Compton CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Compton CofE Primary School Higher Compton Road, Plymouth, Devon PL3 5JB

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Outcome

Compton CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. This is reflected in their high attendance. They are polite and articulate and have strong relationships with their adults. They experience a broad range of activities to support their personal development.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are adamant that they feel safe in school and that behaviour is good. They are attentive in lessons and behave well. Pupils are not concerned about bullying. They say that bullying does not exist. Even so, they know what to do if it were to happen. Pupils say that teachers give them the knowledge that they need to stay safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The early years is a hive of activity. Staff quickly establish the fundamental skills needed for learning. This strong start, coupled with staff’s high expectations, ensures that children are well prepared for the next stage of their education. However, this positive start is not built upon as well as it could be. While teachers are supportive of pupils, their ambition for what pupils should be able to do in mathematics is not always high enough.

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

Reading is the heartbeat of the curriculum. Effective teaching of early reading enables pupils to get off to a strong start. Adults know how to teach phonics well. There is an effective system in place to help pupils catch up if they fall behind. Leaders have promoted a love of reading in school and in the wider community. Reading boxes provide pupils and members of the community with access to books outside of the school day. Pupils achieve well in reading.

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

In most subjects, leaders have thought carefully about the content pupils should know and understand. However, subject content is not always as well organised as it needs to be. The history curriculum does not consistently develop pupils’ knowledge as well as it could. For example, some pupils are not able to order key periods of time and they believe the Romans came before the Stone Age. Leaders recognise that in some subjects there is more work to do. A curriculum review is under way. 25 and 26 May 2021

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At the start of the academic year, leaders changed their approach to teaching mathematics in the early years. The curriculum is ambitious, and children are challenged to achieve well. Teachers seek out creative ways to develop children’s learning. For example, children use play money to visit Bradley’s Bank to practise their number learning. Children are excited and motivated to learn new things.

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However, this enthusiasm for mathematics is not always built upon as pupils progress through the school. In key stage 2, some sequences of work are not sufficiently demanding. This prevents pupils excelling in mathematics. Some pupils say that they do not feel challenged in mathematics. In addition, some parents and carers who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, raised concerns that the mathematics curriculum is not demanding enough.

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Leaders have ensured that the curriculum extends far beyond the academic. Pupils’ personal development is woven through the curriculum. Pupils have many opportunities to learn about different cultures and societies. Older pupils particularly enjoyed learning about the Windrush generation. Pupils support many local and international charities, such as Medic Malawi. Pupils are eager to take responsibility. They recently raised funds to buy oxygen to help communities in Malawi with their fight against COVID-19 (coronavirus).

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Leaders make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported effectively. Staff provide pupils with appropriate resources that enable them to access learning. This is helping pupils with SEND to achieve well.

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A large proportion of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire feel positive about the school. However, approximately half of parents raised concerns about communication.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a positive culture for safeguarding. The members of the pastoral team work closely to support vulnerable pupils and their families. Where necessary, they ensure that pupils and their families get the support they need.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding training is up to date. Staff receive regular updates and know what to do if they have any concerns about a pupil. Appropriate checks are made on the adults who visit and work at the school. The curriculum makes sure that pupils know how to keep themselves safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Curriculum plans in some subjects are not as well organised as they need to be. Leaders have not considered how pupils develop knowledge by building on prior 25 and 26 May 2021

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learning. In some subjects, pupils do not secure essential concepts. Leaders need to ensure that the content of all subject plans is well chosen and carefully organised.  Teachers’ expectations of what some pupils can achieve in mathematics are not high enough. This limits what some pupils in key stage 2 can achieve. Teachers do not always use what they know about what pupils can do to develop pupils’ knowledge. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum is ambitious for all pupils and that teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve in mathematics.  Parents commented that communication between home and school is not as effective as it could be. They feel that they are not kept well informed about their child’s education. In addition, some parents feel that their concerns are not responded to adequately. Leaders need to communicate with parents effectively and ensure that any concerns are followed up.

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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 a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that a good school could now be better than good, or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 21–22 June 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information 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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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 25 and 26 May 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10193251 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21–22 June 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is voluntary controlled.  The school is part of the Diocese of Exeter and had its last section 48 inspection in March 2016.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began.  The inspector met with the headteacher, other senior leaders, class teachers and six governors, including the chair of the governing body. He also held a conversation with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and spoke to them about their experience of school.  He listened to pupils from Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 read to an adult.  The inspector did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. He talked to teachers who lead these subjects. He visited lessons and looked at pupils’ 25 and 26 May 2021

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work. He also spoke with teachers about what they were teaching, and to pupils about their learning.  The inspector considered how well the school protects pupils and keeps them safe. He met with the designated safeguarding leader to check the effectiveness of safeguarding. He also asked pupils how they keep themselves safe and what to do if they have concerns.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in class and around the school, including at social times. He spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school.  The inspector considered the views of parents through Ofsted’s online questionnaire and free-text comments. He considered the views of staff when he spoke with them in groups and also through Ofsted’s online survey.

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Inspection team

Matt Middlemore, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 25 and 26 May 2021

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regulates and inspects to 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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