Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School West Park Road, Blackburn, Lancashire BB2 6DF

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school’s work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Claire Gammon. This school is part of the QEGS Blackburn Academy Trust, which means that other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The headteacher also acts as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the trust. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Peat.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff care deeply about pupils’ academic and personal achievements in this school. Pupils value the support that they receive from staff. This helps them to feel safe in school. The vast majority of pupils respond well to the increasingly high expectations that the school has of their conduct. They behave well in lessons and at social times. However, a small minority of pupils do not demonstrate enough respect for others. This spoils the learning experiences of some pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is increasingly ambitious for pupils’ academic achievement. However, some of the school’s work to improve the curriculum design and delivery is not fully developed. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a variety of clubs, societies and activities that help broaden their personal development. Many pupils enjoy the school’s rich arts programme, which includes visits to the theatre, to art exhibitions and to music ensembles. They also relish the opportunities to take up positions of responsibility. For instance, older pupils enjoy mentoring younger pupils. Sixth-form students take pleasure in leading clubs such as debates and medical society. These pursuits help foster teamwork and leadership. They also build a sense of responsibility. 4 and 5 March 2025

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

In 2024, the school’s published outcomes, including in the sixth form, showed that some pupils did not perform as well as others nationally in some subjects. This was partly because of past weaknesses in how the curriculum was designed and delivered in these subjects. The school has started to address these shortcomings in the quality of education. For instance, in some subjects, the curriculum is organised well and helps pupils to build on their prior learning. However, in other areas, the curriculum is not designed in sufficient breadth and depth. Therefore, pupils do not gain the knowledge that they need to move on successfully to the next stage in their learning.

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

In many subjects, including in the sixth form, staff use their strong subject knowledge to explain subject matter clearly to pupils. Nonetheless, some teachers do not check what pupils know and remember thoroughly enough. When this happens, teachers do not have enough information to design future learning effectively. As a result, some pupils do not know what they need to do to improve. This hampers their future learning.

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

The school has strong systems in place to identify and support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This information is shared with staff, who use it to help pupils with SEND access the curriculum. This typically helps most pupils with SEND to achieve well.

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

Reading is a priority at the school. The school promotes reading for pleasure through the school library, reading lessons and bookmark club. Most pupils, including sixth-form students, read frequently and with confidence. Pupils who struggle with reading receive extra support through phonics and literacy programmes. However, this support is less well developed for older pupils. As a result, these pupils do not get the help that they need to improve their reading skills. This hinders their ability to access the curriculum.

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

Pupils attend school frequently. The school has improved its behaviour management processes. This has strengthened the support for pupils who struggle to manage their own behaviours. Most pupils follow routines well. In the main, there is a calm and purposeful atmosphere in lessons. Nevertheless, the persistent poor behaviour of a few pupils undermines the confidence of a minority of parents, carers, pupils and staff in the school’s ability to address these issues effectively. Occasionally, this is because the school does not communicate and clarify its actions to manage behaviour consistently well.

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

Pupils benefit from a comprehensive programme that promotes their personal development. They develop a strong understanding of fundamental British values, diversity and how to keep safe. For instance, they celebrate differences through events such as ‘culture day’ and international trips. The school also has a strong careers programme. This includes work experience and employer visits to deepen pupils’ understanding of the world of work. Sixth-form students receive valuable guidance on university, employment and training. This helps them to make informed decisions about their future. 4 and 5 March 2025

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Staff value the school’s growing focus on their well-being and workload, especially during periods of change. Trustees are committed to supporting the school. However, they do not fully understand the weaknesses in the quality of education. Consequently, their oversight of the school’s work has not led to sufficient improvements in pupils’ achievement.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school is at the early stages of further improving its curriculum to ensure that it meets the needs and interests of pupils. Currently, the curriculum in some subjects is not designed in sufficient breadth and depth. This means that pupils do not gain the knowledge that they need to move on to their next stage of learning. The school should ensure that the curriculum is better designed to help pupils to progress through the curriculum successfully and achieve well.  Some teachers do not check pupils’ learning as effectively as they should. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their learning that are left unaddressed. The school should ensure that teachers are equipped with the skills and knowledge required to check that pupils develop their knowledge and skills securely over time and achieve well.  The support for older pupils who struggle to read is not fully developed. This means that some pupils do not gain the knowledge that they need to read with fluency and

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

confidence. This limits their access to the curriculum. The school should strengthen its provision to support older pupils who struggle to read to ensure that they develop reading knowledge appropriate to their age.  A minority of parents, pupils and staff are not confident in how well their concerns, including about behaviour, are dealt with. On occasion, this spoils some pupils’ experiences of the school. The school should ensure that its actions to manage behaviour are communicated clearly and consistently so that pupils, parents and staff gain confidence that behaviour is dealt with fairly and effectively.  Trustees do not review the impact of some aspects of the school’s improvement work effectively enough. This limits how well weaknesses in the quality of education are addressed. Trustees should enhance their quality assurance processes to help raise standards quickly and effectively. 4 and 5 March 2025

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in September 2019.

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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). 4 and 5 March 2025

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form

Dates of previous inspection 25 and 26 September 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the QEGS Blackburn Academy Trust. The school converted to a trust in 2021. It then split into a secondary phase school from an all-through school in 2023.  The headteacher also acts as the CEO of the trust.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  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. 4 and 5 March 2025

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher/CEO and other school leaders. Inspectors also met with a range of other staff.  Inspectors spoke with members of the board of trustees, including the vice-chair of trustees. They also spoke with representatives of the local authority.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour across the school, including at social times.  Inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders and teachers, visited a sample of lessons, reviewed samples of pupils’ work and spoke with some pupils and students in the sixth form.  Inspectors spoke with the leaders responsible for pupils’ personal development,

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Information about this inspection

behaviour and attendance, sixth-form, careers and reading.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and records relating to pupils’ attendance and behaviour.  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 considered the responses of parents to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils.

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Inspection team

Amina Modan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie Bather Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 March 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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