or/disabilities (SEND) well so they achieve highly alongside their peers. Most pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They are encouraged to play an active role in school improvement by sharing their thoughts and ideas. Discussion and inquiry are part of day-to-day life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn important life skills appropriate to their age, including how to save and invest, how to challenge prejudice, and how to respond to harmful content online. They learn the study skills they need to achieve well in national examinations. As a result, pupils are very well prepared for the next stage in their education or training.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders and trustees work proactively to identify areas for improvement. Pupil voice is at the heart of decision-making. Staff value pupils’ perspectives and this helps to ensure that changes are made in the best interests of pupils.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has designed a broad and high-quality curriculum, including in the sixth form. Subjects include criminology, photography and music technology. Some pupils study two languages, where pupils achieve exceptionally well. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. This enables pupils to develop a depth of knowledge over time and explore complex, subject-specific questions.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The curriculum is well organised and sequenced. It sets out the important knowledge that pupils need to learn. For example, in French and Spanish, pupils know which grammatical rules, verbs and vocabulary they should know securely by the end of each year. The curriculum has been designed to help prepare pupils for the next stage of their learning. For example, pupils in Years 10 and 11 learn key vocabulary which will support their studies in Years 12 and 13. In the sixth form, students read extracts from academic journals to help prepare them for university.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school’s work to improve assessment has been broadly successful. Staff value the opportunity to develop their knowledge and to work with other schools. However, teachers’ checks on pupils’ work are sometimes inconsistent. The quality of work in pupils’ books is variable and some pupils are not making the progress they should. 28 and 29 January 2025

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The school has established an open culture, where pupils feel confident to report their concerns, which they do. Pastoral care is very strong. Sixth-form students value the school’s recognition of them as young adults and take on a range of leadership roles.

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The school quickly identifies the needs of pupils with SEND. The school provides effective support to help these pupils access the curriculum. Some staff in the inclusion team provide specialist support for pupils with autism. Pupils speak highly of the help they receive.

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The school has increased its focus on literacy. The ‘word of the week’ and ‘read and rise’ sessions help pupils build their vocabulary. The school swiftly identifies support for pupils who need help with reading. Some pupils who speak English as an additional language complete paired reading with sixth-form students who share the same language at home. This helps pupils who have recently arrived in the UK to settle in quickly.

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Pupils enjoy school and attend well, including the most vulnerable. The school has implemented a new behaviour system, and the impact of this work has been positive. Typically, behaviour does not interrupt learning in lessons. Most pupils show respect and consideration for others. While the system is clear and well understood, it is not fully embedded. Sometimes, staff do not uphold expectations consistently, and a small number of pupils do not focus fully during their learning.

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There is an ambitious personal development curriculum for pupils in Years 7 to 13. The school teaches content at the right time, supporting pupils to make informed decisions about their health, well-being and safety. Pupils have a good understanding of prejudice and discrimination, including the negative impacts of gender stereotyping. In lessons and around the school, pupils demonstrate the confidence to ask questions and to discuss their learning with their peers. This is because the school is successful in developing pupils’ confidence and skills in discussion and debate.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, teachers do not routinely check that pupils understand and complete the work set to a high standard. As a result, the quality of the work in pupils’ books is variable. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment routines effectively, to check that pupils’ work across the curriculum is of consistently high quality.  The school’s new approach to managing behaviour is not fully embedded. This means that a small number of pupils do not fully focus on their learning. The school should ensure that staff apply routines and sanctions consistently so that pupils are supported to meet the high standards the school has set for them. 28 and 29 January 2025

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How can I feed back my views?

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). 28 and 29 January 2025

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,311

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form

Dates of previous inspection 3 and 4 December 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Queens Park Community School Academy Trust.  The school uses two registered alternative providers and one unregistered.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements 28 and 29 January 2025

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(quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth-form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders, staff and pupils. They met with governors and trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, English, modern foreign languages, history and music. For each deep dive, 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.  Inspectors visited lessons and considered how the needs of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are met. They observed pupils at various times of the school day.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; considered the views of parents; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors evaluated responses from parents to Ofsted Parent View. They spoke with some parents. Inspectors also evaluated the responses that staff and pupils made to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Polly Haste, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Duncan Kamya Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 January 2025

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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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