The Queen Anne Royal Free CofE Controlled First School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 6 November 2024

This caring school aspires for pupils to 'enjoy, include and achieve'. Starting in the nurturing early years environment, pupils feel safe, joyful and special. Relationships across the school are warm and supportive. Pupils' behaviour is generally positive, but the high enthusiasm for learning in early years is not always seen as pupils move up through the school. Since the pandemic, there have been significant changes to staffing. During this time, the school has also introduced a range of curriculum changes. Expectations are high for all, but teaching and learning can be inconsistent across different subjects. Some pupils achieve well and produce high-quality work, but others do not. Lesson tasks do not always fulfil the ambition of the curriculum, which can stop pupils from knowing and remembering key content securely over time. Pupils participate in a rich range of opportunities beyond the school building. From sports events to shared choral performances with local schools, there is something for everyone. Pupils learn to be responsible citizens through links with charities and opportunities to care for their environment. Leadership roles encourage pupils to make a tangible difference to school life. Year 4 well-being leaders exemplify this, proudly supporting the mental and emotional health of their peers.

What the school should improve

• Lesson tasks are not precisely matched to the aims of the curriculum. As a result, pupils do not achieve well across subjects. The school must ensure that lesson activities fulfil the ambitions of the planned curriculum to help pupils learn and remember key content more successfully.
• The changes to the school's curriculum are not fully embedded. Teaching is not consistently effective across all lessons, which stops some pupils from achieving their best. The school must support staff with professional development to ensure that teaching is consistently effective across all subjects and classes.
• Some pupils do not show enthusiasm for learning. This means pupils do not fully engage in lessons, which can also disrupt others from learning. The school must ensure that expectations are understood by all so all pupils try their best with positive attitudes to learning.

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