Quinton Primary School

Quinton Primary School Inspection report

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125519 Unique Reference Number Warwickshire Local Authority 315255 Inspection number 5 March 2008 Inspection date David Mankelow Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 88 School The governing body Appropriate authority Richard Belcher Chair Sarah Whalley Headteacher 15 September 2003 Date of previous school inspection Lower Quinton School address Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 8SA 01789 720317 Telephone number 01789 720317 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 5 March 2008 Inspection date 315255 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Quinton Primary School is much smaller than average. Children's skills when they enter the Nursery vary from year to year but are generally in line with those expected for their age. The proportions of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and with statements of special educational need are above average. The headteacher was appointed in September 2007 and the assistant headteacher in January 2008.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Quinton Primary School, 5 March 2008

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Grade: 3

Quinton Primary is a satisfactory and improving school where pupils make satisfactory progress and reach broadly average standards by the time they leave. The school provides good pastoral care, which results in pupils' good personal development and well-being. There are effective induction procedures so children settle well into the Nursery. They are taught by the same teacher as they move into the Reception year, which provides effective continuity in their learning. Most pupils enjoy coming to school and readily approach an adult if they are worried about something. A parent typically commented, 'My children come home from school in really good moods, which is so nice to see, and they look forward to going.' Attendance is above average. Pupils behave well in lessons and act maturely as they move around the school. As a member of the school council said, 'If we get angry at playtime we go to the quiet area to calm

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Grade: 3

down.' Pupils care for each other well. They expressed the view that there is no bullying in school and that 'name-calling is rare'. Teaching is satisfactory. Teachers have made improvements to the school environment, and classrooms are well-organised and stimulating places to learn. Resources are readily available so pupils are able to gather any equipment they need themselves, developing good levels of independence from an early age. Pupils' work is displayed well, which gives them pride and raises their self-esteem. Teachers make learning objectives clear at the beginning of lessons but the work provided does not always take account of pupils' prior learning so does not challenge them sufficiently, especially the more able. As a result, they do not achieve as highly as they should. This is particularly so in mathematics. Teachers are developing procedures for setting pupils individual targets for writing, mathematics and personal development. In some

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Grade: 3

classes these are not specific enough for pupils to have a good understanding of what they need to do in order to meet them, or to know when they have met them. Teachers mark pupils' work conscientiously, but the comments made do not always let pupils know how well they have done or what they need to do next. The curriculum is satisfactory with strengths in the provision of out-of-school clubs that make a significant contribution to pupils' adoption of good healthy lifestyles. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher provides good leadership and is ably supported by her new assistant headteacher. They have a very clear and accurate picture of what the school does well and what needs to be improved. There have been many improvements since September 2007, but the school recognises that changes have not yet had time to have a significant impact on pupils' achievement. The school has improved its procedures

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Grade: 3

for tracking pupils' progress. However, whilst the procedures are good, the assessment information is not always accurate because it is not moderated sufficiently. Also, there is no record of children's level of skills when they enter the Nursery. As a result, teachers do not yet have a clear picture of progress as pupils move through the school and they cannot be sure that targets set are sufficiently challenging.

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Grade: 3

Teaching in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory and children enter Year 1 with skills broadly in line with those expected. This represents satisfactory achievement bearing in mind children's starting points. There are good classroom routines which help children to settle into school quickly. The classroom is well organised with clearly defined spaces for each area of learning, 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Quinton Primary School, 5 March 2008 and effective use is made of the outside area. During the inspection, the role-play area was used particularly well as a 'baby clinic,' which stimulated the children and effectively developed their speaking and listening skills and their personal development. There is a good balance between adult-led and child-initiated activities. However, adult-led activities are not always well matched to children's level of skills, particularly to those who are more able. This reduces

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Grade: 3

achievement. Good records are kept of observations of children's development as they move through the Foundation Stage, but there is no record of children's skill levels compared with those expected on entry to the Nursery. This reduces the effectiveness of the school's tracking system as children progress through the school.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise achievement, particularly in mathematics, by ensuring that work is sufficiently challenging, especially for the more able. ■ Ensure that pupils have a clear understanding of how well they are doing and what they need to do next in order to improve. ■ Improve tracking procedures by ensuring that there is a clear record of children's skill levels when they enter the Nursery and that assessment results throughout the school are moderated to ensure their accuracy. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

In recent years, standards at the end of Year 2 have been broadly average but have been better in reading and writing than in mathematics. Standards in the current cohort are below average because there is a higher than usual proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities in the group. Standards in Year 6 have generally shown a similar picture, with English results being better than those in mathematics and science. This is because the school has focused on raising standards in English. Standards in the current Year 6 are average in English and science but a little below average in mathematics. Whilst most pupils reach the expected level in Years 2 and 6, the proportion reaching the higher levels is generally below average. This is because those with the potential for higher attainment are not given work that is sufficiently challenging. Achievement is satisfactory across the school. Pupils with learning

