Queen's Park Primary School

Queen's Park Primary School Inspection report

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101120 Unique Reference Number Westminster Local Authority 285976 Inspection number 18 June 2007 Inspection date Keith Williams Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 320 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Rev T Poh Chair Ms B Mayne Headteacher 15 October 2001 Date of previous school inspection Droop Street School address London W10 4DQ

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020 7641 5860 Telephone number 020 7641 5826 Fax number

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3 °11 Age group 18 June 2007 Inspection date 285976 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This larger than average primary school serves an area of significant deprivation and a well above average proportion of pupils is eligible for free school meals. Most pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. Amongst the largest groups represented are those of Bangladeshi, Black African and Black Caribbean heritage. A large majority of pupils are learning English as an additional language, most of whom are at an early stage of acquiring the language. About a fifth of pupils are from refugee families or those seeking asylum. An above average proportion is identified with learning difficulties or disabilities; the number with a statement of special educational need is about average. The school has the Gold Artsmark, Healthy Schools and Activemark awards.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Queen's Park Primary School, 18 June 2007

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Grade: 2

Queen's Park is a good school and has some outstanding features. High quality care and support and good teaching, leadership and management mean that pupils make excellent progress in their personal development and achieve well academically to reach average standards. All pupils are valued, whatever their background or ability and the school makes a real difference to their lives. Pupils respond by enjoying school very much. They are highly motivated and take part enthusiastically in all that it offers. Pupils begin their education with a range of skills that, overall, are lower than those usually found. In addition, many have little or no English when they first start school. Children in the Foundation Stage get off to a good start, because they are well taught. Staff place a strong and successful emphasis on helping children to improve their understanding and use of English and develop the confidence to try things out for themselves. As a result, children make good

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Grade: 2

progress in Nursery and Reception, although standards remain below those expected as they enter Year 1. One of the reasons that the school is successful is that senior staff, under the excellent guidance of the headteacher, keep a very close check on the school's performance and identify what should be improved. Staff at all levels share this commitment and they work together very effectively to seek improvement. Test results and other assessments are analysed and a close check is kept on teaching and learning. Recognising that results in the 2006 mathematics tests for pupils in Year 6 were lower than expected, a range of strategies were introduced. Their success means that standards are higher amongst pupils currently in Year 6, and are in line with those found in most schools. Similarly successful efforts to raise standards in Key Stage 1 mean that more pupils in Year 2 now reach the expected levels than has been the case in recent years.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is successful because careful planning caters for all levels of ability, expectations are high and good quality marking keeps pupils well informed about their progress. The school provides a broad and interesting range of activities that contribute to pupils' enjoyment and good progress. The high expectations of staff mean that they are currently modifying and improving this provision. Senior staff have rightly identified the need to extend their monitoring to consider the impact of their revised curriculum on pupils' learning. Similarly, the school is beginning to evaluate the difference that the excellent range of activities provided outside of lessons makes to pupils' learning. The school's greatest success is in the way it provides exceptional care and support to meet pupils' differing needs. This has a significant impact on their excellent personal development and ensures that pupils achieve well, regardless of background, gender, ability or familiarity

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Grade: 2

with English. Pupils' safety and security is paramount, and this is much appreciated by pupils. As one said, 'People help you if you are in need.' A close check is kept on pupils' progress, particularly in literacy and numeracy. These results are used well to track the progress of different groups of pupils, ensure that they are achieving as well as they should and to target extra support where it is most needed. Targets for improvement are very clear and well understood by pupils. Parents are very supportive of the school and staff work hard to increase parents' involvement in their children's education. This is steadily increasing, but the school rightly recognises that there is still more to do, so that pupils feel the full benefit of these links. The school works extremely well with a wide range of support agencies and specialists to enhance the care and support they offer. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Queen's Park Primary School, 18 June 2007

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Grade: 2

The school leaders have a very accurate view of their effectiveness and what should improve. This, together with their track record of improvement, means that they have excellent capacity to secure further improvement.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Extend the involvement of parents in their children's learning. • Monitor the impact of new initiatives on pupils' learning.

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Grade: 2

From their below average starting points, pupils achieve well to reach standards that are broadly average by Year 6. Pupils, including those at an early stage of learning English and those from families seeking asylum, make consistently good progress across the school. Children in the Foundation Stage make good progress so that about half of them reach the goals expected by the end of Reception. The national assessments for pupils in Year 2 have been significantly below average in recent years. The concerted efforts of staff and pupils mean that standards are higher amongst those currently in Year 2. While still below average, more pupils are now reaching the expected levels. In writing and mathematics, this is similar to that found in most schools while, in reading, it is just below those levels. Results in Year 6 have been broadly average in recent years. In 2006, results in English were just above the national average and

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Grade: 2

this represented an exceptional level of achievement. The results in mathematics were significantly below average. While this represented satisfactory progress, the school has worked successfully to raise standards, and pupils in Year 6 are reaching average standards, representing a good level of achievement from their starting points.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is outstanding. Pupils are keen and eager to learn, are proud of their efforts and take full advantage of the opportunities they are given. Their excellent enjoyment of school is reflected in a rapidly improving rate of attendance that is now above average. Most pupils behave impeccably in-and-out of lessons. This means that lessons are invariably calm and pupils can concentrate on what they are learning. Playtimes, too, are enjoyable occasions. Pupils enjoy the many opportunities to take exercise, but also appreciate that they can be quiet and reflective as their mood takes them. They have a very well developed understanding of what to do to stay safe and healthy. Many pupils contribute to the smooth running of the school by taking on extra responsibility. School councillors are rightly proud of their influence on improved toilet

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Grade: 1

and playground facilities. Beyond the school, pupils contribute regularly to local, national and global initiatives and have a keen sense of the difference they can make to other people's lives. Their spiritual, moral and social awareness is extended further during assemblies. The school takes full advantage of the rich range of cultural heritage it represents to prepare pupils to be future citizens. Initiatives, such as the 'young enterprise scheme,' help to give an insight into the world of work and their good progress in the basic skills mean that they are well prepared for their future economic well-being. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Queen's Park Primary School, 18 June 2007

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good and are instrumental in pupils' good progress and their excellent personal development. Teachers and support staff work together very closely to ensure that pupils' often widely differing needs are met. Very careful planning ensures that all levels of ability are catered for. The work builds logically on what pupils have learned in previous lessons and those who are capable of doing harder work get it. This begins in the Nursery, by giving more able children increased challenges. Elsewhere in the school, it was seen to good effect in a successful lesson in Year 6, when the teaching assistant used her expertise to stretch the most able mathematicians. Relationships between staff and pupils are invariably extremely positive and lessons are briskly paced. Staff have high expectations of pupils' capabilities and ensure that pupils have a clear understanding of what they are expected to learn. High quality

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Grade: 2

marking gives pupils clear feedback about their efforts and pupils appreciate the time they are given to consider and respond to teachers' comments. Teachers keep a very close check on pupils' progress in literacy and numeracy. They are rightly extending these processes, for example, by creating collections of assessed work in other subjects.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and provides an interesting and varied range of experiences for pupils. Planning in the Foundation Stage is based on a good understanding of how young children learn. It gives them regular access to all areas of learning, and provides a good balance of activities initiated by the teachers and those chosen by the children. Across the school, the curriculum is being modified to move to a two-year cycle, to be more responsive to pupils' specific needs and to strengthen already good links between subjects. Some of these changes are being trialled in some classes and the revised planning is expected to be in place at the start of the new school year. Much of what is planned is excellent, but it is too soon to see the full impact of these changes on pupils' learning. The school provides an outstanding range of opportunities outside of lessons that enrich pupils' experiences, sometimes involving nationally

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Grade: 2

renowned organisations such as the Royal Ballet and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Many teaching and support staff contribute to the excellent range of lunchtime and after-school clubs. These are greatly enjoyed by pupils.

