Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 4 March 2025

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. 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. 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.

What the school should improve

• 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 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.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)