Bosvigo School

Inspection of a good school: Bosvigo School Chapel Hill, Truro, Cornwall TR1 3BJ

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Outcome

Bosvigo School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The importance of strong relationships is clear to see at Bosvigo School. It underpins the ethos and values of the school. Pupils enjoy coming to school and most attend well. They appreciate the connections that staff take time to build with them. This helps them to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils study a broad range of subjects. Leaders are ambitious in their expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils respond positively to this. They work hard and are keen to share what they have learned. Pupils are confident to discuss their thinking and opinions in lessons and beyond the classroom.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils conduct themselves well around the school. Older pupils show care, and they nurture younger pupils through roles such as ‘playtime pals’ and ‘buddies’. Pupils say that most pupils behave well, and they trust adults to manage any incidents that may occur. If bullying happens, pupils say that adults manage and resolve this quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders develop pupils’ wider learning through a range of opportunities and experiences. These include participating in school performances, visits to places such as London, going on ‘camp’, surfing and holding roles of responsibility. As a result, pupils develop their independence and resilience well.

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

Leaders have reviewed the curriculum recently to develop its relevance and ambition for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It is now designed to focus more on the important content that they want all pupils to learn over time. This begins in early years, where children get off to a flying start. Adults carefully consider learning opportunities and their interactions with children. Children’s physical development, language and communication and early mathematics are all developed effectively. This prepares children well for their learning in key stage 1 and beyond. 6 and 7 April 2022

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There is a whole-school culture of prioritising reading. Pupils learn to read well. There is a clear and consistent structure to teaching phonics in early years and Years 1 and 2. When pupils fall behind, teachers provide effective support to enable them to catch up quickly. This helps pupils to learn how to read and spell words accurately. Older pupils enjoy reading. They talk confidently about authors and genres. Staff read to pupils regularly. Pupils have access to a diverse range of texts, including those that support them to expand their vocabulary and subject knowledge across a range of curriculum subjects.

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Leaders have invested in time and training to develop subject leaders’ knowledge and skills. As a result, subject leaders know their subject areas well and staff feel supported by them. Leaders monitor and check how well important subject content in reading and mathematics is being delivered and learned. This ensures that the curriculum is well structured and sequenced and that pupils are learning everything they should. However, in some foundation subjects, leaders do not yet routinely check how well the curriculum is being delivered. This means that they do not always have accurate information about how well pupils are learning the essential knowledge across all subjects.

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Leaders and staff support pupils with SEND well. Leaders identify pupils’ needs early. Staff are supported well to adapt learning to meet pupils’ needs effectively. Staff ensure that pupils’ individual plans match their specific needs and include pupil and parent and carer voice.

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Pupils are polite and respectful of others. Pupils are keen to do their best. Most of the time, pupils respond positively to the high expectations of behaviour that staff have of them. Nevertheless, at times, a small minority of pupils struggle to meet these expectations. Staff support these pupils successfully because of the strong relationships they have built with them.

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Staff ensure that pupils have a secure understanding of right and wrong and what is fair. Pupils show tolerance and acceptance of difference. Leaders continue to develop pupils’ understanding of diversity as they prepare them for life beyond Bosvigo.

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The governing body is knowledgeable about the school’s priorities. Governors bring a range of useful experience to their roles. As a result, they challenge and support leaders effectively. Staff feel supported and valued by the senior leadership team and the governors.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including governors, keep pupils’ safety and well-being as a priority. Staff know pupils and their families well. Staff are vigilant and know how to report concerns. The designated safeguarding leads work effectively as a team to support families proactively. Leaders work closely with external agencies, where appropriate, to signpost pupils and families to support and help. 6 and 7 April 2022

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The school keeps detailed records on the suitability of staff to work in the school. The curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to gain the knowledge they need to help keep themselves safe, for example in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders do not assure themselves of how well the curriculum is being learned in some foundation subjects. Some subject leaders do not have a firm or accurate view of how well pupils are learning the essential subject content in the curriculum. Leaders need to be more robust in checking the impact of their actions and decisions, so that they have an accurate view of the quality of the implementation of the curriculum in all subjects.

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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 second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2011.

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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 .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 6 and 7 April 2022

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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. 6 and 7 April 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

13 December 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector met with the headteacher, assistant headteachers and members of the governing body, including the chair. In addition, the inspector met with the school’s improvement partner and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  The inspector considered how well the school protects pupils and keeps them safe. 6 and 7 April 2022

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 The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  The inspector listened to the views of parents at the start of day two of the inspection. The 87 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including 55 free-text responses, were also considered, along with the 134 responses to the pupil online survey and 38 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Leanne Thirlby, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 6 and 7 April 2022

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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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