Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Kenton Headteacher Quethiock CofE School Quethiock Liskeard Cornwall PL14 3SQ

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School

Following my visit to your school on 20 January 2020, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the monitoring inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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School

The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 and has taken place because the school has received two successive judgements of requires improvement at its previous section 5 inspections.

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School

Senior leaders and the St Barnabas Trust are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection in order for the school to become good.

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School

The school should take further action to:

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School

 ensure that pupils use their knowledge of the ways that writers use language in the texts they read when crafting their writing  ensure that pupils consider the audience, purpose and text type when crafting their writing  ensure that all key stage 1 pupils read books that match the sounds and letters they know  enable pupils to have a secure understanding of mathematical concepts before they move onto more complex mathematical problems.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I met with you, the co-chair of the governing body, the chair of the board of directors, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the St Barnabas multi- academy trust (MAT), curriculum leaders and teachers to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection. I observed the school’s work and scrutinised documents . I met formally with one group of pupils and spoke to pupils informally when observing the school’s work. I listened to one group of pupils read. I conducted lesson visits and looked at work in pupils’ books. I evaluated the school improvement plan.

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Context

This was the second monitoring visit since the school’s section 5 inspection in October 2016. In December 2017, the board of directors was disbanded, and a new board of directors was formed. The MAT appointed an interim CEO, in 2018, for a two-year period. In November 2019, the school opened an additional classroom, catering for pre-school and Reception. Leaders appointed a new teacher in January 2020 to teach the Year 1, 2, and 3 class. Trust leaders for English, mathematics, special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and the wider curriculum have provided regular support. Since the inspection, the number of pupils on the school’s roll has increased markedly.

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Main findings

You share your ambitions for the academic and social success of pupils with teachers and teaching assistants. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are strong and they strive to do well. In collaboration with support from the St Barnabas multi-academy trust, you have revised the English curriculum. Pupils read widely and enjoy reading. The library and classrooms are well stocked with high-quality texts for pupils to read. Pupils enjoy listening to stories such as Roald Dahl’s ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’. Leaders and teachers address gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills through tailored support.

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Main findings

You have revised the writing curriculum. It ensures that pupils gain a strong understanding of the roles of grammar, vocabulary and punctuation in their writing. Pupils edit their writing carefully. Pupils are proud of their writing. Pupils learn helpful spelling strategies to enable them to write more accurately. However, pupils do not systematically consider the audience, purpose and text type when selecting language to include in their writing. Similarly, pupils do not consider features in the texts they have read when crafting their own writing. The phonics curriculum is effective. Pupils use their phonics knowledge to help them read. Pupils are enthusiastic about reading at both key stage 1 and early years. Teachers and teaching assistants make explicit correlations between sounds and letters. I observed Year 1 pupils enthusiastically decoding words. You acknowledge that some pupils find early reading difficult. There is additional support to ensure

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Main findings

that these pupils are well prepared for Year 2. However, leaders and teachers have not ensured that the books that pupils read in key stage 1 match their reading knowledge.

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Main findings

In collaboration with curriculum leaders, you have revised the mathematics curriculum. You have planned carefully to improve pupils’ knowledge about addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. You have accurately identified gaps in pupils’ knowledge and provide additional support, so pupils catch up. Pupils have opportunities to discuss and write about how they have worked out mathematical problems. I observed Year 2 and 3 pupils learning with enthusiasm about division. Pupils use mathematical tools to help them understand complex work. However, these are not used as effectively as they could be to ensure that pupils are fully secure in their understanding.

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Main findings

You have improved early years by combining the pre-school with the Reception class. The early years curriculum is effective. The outdoor and indoor areas enable children to move between carefully planned activities. Children have opportunities to acquire and develop new vocabulary throughout the curriculum. The activities enable children to explore and use their imaginations. For example, children play in make-believe shops and cook porridge in pretend kitchens. Children are getting on well with their early reading and phonics. Children are eager to learn to read.

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Main findings

In collaboration with the trust, you have revised the curriculum for subjects other than English and mathematics. Staff have begun to embed this new curriculum across the school. For example, pupils spoke animatedly and knowledgeably about the historical figures of Mary Bryant and Grace Darling. However, it is too early to judge the impact of the changes.

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External support

You, with other leaders and staff, work very closely with a range of external advisers to improve the school curriculum. A leader in early years and phonics from Trevithick Academy has supported improvements in the learning of phonics. The school participates in a national oracy project, Voice 21. This has enabled staff to improve discussion of many subjects. To further improve the mathematics curriculum, the school has joined a mathematics hub. A national leader of education makes termly visits to the school. The reports identify areas of weakness and emerging strengths that you use to make further improvements.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of directors, and the chief executive officer of the MAT, the director of education for the Diocese of Truro, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Cornwall. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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