Dunstable school praised by Ofsted for ‘wide variety of enrichment opportunities’

Queensbury Academy in Dunstable, part of Anthem Schools Trust, has been praised by Ofsted for its commitment to holding “high expectations” of what students should accomplish.

The school, which was inspected in October last year, has been rated as “good” for personal development and for its sixth form provision.

Inspectors noted that pupils at Queensbury Academy “enjoy school and make good friends”.

The wide variety of enrichment opportunities at the school were singled out for praise for developing pupils’ confidence and talents.

Inspectors were pleased to see that Queensbury pupils value the “positive relationships they have with the adults who care for them”.

Ofsted said that, in many areas, particularly in the sixth form, students benefit from the school’s “high expectations of what they should accomplish”.

However, inspectors suggested the school make further improvements, around behaviour and management.

Ofsted acknowledged that a lot of the school’s work to drive improvement is at an early stage, with staff recognising that there is more to do to ensure that pupils benefit from a high-quality education.

Helen Palmer, headteacher of Queensbury Academy, said: “We are pleased the Ofsted inspectors recognised that pupils at Queensbury enjoy coming to school and have good relationships with their peers and with staff. We were also delighted to see our sixth form singled out for particular praise.

“We know that there is still a lot to do to ensure that standards are even better, and we are working hard to address the areas for improvement that have been identified. Our school community is committed to the journey ahead and I am confident Queensbury’s future is a positive one.”

Mohsen Ojja, CEO of Anthem Schools Trust, said: “Ofsted rightly acknowledges that the trustees and leaders of Queensbury Academy have a good understanding of the school and where further improvements are needed.

“It was also pleasing to see that staff feel well supported by the school’s leaders.

“As a trust we remain committed to providing ambitious and successful schools, where every child can thrive.”