The King's Church of England Primary School

The Queen's Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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102921 Unique Reference Number Richmond Upon Thames Local Authority 308166 Inspection number 20 October 2008 Inspection date Graham Stephens Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 403 School (total) 60 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Gail Hiscock Chair Mrs Jane Goodlace Headteacher 9 May 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Cumberland Road School address Kew TW9 3HJ 020 8940 3580 Telephone number 020 8948 1796 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 20 October 2008 Inspection date 308166 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. 2 of 9 Inspection Report: The Queen's Church of England Primary School, 20 October 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors. They evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues.

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Introduction

■ How well do pupils progress, particularly in science?

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Introduction

■ Does leadership and management have a significant impact on achievement and standards?

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Introduction

■ Are pupils' personal development and well-being outstanding and what are the contributory factors? Evidence was gathered from visits to lessons, sampling pupils' work, discussion with pupils, staff and the Chair of Governors, the school's documentation and assessment information and inspection questionnaires returned from the parents. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail.

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Description of the school

This school is larger than average. There is provision for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Pupils come from a variety of backgrounds but with a greater than average number from higher economic and social households. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD) is well below average. In The Queens School, the few LDD pupils are largely those who find aspects of English and mathematics challenging or who need additional support to help them concentrate in lessons. There are fewer pupils with English as an additional language than in most schools. There have been recent changes to the organisation of leadership and management. The school has been awarded the Activemark, the FA Football Charter Award, Fairtrade School Status and the Healthy Schools Award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: The Queen's Church of England Primary School, 20 October 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. Under the outstanding leadership of the headteacher, there is a relentless drive to accelerate progress even further. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. 'Queens is a highly organised, efficient, community focused and family friendly school. All the staff appear extremely dedicated and approachable, holding each child's interests at heart.' This is typical of the comments received. Children enter Reception with skills generally above those expected for their age. They make good progress because staff quickly assess their needs and ensure that a range of appropriate activities are provided. Pupils continue to make good progress throughout the school. By the end of Year 2, they attain standards in reading, writing and mathematics that are well above average. There was a dip in previous years in performance at the end of Year 2. However, results in 2008 indicate that action taken to accelerate progress further in Key Stage 1 has been

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Grade: 2

effective with a very large numbers of pupils attaining the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics. By the end of Year 6, pupils consistently attain exceptionally high standards in English, mathematics and science. They are very well prepared for the next stage of education. Pupils with LDD who need additional support with their work, also progress well. This is because their needs are identified and work planned accordingly. Also, the school receives excellent support from outside agencies who offer support and advice that is acted upon. The few pupils with English as an additional language quickly settle and make good progress. The school is aware that although high, standards in science could improve still further. It is recognised by the school that there have been too few opportunities for pupils to apply their considerable range of skills more systematically to solve problems. This is being addressed and lesson

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Grade: 2

observations this term are focussing on this aspect of pupils' work. Teaching is good overall but there is some that is satisfactory. 'Teachers make learning fun,' is typical of the comments pupils make. In the majority of classes progress is at least good and often outstanding because teachers have very high expectations, build well on what pupils know and can do and quickly intervene with additional support when required. Progress slows down when work is not consistently matched to ability and expectations are too low. Pupils really enjoy school and speak with enthusiasm about the many opportunities that the outstanding curriculum provides for them. 'Touch-typing, Latin, French, learning to play an instrument, joining an orchestra, numerous clubs, visits and visitors all contribute opportunities for pupils to take part, learn and excel. Personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pupils know very well what constitutes a healthy life-style, talk very confidently about what

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Grade: 2

they need to do to stay safe and understand that working hard at school is important. They are very aware of the needs of both the local and wider community, are proud of the schools' Fairtrade status and often initiate fund-raising events such as cake sales to raise funds for good causes. The way in which they collaborate is exemplary, both in class and on the playground. They are very appreciative of the hard work involved in providing them with excellent playground equipment. They respond to the strong caring ethos with very positive attitudes and their behaviour is excellent. The care, support and guidance given to pupils is outstanding. Systems to ensure pupils' safety are well understood and applied by all. An ethos that encourages high aspirations, cooperation and understanding promotes an atmosphere that is conducive to learning. Pupils feel very happy and secure and this is reflected in their above average attendance. Assessment procedures

