Quarry Bank Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Quarry Bank Primary School High Street, Quarry Bank, Brierley Hill, West Midlands DY5 2AD

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Outcome

Quarry Bank Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This welcoming school is at the heart of the local community. Pupils are proud of the school and of the rich history of Quarry Bank. Everyone does their best to live by the school’s values: ‘Be kind, work hard, better yourselves’. Pupils are happy, safe and valued. Many parents and carers appreciate the school’s strong sense of community and belonging.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Pupils demonstrate pride in their work and a love of learning. The school’s well-organised curriculum and the support provided enable most pupils to reach the standards expected for their age.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. The school provides help for pupils who struggle to regulate their behaviour. The warm and trusting relationships between staff and pupils underpin this. The school’s support for pupils’ emotional well-being is a strength.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love the school’s fields and woodlands where they extend their learning. They enjoy fun events, including ‘friendship Fridays’. Educational trips, including to theatres and local places of interest, help bring learning to life. Older pupils demonstrate mature responsibility towards younger pupils and the pupils’ parliament plays an active role in school. This gives pupils a taste of democracy in action. 13 and 14 May 2025

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

The curriculum identifies the knowledge and skills that pupils need to be successful from Nursery to Year 6. The development of pupils’ spoken language and communication is central to all learning. Pupils achieve well from their different starting points.

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

Staff check pupils’ understanding in lessons and adapt teaching when necessary. They regularly assess how well pupils remember important learning over time. The school uses this information to address weaknesses in pupils’ understanding. This helps pupils to make good progress in building their knowledge.

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

Subject-specific vocabulary is prioritised. Reception children use mathematical vocabulary such as ‘odd’ and ‘even’ when they are doubling and halving numbers. Activities are stimulating and engaging. For example, children use their phonics skills to write daily diary entries about their observations of Puddle and Beaky, the class chicks. Children practise their language and number skills in the role play area, making and selling pizzas and posting notes into the ‘exciting writing’ box. Children become increasingly curious and eager learners. They are well prepared for Year 1.

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

In mathematics, pupils enjoy the sessions designed to help them to remember important multiplication facts. Pupils achieve well in the Year 4 multiplication checks. Across subjects, pupils use different strategies to help them to remember key knowledge. In geography, they use songs to help them to remember the world’s continents and oceans. They use their knowledge flexibly. For example, pupils use their mapping skills in history to identify the reach of ancient civilisations across the world.

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

Most pupils reach the expected standards in reading by the end of Year 6. Nevertheless, leaders recognise that the percentage of pupils reaching the expected standards in the Year 1 phonics check is below the national average. To address this, the school has reviewed the phonics programme and made improvements. This is having a positive impact. More pupils are reaching the age-related expectations. However, some pupils who have fallen behind are not catching up quickly. They do not practise and apply their phonics skills frequently enough. This slows down the rate at which they become confident, fluent readers.

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

Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength of the school. There is a precise focus on identifying the needs of pupils quickly and accurately. Staff ensure that pupils have appropriate resources, such as braille, symbols and pictures, to support their learning. They achieve well. The school is rightly proud of the provision on offer to those pupils in the blossom inclusion hub.

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

Despite the extensive work of the school, some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. The school works closely with families and attendance officers to address this. Although there are signs of improvement, some of the school’s systems for checking which pupils needs more urgent support are not as robust as they could be. 13 and 14 May 2025

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The school’s wider development offer supports pupils to be respectful and tolerant. It increases pupils’ understanding of similarities shared between different cultures and religions. Pupils are proud of their links with the local church and with schools in Gambia. This increases their awareness of the wider world.

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Governors know the school’s strengths and next steps in detail. They work together with the school to provide the very best for every pupil. Staff feel valued. They appreciate the consideration given to their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some weaker readers do not practise and apply their skills frequently. This slows down the pace at which they become fluent, competent readers and are able to read more widely. The school should review and accelerate the provision of support for weaker readers to enable them to catch up quickly.  Some pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should. This means that they miss valuable learning. This has the potential to limit their progress and development. The school must continue to develop its analysis of attendance to inform and target bespoke support for those pupils who do not attend regularly.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately. 13 and 14 May 2025

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school good for overall effectiveness in March 2020.

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How can I feed back my views?

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.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 May 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.quarry.dudley.sch.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 and 4 March 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use alternative provision.  The school runs an after-school club managed by the school.  In April 2024, the local authority commissioned the ‘Blossom’ inclusion hub, the school’s specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. It specialises in supporting pupils with speech, language and communication needs. Nine pupils attend the provision. All pupils have an education, health and care plan.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. Meetings were also held with the chair of the governing body and three other governors. 13 and 14 May 2025

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 The inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons with leaders, spoke to pupils about their work and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed a selection of pupils reading to members of staff. Other pupils were heard reading their own work during lessons.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: checked the school’s single central record; spoke to senior leaders about safeguarding procedures; took account of the views of staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered a range of documents, including leaders’ self-evaluation and plans for improvement. The inspector checked records of attendance and behaviour. The inspector also observed pupils’ behaviour at playtime and lunchtime and talked to

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them about behaviour, bullying and welfare.  The inspector considered the views of parents submitted via Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. In addition, she met with parents at the end of the school day.  The inspector met with pupils and staff to gather the views of the school. She also reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for school staff.

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Inspection team

Marilyn Mottram, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 May 2025

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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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