Quernmore Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Quernmore Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

The school's motto of being 'rooted and grounded in love' describes this school well. Pupils told inspectors that attending the school is like being part of 'one big family'.

Pupils feel safe and happy.

They know that adults care about them. Pupils value the support that they receive. They trust that there is always an adult available to help them if they are worried.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), rise to the school's high expectations of their achievement. Most pupils achieve wel...l. This is also true of children in the early years, who are well prepared for all that key stage 1 has to offer.

Pupils behave well. They follow the school's values each day, such as by showing respect and kindness in the way that they play and talk with each other. For example, older pupils look after and play with their younger peers at breaktimes.

The school's enchanting grounds are a place where learning is brought to life. The woodland, nature and gardening areas provide plentiful opportunities that inspire pupils to write, to problem-solve and to learn first-hand about nature. Pupils also develop their confidence and leadership skills through activities, such as building dens and wildlife habitats.

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

The school has designed a thoughtful curriculum that carefully considers the needs of pupils, from the early years through to the end of key stage 2. The curriculum determines the knowledge and understanding that pupils should learn and the order in which staff should teach it. The school's curriculum ensures that pupils are well prepared for the next stages in their education and for life in modern Britain.

Teachers explain new ideas clearly. They are knowledgeable about the subjects that they teach. Teachers help pupils to revisit and remember important learning.

They use a range of strategies to ensure that pupils make secure connections between new and previously learned concepts.

Generally, teachers use assessment information appropriately to establish what pupils know and where they might have gaps in their knowledge. This helps teachers to shape future learning.

However, in a few subjects, teachers do not use assessment strategies precisely enough to identify specific gaps in pupils' knowledge. This means that teachers are not as informed as they could be in shaping the next steps that pupils should take. This prevents some pupils from learning as well as they could.

Pupils told inspectors that reading helps them to learn new knowledge, improve their vocabulary and 'transport them to another world'. The school has invested in high-quality books throughout school. Children in the early years enjoy sharing picture books with adults and with their friends.

Older pupils benefit from a wide range of books that link to the themes and topics that they study.

As soon as they start in the Reception class, children learn phonics through carefully crafted activities. Staff benefit from effective training that develops the knowledge and skills required to help pupils to become confident readers in readiness for key stage 2.

However, on occasion, the phonics programme is not delivered consistently well. This slows some pupils' progress in becoming confident and fluent readers.

Despite this, many pupils achieve well in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1.

Staff provide timely support for pupils who find reading more difficult. This helps these pupils to quickly catch up with their peers and to read with accuracy.

The school is ambitious for the high number of pupils with SEND who attend.

It identifies their additional needs accurately. This enables teachers to give these pupils the help that they need. The school ensures that pupils with SEND build their confidence and self-esteem.

These pupils are successful in learning all that they should. They participate fully in the same curriculum and opportunities as their peers.

Pupils behave well in lessons.

They are lively, but quick to settle. Pupils listen carefully during lessons and they are motivated to learn. The school prioritises pupils' attendance.

Staff analyse and track absences thoroughly. There is an effective range of strategies to ensure positive attitudes and habits about attending school. Consequently, most pupils attend school regularly.

The school supports pupils' wider development well. For example, pupils enjoy a range of after-school clubs, including in gardening, board games, dance and various sports events. Pupils in each key stage relish many opportunities to go on residential trips.

Governors share the school's ambition and commitment to provide a high quality of education for pupils. Staff value the support that they receive for their well-being and workload. For example, they appreciate the time that the school gives them to carry out their curriculum responsibilities.

Staff are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

In a small number of subjects, teachers do not use assessment strategies well enough to identify exactly where pupils have gaps in their learning.

Consequently, teachers are not as informed as they could be when shaping pupils' future learning, which hinders some pupils from learning all that they could. The school should support teachers in using assessment strategies sufficiently well so that they accurately identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge, skills and understanding. ? At times, the early reading and phonics curriculum is not delivered as clearly and precisely as it be could.

Where this is the case, a few pupils do not learn as well as they should. The school should continue to train adults so that they have the knowledge and confidence to deliver early reading and phonics effectively.

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 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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2019.