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Grade: 1

Outstanding care, support and guidance have a significant impact on pupils' all-round development. The school rightly claims to be highly inclusive. Provision to support the large number of pupils who are new to learning English is excellent, so that pupils soon gain in confidence and are able to access all aspects of the curriculum. Similarly, pupils with learning difficulties, including those with a statement of special educational need, receive excellent support to enable them to achieve as well as their classmates. A very close check is kept on the progress of different groups of pupils and each is set very clear and appropriate targets for learning. Pupils understand their targets very well, and why it is important to have them. As a result, most pupils, but older ones in particular, are very clear about how well they are doing and what they should do to improve. A high priority is given to securing the health, safety and

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Grade: 1

6 of 11 Inspection Report: Queen's Park Primary School, 18 June 2007 welfare of pupils, who appreciate the steps taken by the school to keep them safe. A wide range of staff, including the home-school liaison officer and learning mentors play a very successful part in the excellent care and support offered.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. Under the excellent leadership of the headteacher, senior leaders and other staff work very effectively as a team. They share a common sense of purpose that is clearly focused on helping pupils to overcome any difficulties with which they are faced and fulfil their potential. Careful monitoring of the school's work ensures that senior staff have a very accurate and realistic view of the school's effectiveness. A close check is kept on the work in classrooms, the records of which show that pupils are benefiting from increasing amounts of outstanding teaching. Areas for development are worked on tirelessly and this has been significant in achieving many of the improvements seen in recent years. Senior staff have rightly identified the need to extend their monitoring to check on the impact of new initiatives on pupils' learning. For example, while it is too soon for the newly devised curriculum to be

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Grade: 2

fully established, the leaders have recognised the need to check that it is having the desired effect on pupils' development. Similarly, they intend to check that the excellent range of enrichment activities is proving to be as beneficial as it appears to be. Governance is good. Governors increasingly hold the school to account and some are involved in gathering first-hand information to enable them to make informed decisions. Work to extend parents' involvement in the life of the school mean that attendance at meetings, support groups and parent consultation evenings is increasing. The school is rightly determined to increase the involvement of parents in their children's learning. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Queen's Park Primary School, 18 June 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Queen's Park Primary School, 18 June 2007

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Queen's Park Primary School, 18 June 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Queen's Park Primary School, 18 June 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

27 June 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Queen's Park Primary School,London,W10 4DQ I am writing to tell you about what I found out when I visited your school recently. You and the staff were very friendly and I enjoyed my visit very much. Thank you to those of who took the time to speak to me during lessons and playtime. A special thank you goes to those of you who met with me to give me your views. You were all very helpful and you gave me lots of useful information. Many of you told me that you think you are doing well and that you go to a good school. I agree with you. Your excellent headteacher and the other staff work very hard to make sure that you are safe and able to learn. You told me how much you appreciate how kind and helpful your teachers are and I agree. They take excellent care of you. You do your bit, too, by trying so hard in lessons and by being so kind and thoughtful to each other. Your behaviour is excellent.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Well done. I am sure you will want to keep this up because I can see that you are determined to enjoy school and do the best that you can. I was very pleased to see that your work is improving all the time, especially in mathematics. Your teachers work hard to give you interesting and enjoyable lessons and to give you excellent clubs to join after school. Even though yours is a good school, the staff and governors want it to be even better. They are planning to change the things that you do in some of your subjects and I agree with them that they need to keep a close check that this works properly. I am pleased to see that many of your parents come to meetings in school. They would like your parents to help you with your learning, too, and I also think that it is very important that this happens. You can help by carrying on trying your very best in everything that you do. Once again, thank you for your help and good luck for the future.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Yours sincerely Keith WilliamsLead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Queen's Park Primary School, 18 June 2007

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