Quinton Church Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Quinton Church Primary School Hagley Road West, Quinton, Birmingham, West Midlands B32 1AJ

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Outcome

Quinton Church Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school lives up to its stated aim that it is a ‘servant of the community it serves’. The school strives to ensure that it achieves the best for every child. To that end staff know each child’s needs well. Pupils behave well in school. Bullying is rare but when it does occur, leaders deal with it well. Pupils know there is an adult to turn to if they are worried about anything. Almost all the parents who responded to the inspection survey agreed that their children are happy and safe at this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school and are enthusiastic about their reading. They are very proud of their well-kept book bags which they take home so that parents can read with them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ learning is closely linked to values of peace and respect for others. They understand about people with different faiths. Pupils take part in numerous trips, such as to Birmingham city centre, Liverpool and Weston-super-Mare, to gain a better understanding of the past and of their local area. Leaders engage well with parents to make sure they are fully involved in their children’s learning and the life of the school.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have a strong focus on making sure that pupils get off to good start with learning to read in Reception. Pupils quickly settle to their routines for reading. They have already learned to distinguish ‘alien’ words from real ones. Very few have fallen behind by the end of Year 2. Pupils gain the phonics skills and knowledge they need to become more confident and fluent readers. Those who need extra help receive effective support. Pupils enjoy reading a wide range of texts which foster their love of reading.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils have made strong progress across the curriculum, including in reading and mathematics where they achieved well in 2019. They have done well in their tests by the time they leave school in Year 6. This has equipped them well to face the challenges of secondary school. Their progress in writing was not as high. However, it still compared favourably with that of other pupils. 16–17 October 2019

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In mathematics pupils experience increasingly challenging work. Pupils who spoke to the inspector said how much they enjoy their lessons because of this. This enables them to build on what they have learned before. Teachers strive to ensure that pupils know their times tables by the end of Year 3.

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Arrangements to check what pupils have learned in foundation subjects are underdeveloped. Leaders know that this an area they need to develop. In history leaders have planned an ambitious programme of work. Pupils gain the knowledge and skills they need to be confident historians. By Year 6 they can distinguish a reliable source from an unreliable one. They could recall details of what they learned from previous topics on inventors and the Mayans.

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All parents who responded to the survey said that where their children have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) they receive good support. These pupils are fully included in the wide range of subjects on offer. However, some of those who have been in school since Reception have fallen well behind their peers in mathematics. They still require significant help to catch up.

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Pupils have many high-quality opportunities that extend beyond their learning in lessons. This is especially so in music. Pupils have worked with the Welsh National Opera and performed at the Birmingham Hippodrome.

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In lesson visits almost all pupils remained on task throughout. On one occasion, for example, when the bell rang to signal breaktime, pupils were not distracted. They carried on working until told to stop. There were no interruptions for poor behaviour or low-level disruption in lessons. Pupils behaved courteously and with respect for each other. Most of those spoken to agreed that behaviour is good. Parents and staff agreed. However, a minority of those responding to the survey did not. Nearly all pupils did agree, however, that bullying is rare and when it happens leaders deal with it well.

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Leaders have taken effective steps to reduce workload. Staff were highly appreciative of this. Staff said that leaders considered their well-being and work–life balance carefully. One member of staff, representing the views of others, said, ‘Leaders have addressed assessment. This has helped enormously.’ Governors and members of the trust know the school’s strengths well. They provide effective challenge on areas where it needs to improve.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The culture of the school is one of vigilance and raising any concerns, however minor they may appear. Leaders and staff are well trained. Leaders regularly update staff with the latest guidance and information. Staff know to whom they should raise their concerns and how to respond to an incident. Leaders make sure that they refer any serious incidents in a timely way. They are keen to seek advice to make sure they respond appropriately. They are aware of any risks in the locality. Governors make sure that leaders carry out 16–17 October 2019

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their duties and responsibilities effectively.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils in key stage 2 do not make as much progress in writing as they do in reading and mathematics. Leaders should make sure that pupils have further opportunities throughout the curriculum to improve their writing.  Arrangements to check what pupils have learned in foundation subjects such as history are not yet well established. Leaders should make sure that that teachers are clear about what pupils know and understand before moving on to the next phase in their learning.  Some pupils with SEND do not make as much progress in mathematics as their peers and so fall behind. Leaders should continue to make sure that the additional support these pupils receive is effective and helps them to catch up.  Almost a third of the pupils responding to the survey did not think that behaviour is consistently good. Leaders should engage more with pupils to establish why they think this.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Quinton Church Primary School, to be good on 10–11 July 2012.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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You can search for published performance information about the school.

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 16–17 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111724 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Quinton Church Primary School was a Voluntary Controlled Church of England school. It converted to an academy in January 2017 when it became part of the Barchelai Multi- Academy Trust. On 1st January 2019, the Barchelai Multi-Academy Trust joined the Birmingham Diocese Multi-Academy Trust, a trust currently of 16 schools across Birmingham, Warwickshire and Solihull.  The current headteacher was appointed to the school just over three years ago.  The chair of the local academy board stepped down in July 2019. An acting chair is in place until a replacement is appointed.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, assistant headteachers, subject leaders, the coordinators for early years and SEND, and other members of staff. The inspector spoke to pupils. He met the chief executive and school improvement officer of the trust. He met four members of the local academy board including the acting chair.  The inspector took account of 58 responses to the Parent View free-text service and 59 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. The inspector also scrutinised 16–17 October 2019

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137 responses to the pupil questionnaire and 16 to the staff questionnaire.  The inspector considered information about behaviour, personal development, safeguarding and child protection.  There were no children in alternative provision.  The inspection focused deeply on reading, mathematics, and history. The inspector visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work, and spoke to subject leaders, teachers and pupils.

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Inspection team

Mark Sims, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 16–17 October 2019

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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