Godolphin Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Godolphin Primary School Godolphin Cross, Breage, Helston, Cornwall TR13 9RB

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Outcome

Godolphin Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Godolphin Primary School is a happy, safe place for pupils to learn. Staff know pupils well and want the best for them. Leaders have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Parents and carers appreciate the care provided for their children. Parents commented that, ‘The school has always been supportive. They are very interested in the welfare of my child.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like coming to school. They talk positively about the wide range of opportunities provided for them. This supports their personal development well. Pupils take on roles such as head boy or girl and as members of the school council. They hold these responsibilities in high esteem.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite, respectful and caring towards one another. They behave well in class and around the school site. Low-level disruption is rare. Pupils say that bullying does not happen. They are confident that staff would sort out any problems quickly should they occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand that everyone is different and state that it is good to be unique. Relationships between pupils and adults are strong. The school invests heavily in its links with its locality. Pupils make a strong contribution to the community, such as performing at the chapel and Godolphin House.

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

Leaders, including governors, have high expectations of pupils. Staff feel well supported and work as part of a team. Staff feel that leaders are considerate of their well-being. They felt particularly well supported during the pandemic.

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

Leaders prioritise reading. From the moment children start in Reception, they learn phonics. Staff expose children to a wide range of rhymes, songs and stories to develop their language and communication skills. Books are matched closely to the letters and 26 November 2021

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sounds pupils are learning. However, some adult support for pupils’ reading is inconsistent. At times, adults do too much for pupils, which does not enable pupils to practise and demonstrate their learning. However, where pupils fall behind, staff check what further input is required. They provide support to enable pupils to keep up. Leaders are always looking at ways to enhance the phonics programme they use.

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Older pupils enjoy reading. They know why it is important to be able to read fluently. They say that teachers ‘inspire’ them to read. Staff read to pupils regularly. Pupils have access to a wide variety of texts, and they talk about books with enthusiasm. They can recall plots from stories they have had read to them.

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The mathematics curriculum supports pupils’ development of knowledge and skills well. The curriculum is well sequenced and adapted to meet the needs of mixed-aged classes, including in early years. Careful assessment informs ongoing planning. Teachers use this information to identify pupils who need extra help. Staff provide additional resources to help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) succeed. Pupils enjoy mathematics.

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Leaders regularly review what pupils are learning. They make sure that pupils in mixed- aged classes engage in a well-sequenced curriculum. As a result, changes to some subjects in the wider curriculum are being made so pupils make connections between their learning. This helps to build their knowledge. For example, older pupils connect learning about the two world wars. However, leaders have not yet implemented these changes in some subjects within the wider curriculum. Consequently, in these subjects, pupils do not know and remember more over time.

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Staff tailor the curriculum well to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Leaders ensure that these pupils are fully included in all aspects of school life. Staff understand the needs of the pupils well. Careful identification of pupils’ additional needs ensures that improvement targets are precise. Appropriate support is in place. Links with external agencies help the school in its provision for the social, emotional and academic needs of pupils.

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Pupils behave well and have consistently positive attitudes to their learning. They are respectful to staff and each other. The school is a calm and purposeful place to learn.

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Staff help pupils to become active and responsible citizens. Pupils take their roles of responsibility seriously. They have a good understanding of tolerance and respect. They appreciate the wide range of opportunities to develop their resilience, independence and confidence. These include residential visits, fundraising activities and sporting events. The personal, social, heath and economic education curriculum supports pupils’ understanding of diversity.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 26 November 2021

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Staff are knowledgeable about their safeguarding responsibilities. They receive regular and up-to-date training. Effective policies and procedures are in place. Staff are vigilant. They know that leaders take the concerns they raise seriously. Leaders ensure that all employment checks on staff are thorough.

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Staff teach pupils about how to stay safe in a range of situations. Pupils say that they feel safe in school. They understand how to stay safe online. Pupils know whom to go to if they have a concern. Leaders have ensured that the curriculum supports pupils’ understanding of risk.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Recent work to develop the wider curriculum has not been fully implemented across some subject areas. As a result, pupils do not learn as well as they could in these subjects. Leaders need to ensure that an effective curriculum is implemented across all subjects, so that pupils know more and remember more.

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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 evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Godolphin Primary School, to be good in June 2015.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 . 26 November 2021

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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. 26 November 2021

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School details

Headteacher Lucy Wandless (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Godolphin Primary School joined the Southerly Point Co-operative Multi-Academy Trust in June 2017.  The executive headteacher is also headteacher of two other schools within the trust.  The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school. It runs three mixed- aged classes: Reception and Years 1 and 2; Years 2, 3 and 4; and one class for Years 5 and 6.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the assistant headteacher, representatives from the multi-academy trust, groups of staff and members of the governing body. 26 November 2021

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  Inspectors considered how well the school protects pupils and keeps them safe.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, inspectors spoke with pupils to discuss their views on the school.  Inspectors considered 19 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View (including 16 free-text responses), 22 responses to the pupil online survey and six responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Heather Barraclough, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Leanne Thirlby Her Majesty’s Inspector 26 November 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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