Queensway School Ofsted: 'Inadequate' rating for at-risk school as inspectors claim pupils' attitudes 'not good enough'

A report, published by inspectors earlier this week, claimed pupils’ experiences at Queensway School, Yeadon, were “unacceptably varied” and that some children’s reading and writing skills were not up to standard.

Inspectors added that the school’s curriculum “lacked ambition”, but said that the school’s relatively new leadership team was beginning to provide stability.

Speaking today, the school’s headteacher said he was “frustrated” improvements were not “truly reflected” in the report, and added staff were doing all they could to improve the school’s provision.

The Ofsted report is the latest blow to Queensway, after Leeds City Council recently started consultations over a proposal to permanently close the school.

Following the inspection report’s publication, Headteacher Mark Duce said: “When I joined the school as headteacher in September 2021, it was clear that there was work to be done. We had already identified and were addressing the areas of concern Ofsted raised in their report and whilst we feel frustrated that the improvements we have already made have not been truly reflected in the report, we are very confident that our school is on the right path of improvement.

"We now have a stable and effective leadership team that have a shared vision and clear action plan for the school. We have already implemented our revised curriculum and continue to work alongside both the English Hub and the Leeds School Improvement team to drive our school forward. The staff continue to work tirelessly and we have the full support of our community.”

Following an inspection in the summer, the Ofsted report stated: “Pupils’ educational experiences at Queensway Primary School are unacceptably varied. Many pupils do not receive the quality of education they are entitled to receive. The school’s current curriculum lacks ambition. The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not well managed. Until recently, leaders did not have a grasp of how to best support these pupils in education.

"Pupils feel safe at school. They feel well supported when things go wrong. They have lots of trained experts to help them when issues arise. Most pupils are confident that issues, such as bullying, are addressed when they tell an adult. Although there is a behaviour for learning policy in place, it is inconsistently applied. Expectations of pupils’ behaviour throughout school are too low. As such, pupils’ attitudes towards learning are inconsistent."

The report added that the school had experienced several changes in leadership arrangements since the last inspection in 2017, but that the senior leadership appointed since September 2021 had begun to provide “much-needed stability”.

It stated: “They have started to bring the school community back together. They are addressing the decline in pupils’ achievement that has materialised over recent years. They recognise that pupils’ attitudes towards learning are not good enough. Leaders have detailed plans in place to improve pupils’ experiences at school, including the quality of the curriculum, from September 2022.”

Leeds City Council started consultations over a proposal to permanently close the school last month, due to a “significant drop in the number of children being born in Guiseley and Yeadon”, leaving several local primary schools with a surplus of places.