Quest Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this warm and caring school. They are well looked after by staff who help them to feel safe, secure and happy at school.

Pupils trust adults and know that they can talk to them if they have any worries. While issues such as bullying are rare, pupils appreciate that adults will sort things out for them swiftly.

All leaders and staff are aspirational for what pupils can achieve in their learning.

They want them to do their best. This is clear in the ambitious curriculum that leaders have put in place. Pupils are responding well to the high expectations of this new curriculum.

They acquire and remember knowledge successfully in a ...range of subjects.

The newly implemented expectations for behaviour and conduct, 'be ready, be respectful and be safe', are understood by all adults and pupils. These help pupils to make the right choices.

As a result, pupils generally behave well. Classrooms and lessons are calm and purposeful. Pupils respond quickly if adults need to remind them about these expectations.

Leaders provide many opportunities to support all pupils' broader development. These include a range of extra-curricular clubs and educational outings, including a residential trip for older pupils and visits to the National History Museum and Fairfield Halls in Croydon.

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

The new leadership team, trustees and governors have a shared vision and an accurate view of the school.

Leaders and additional support from trust staff have been sharply focused on improving key areas of the school's work, especially the curriculum and how it is taught. This work has been effective. Pupils build up their knowledge successfully in most subjects, including reading and mathematics.

Leaders' effective and well-targeted work to improve the curriculum has not had time to make a positive difference to pupils' outcomes in the national assessments at the end of Year 6.

Leaders have created a broad and ambitious curriculum. In many subjects, the curriculum has been given lots of thought.

The sequence of learning and the crucial knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn and remember have been clearly mapped out. Teachers understand leaders' curriculum thinking. They make sure that their teaching focuses on helping pupils to understand and recall important knowledge in subjects.

However, in some subjects, leaders' curriculum thinking has not been fully refined. Because of this, teaching does not deepen and build on pupils' understanding as effectively in these subjects. Pupils sometimes find it hard to recall and talk about their learning with confidence.

Across the curriculum, teachers give pupils regular opportunities to recall and recap their prior learning. Where this is working well, teachers check what pupils know and remember. They use this information to plan learning tasks that are designed to address gaps in learning or misconceptions.

For some subjects, however, this approach is not working consistently well. Teachers do not have clear information on what pupils have learned and remembered. This reduces how successfully they can help pupils to build on what they already know and can do.

In designing the curriculum, leaders have placed an emphasis on developing pupils' vocabulary. Subject-specific words are identified throughout the curriculum, and adults and pupils use these in lessons. In the early years, adults model the use of language and engage children in high-quality conversations.

Leaders work closely with other agencies to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are getting the right support. The provision for pupils with SEND is planned thoroughly. Pupils' needs are quickly identified, and they are well supported by leaders and staff.

Pupils with SEND, including those in the enhanced learning provision (ELP), are included in all aspects of school life. Pupils who attend the ELP benefit from an ambitious and bespoke curriculum. Leaders and staff make adaptations so that pupils can successfully join in with lessons alongside their classmates.

The teaching of reading begins as soon as children start school. All staff have had training to deliver a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics. The books that children read are closely matched to the phonics they have been taught and know.

Extra practise is provided for pupils who need support, to make sure they do not fall behind. Pupils are enthusiastic about reading. They take home reading for pleasure books from the school library or class book corners, and enjoy daily story times that promote a love of reading.

Pupils follow a well-planned programme to support their personal development. This includes teaching about relationships, tolerance and equality. Pupils' ideas and suggestions to make their school better are valued and acted on.

Pupils like being able to share their views by being part of the pupil parliament. They are also proud to take on classroom jobs and help out with keeping the school tidy and clean by being a litter picker. Classrooms have a productive atmosphere, where pupils concentrate on learning without disruption.

The school is well led and managed. Trustees and governors provide an effective balance of challenge and support.

Staff are proud members of this school.

They feel well supported and said that leaders take their workload and well-being into account.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safeguarding is a high priority for staff, trustees and governors.

Staff receive regular training and updates to ensure that they know what to look out for and recognise any pupils who may be at risk of harm. There are robust reporting and recording systems in place. Leaders use this information to ensure that the right support is put in place for pupils and their families, working with other agencies where needed.

Leaders ensure that all appropriate checks are carried out on adults before they begin working at the school.

The curriculum teaches pupils how to keep safe. They are taught important content about how to keep physically and mentally healthy and how to keep safe online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, leaders have not explicitly defined the crucial knowledge and skills that pupils must know. At times, this affects how well teachers implement the curriculum and, in particular, how successfully teaching enables pupils to securely recall and remember subject content in the long term. Leaders should continue to make further refinements to their curriculum thinking so that teachers know how to support pupils to acquire and remember knowledge in a logical manner.

• In some subjects, teaching does not pick up and respond to gaps in pupils' learning or misconceptions. When this happens, it reduces how successfully pupils are able to build on what they already know. Leaders should support subject leaders and teachers to check what pupils know, and identify and address misconceptions or gaps in a timely way.

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