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Grade: 3

difficulties and/or disabilities also achieve satisfactorily because they are well supported by teaching assistants.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good because adults in the school provide good pastoral care and are good role models. Pupils show respect to each other and to adults and are very polite. They move carefully and safely around the school, taking good care of each other and the school environment. The school's emphasis on health and safety, the absence of bullying and the good relationships fostered by all adults mean that pupils feel happy, safe and secure. Pupils have a good understanding of their own culture and that of other faiths. They also have a good understanding of Britain as a diverse society and they work harmoniously with pupils from different cultures. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Quinton Primary School, 5 March 2008 Pupils have a good understanding about healthy lifestyles through the school's science curriculum and physical education programme. Pupils make a good contribution to the school

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Grade: 2

and wider communities. The school council provides a genuine voice for pupils. Councillors are particularly proud of the influence they had on the content and position of external signs around the school and on the playground markings. Pupils are also proud of their contribution to the village harvest supper and other local events by playing in the school steel pan band. Pupils' preparation for their future lives is sound, as reflected in their average attainment in literacy and numeracy.

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Grade: 3

Teaching across the school is characterised by good relationships. Teachers use a good range of rewards for positive behaviour which results in pupils having good attitudes to their work. Teachers and teaching assistants work effectively as a team to support pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities so they take a full part in the life of the school. Teachers plan work at different ability levels for the pupils in their classes, but some of the work is too easy, especially for more able pupils. As a result, pupils do not always reach the standards of which they are capable. Teachers now set individual targets for pupils' achievement in English, mathematics and personal development. However, in some classes the academic targets are not specific enough to tell pupils exactly what they need to do in order to improve their work.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is broad, balanced and covers all statutory requirements. There is a good range of extra-curricular clubs that contribute well to pupils' personal development and healthy lifestyles. A good range of visits and visitors is used to enrich learning. Visits from managers of a nearby luxury car factory are particularly effective in supporting the science and technology curriculum. Sound opportunities are provided to link work in different subjects, but the school recognises the need to develop this further in order to make work more interesting and raise achievement in the development of literacy and numeracy skills. The curriculum also provides insufficient opportunities for mathematical and scientific investigations, reducing achievement in these areas.

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Grade: 3

The school has good links with outside agencies to support pupils' personal development. These are particularly effective in providing support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Teachers record significant areas of pupils' personal development monthly and parents greatly appreciate having the record cards shared with them. Safeguarding procedures are now secure and meet current government guidelines. Pupils appreciate the level of pastoral care provided, saying that adults are patient and listen to them if they are worried. The quality of academic guidance is less good. Teachers mark pupils' work regularly, but marking does not give pupils enough detail about how well they have done or what they need to do in order to improve. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Quinton Primary School, 5 March 2008

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Grade: 3

The headteacher provides good leadership and has introduced numerous initiatives to raise achievement, like the improved tracking procedures. However, these initiatives are new and have not yet had time to have a full impact on standards. For example, the impact of the better tracking procedures will not be fully seen until all assessments are accurately moderated and appropriately clear and challenging targets are set. Whilst the senior leaders' monitoring gives a very clear view about where improvements are needed, subject coordinators are not sufficiently involved in the self-evaluation process. Governance is satisfactory. The headteacher gives governors sufficient information for them to hold the school to account and they are beginning to do so. However, there is not an appropriate policy for governors to visit school, for example to link with subject coordinators, so there are too few opportunities for governors to judge for

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Grade: 3

themselves the impact of their decisions. The school has a sound capacity to improve further. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Quinton Primary School, 5 March 2008 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Quinton Primary School, 5 March 2008

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Quinton Primary School, 5 March 2008

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Quinton Primary School, 5 March 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

6 March 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Quinton Primary School, Lower Quinton, CV37 8SA You may remember that I visited your school at the beginning of March with another inspector. Thank you very much for telling us all about your school and for making us feel so welcome. I am writing now to tell you what we found. Yours is a satisfactory school. Most of you enjoy coming to school because the teachers look after you well. You are especially proud of how well you play the steel pans! You know that you need to eat sensibly and take lots of exercise to stay healthy and you really enjoy the sporting clubs that help you to do this. You behave well and are kind to each other. You know that your teachers listen to you and take you seriously if you have any worries. The teaching in your school is satisfactory so you make satisfactory progress and reach standards that are similar to most other eleven-year-olds by the time you leave to go to your secondary schools.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ To make your school even better we have asked the teachers to do the following things.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Make sure that you are always given work that is hard enough so that you reach higher standards, especially in mathematics. ■ Make sure that when they mark your work and set your targets that you know how well you have done and exactly what you need to do next. ■ Make sure that when they check how well you are doing that they do so accurately.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You can help your teachers a lot by continuing to work hard and behave well. I wish you all the very best for the future. Yours sincerely David Mankelow Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Quinton Primary School, 5 March 2008

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