The Quinta Primary School

Inspection of The Quinta Primary School Ullswater Road, Congleton, Cheshire CW12 4LX

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 16 and 17 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this school. They are confident that if they have any worries, there are adults in school who would help them. If bullying happens, leaders and staff deal with it quickly. This helps pupils to feel happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the recognition they get from leaders and staff for working hard. They know that staff expect pupils to be ‘Ready, Respectful and Safe’. They are keen to be recognised for going ‘above and beyond’ or to receive the ‘Quinta star’ award.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff are ambitious for every pupil, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils achieve well in a range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs on offer. These include drama, chess, choir and sewing. They are proud to represent the school at events linked to competitive sports, music and drama, such as the local opera. They enjoy their trips and visits, especially their residential experiences to London and Conwy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils contribute to school life by taking on additional leadership responsibilities. For example, older pupils run the school shop and lead daily broadcasts for the school radio. They relish their roles as buddies to younger pupils in school and as school councillors and sports crew leaders.

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better?

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND. In most subjects, leaders have clearly identified the important knowledge that pupils should learn from the early years to Year 6. They have considered when this knowledge should be taught so that new ideas build well on pupils’ previous learning. This helps to prepare children and pupils for the next stage of their education.

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better?

In these subjects, leaders provide guidance and support for teachers in the effective delivery of the curriculum. Teachers check what pupils do and do not know. They have the knowledge they need to present information clearly to pupils. As a result, pupils know more and remember more over time.

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better?

In a few subjects, leaders’ work to improve the curriculum is at an earlier stage. In these subjects, curriculum leaders have not had the guidance or support they need to develop these curriculums as well as they should. The content and order of learning are less clear. This makes it more difficult for teachers to ensure they design learning that helps pupils build their knowledge securely. As a result, pupils do not build up their knowledge equally well across all subjects.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that reading is a high priority across the school. Older pupils speak with confidence about different books they have read. They are keen to 16 and 17 May 2023

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become reading ‘ninjas’. They enjoy the end-of-day stories their class teachers read to them.

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Children in the provision for two-year olds are immersed in songs and rhymes to get them ready for their future phonics learning. Pre-school children learn the sounds linked to letters.

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Staff have received training to deliver the clearly structured phonics programme. Leaders keep a close check on pupils’ progress in reading and make sure that staff provide effective additional support for those pupils who fall behind. However, on occasion, some pupils are not provided with books that are closely matched to their phonics knowledge. As a result, a small number of younger pupils, especially those who struggle with reading, cannot apply what they know about phonics confidently. This slows their reading fluency and hinders their understanding of what they have read.

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Leaders and staff work together to swiftly identify pupils with SEND. Most pupils with SEND receive effective support so that they can access the same curriculum as other pupils in the school. However, leaders have not ensured that adaptations for some pupils with SEND are as effective or well matched to pupils’ needs as they could be. This means that a small number of pupils with SEND do not get the exact support they need to achieve as well as they could.

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Children in the early years listen carefully to adults, and they work and play together well. They are keen and inquisitive learners. Older pupils build on this positive start. Most pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They enjoy their learning and engage well in lessons. This means that pupils can get on with their learning without disruption.

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Leaders place a strong focus on pupils’ wider development. Pupils know how important it is to look after their physical and mental health, including how to make healthy food choices. Pupils learn about different faiths, cultures and religions. For example, they talk enthusiastically about their recent learning about Diwali. Their work in support of charities such as the local foodbank helps them to understand the role they can play in making a positive difference to others.

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Governors and trustees understand what is working well and what needs to improve further. They challenge leaders and hold them to account. Leaders are considerate of staff’s workload when making decisions and take positive steps to support staff’s well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff have the training they need to identify pupils who may be at risk of abuse or neglect. Staff report any concerns they may have quickly and 16 and 17 May 2023

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record their concerns diligently. Leaders act on any concerns raised in a timely manner.

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Through the curriculum, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they learn about how to avoid risks linked to fire and crossing roads and how to ride a bicycle safely. Pupils can clearly describe how to stay safe when they are using the internet.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculums in a few subjects are not fully developed. Leaders have not ensured that these curriculums are coherently planned and sequenced. As a result, pupils do not build up their knowledge equally well across all aspects of these subjects. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders receive the support and training they need to further develop and refine these curriculums from the early years to Year 6.  In a small number of cases, leaders have not ensured that adaptations for some pupils with SEND are as effective or well matched to pupils’ needs as they could be. This means that a small number of pupils with SEND do not get the exact support they need to achieve as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that all staff are well trained to provide the support that each pupil with SEND needs so that they learn all that they should.  A small number of younger pupils who find reading difficult are not provided with

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

reading books that are matched precisely enough to their phonics knowledge. As a result, their fluency in reading and understanding of texts is not as secure as it could be. Leaders should ensure that they enable these pupils to develop their reading fluency more securely by providing them with reading books that more closely match their phonics knowledge.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 16 and 17 May 2023

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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 and 17 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10226256 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 January 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, a new headteacher has taken up post.  Since the previous inspection, a provision for two-year olds has been opened as part of the pre-school.  The governing body is responsible for a breakfast and after-school club, which is provided by the school.  Leaders do not make use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors conducted deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, computing and art and design. For each deep dive, they 16 and 17 May 2023

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met with subject leaders and teachers. They visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and talked with groups of pupils about their learning.  The lead inspector observed pupils from key stage 1 and key stage 2 reading to a familiar adult. Inspectors also spoke with pupils about their learning and evaluated their work in some other subjects.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other school leaders.  The lead inspector spoke with trustees and members of the governing body. She also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors talked with staff about their workload and well-being.  Inspectors met with the leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour, early years, SEND and pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors reviewed leaders’ policies and procedures to keep pupils safe. They discussed safeguarding arrangements with leaders and staff. They also checked

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the single central record.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about safeguarding and their wider experience of school. They looked at a range of policies and documents related to pupils’ welfare and education. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.  Inspectors met with parents at the start of the school day and took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. Inspectors also considered parental letters sent for their attention.

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Inspection team

Rebecca Jewitt, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Amanda Downing His Majesty’s Inspector 16 and 17 May 2023

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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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