Queensway School

Overview

This inclusive primary school provides a high-quality education where pupils are “supported effectively” and behave very well. Leadership is described as “extremely strong,” with staff demonstrating high expectations and a deep understanding of how to help every pupil achieve. The school fosters a culture of respect, ensuring pupils feel safe and confident in raising concerns.

Strengths

• “Pastoral support for pupils is a key strength,” with issues dealt with “quickly and effectively.”
• Staff are “supported exceptionally well to identify and then meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).”
• The curriculum provides a “well-designed progression in the knowledge pupils acquire year on year,” starting from the early years.
• “Partnerships with parents are strong,” and governors hold leaders to account effectively.
• Leaders have dealt “very effectively” with challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should develop the curriculum further so that pupils’ learning is “consistently excellent overall,” as achievement is not yet high across all subjects.
• Reading books for some pupils, including those with SEND, are not always “matched to pupils’ phonics knowledge as precisely as they need to be” to improve fluency.
• Leaders should continue work to reduce absence further, as attendance for a small proportion of pupils has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with robust referral processes and staff who have “strong knowledge because of leaders’ effective and regular training.”