Grays primary school "not giving pupils a good enough education"

In a report published last Wednesday, Ofsted, the schools watchdog, graded Quarry Hill Primary School, on Dell Lane, Grays as “inadequate”, the lowest grade possible.

The school has been given a “notice to improve”, meaning that whilst the level of education currently provided to pupils is sub-standard, Ofsted deems the school able to make the necessary improvements.

The inspection, which was carried out in early February, found that Quarry Hill “is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could reasonably be expected to perform”.

The report cites that significant improvement is required in relation to pupils’ attainment and to the quality of teaching and assessment.

It says: “Pupils are achieving less well than they should and too many are working below the levels expected for their ages” and “although there is good teaching in some year groups, particularly in Year 6, there remain too many lessons where pupils make insufficient progress or where progress is satisfactory”.

In 2011, the Quarry Hill Junior and Infant schools were amalgamated to make one primary school.

Headteacher Martin Cowpland said: “Although results at both schools have been close to the national average before, the 2011 results, just two terms after the amalgamation, were well below this. However we are confident that assessments at the end of this year will show an improvement on the 2011 levels.”

He added: “We have a lot of good practice across the new primary school, with recent developments in assessment practice in KS1, and marking and feedback in both Key Stages, and this is noted in the report. However these aren’t yet embedded well enough to ensure the consistency across the school that is needed to improve outcomes for our children.”

Oliver Gerrish, the Councillor responsible for Thurrock Council’s education portfolio said: “Quarry Hill has a lot of ground to make up. We’re all pretty pleased with the progress so far but obviously there’s still a long way to go.

“We have got a school improvement teams at the Council who can work with the leadership team who can work with the leadership teams at the school and make the improvements needed.”

It is not the first time the school has received an “inadequate” grading from Ofsted.

In March 2009, the Junior school was given the same grade and placed under “special measures”, the step taken by Ofsted if it believes a school is incapable of making improvements. But the school made “rapid improvement”, according to Ofsted and the measures were lifted in November 2009.