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Grade: 2

4 of 9 Inspection Report: The Queen's Church of England Primary School, 20 October 2008 have recently been reviewed and improved and are now good. The majority of teachers use this information well to match work to pupils' needs and make sure that they are challenged appropriately. Pupils are prepared exceptionally well for later life because of the very high standards they attain and the opportunities they have to show initiative and plan and work together. The school is well led and managed. Senior leaders have high expectations and set very challenging targets. The leadership and management structure has recently been changed to give some experienced staff additional responsibilities and to create a smaller and more effective senior leadership team. Although the new pattern of organisation is still bedding down, a good start has been made, with all staff carrying out their new responsibilities with enthusiasm and

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Grade: 2

skill. Senior leaders have successfully used information, from both the recent statutory tests and the schools' tracking and monitoring system, to identify areas of strength and comparative weakness. This will enable them to organise both support and guidance that will help ensure that the quality of teaching is consistent throughout the school and accelerate progress where necessary. The well-led governing body knows the strengths and weaknesses of the school. It holds the school to account for the standards achieved and plays a full and active part in determining priorities. Given its track record, the school has a good capacity to further improve.

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Grade: 2

Children enter Reception with skills which are higher than national expectations, especially for literacy and numeracy. They quickly settle in because staff create a warm and secure environment in which they feel safe. Induction arrangements are excellent and one parent commented, 'We have been impressed by the effort of staff to introduce each child to their new environment.' Arrangements for safeguarding children are robust and welfare has a high priority. Children for whom English is an additional language are well supported and staff celebrate their heritage languages. Children's personal development is outstanding. They work harmoniously together in groups and are ready to take turns and to share. They behave well and show considerable interest and enjoyment. Children have access to a range of activities, some of which they choose for themselves, others which are carefully chosen for them. There is also a good balance between

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Grade: 2

indoor and outdoor activities. In some instances, such as in the development of writing skills, the level of challenge is insufficiently demanding for higher-attaining children who consequently make satisfactory rather than good progress. Overall children make good progress in developing their literacy and mathematical skills throughout the Reception year, because teachers plan carefully and monitor their progress well. The EYFS is well led and managed, and all staff share in the meticulous tracking of children's progress.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that the quality of teaching is consistent throughout the school so that work is always well-matched to need and all pupils make at least good progress in every class. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: The Queen's Church of England Primary School, 20 October 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: The Queen's Church of England Primary School, 20 October 2008

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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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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 1 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/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: The Queen's Church of England Primary School, 20 October 2008

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: The Queen's Church of England Primary School, 20 October 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

03 November 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of The Queen's Church of England Primary School,Kew,TW9 3HJ On behalf of your inspectors, thank you for being so welcoming, polite and friendly when we came to visit your school recently. We enjoyed meeting and talking with you and looking at all your work and the exciting things that you do. You go to a good school. Here is a list of some of the things we liked best.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Everybody made us feel very welcome and looked after us.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are very polite and caring and your behaviour is excellent.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You listen very carefully to all that your teachers and teaching assistants say.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You work together well and make good progress in your work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your teachers are good at planning very interesting things for you to do.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ All the adults make sure you are really well looked after and you are very appreciative of all that they do. ■ Your headteacher and the other people who help run your school are doing a good job.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Every school, even one as good as yours, has something that could be improved.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ We have asked your teachers to make sure that every lesson is organised so that the work that you do is really well-matched to what you need to learn. If you work hard to achieve your targets this will help ensure that you make excellent progress in all aspects of your work. Yours sincerely Graham Stephens Lead Inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: The Queen's Church of England Primary School, 20 October 2008

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