Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe, behave well and attend regularly.
• Safeguarding standards are met through an open and positive culture.
• Pupils are polite, caring and supportive of one another.
• Leaders have high expectations and pupils take learning seriously.
• National test attainment is at or above national averages, with progress broadly in line.
• Disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND typically achieve as well as their peers.
• Support for pupils with SEND is effective, particularly for autistic pupils.
• Careers education is effective and prepares pupils for ambitious next steps.
• Sixth-form students achieve well and move on to strong destinations, including prestigious universities.
• Staff morale is high, with training and workload support valued.
• Parents are highly positive about the school's care and expectations.
• Enrichment and extra-curricular provision is strong, including competitive sport and responsibility roles.
• Attendance is above national averages and persistent absence is below national averages.

Areas for Improvement

• Leaders' evaluation of provision relies too heavily on examination and test results, so some weaker practice is missed.
• Some areas of the curriculum, including religious education and parts of the sixth form, are not planned or delivered as thoroughly as intended.
• In less-developed curriculum areas, pupils do not explore material deeply enough and may forget important knowledge.
• Support for pupils with underdeveloped handwriting is only partially successful.
• Pupils, including sixth-form students, have too few opportunities to reflect on spiritual and religious beliefs.
• Leaders sometimes do not notice less effective teaching and curriculum practice swiftly enough to improve learning before it is affected.
• Sixth-form religious education opportunities are not fully developed.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools