Mabe Community Primary School

Inspection of Mabe Community Primary School Cunningham Park, Mabe, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9HB

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Inadequate 26 and 27 April 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Mabe Community Primary School is no longer an inadequate school. Leaders have overseen successful changes that have brought about improvements. Staff and leaders’ knowledge of what it takes to design and teach an ambitious curriculum are much improved. However, inconsistencies remain. Children in the early years get off to a strong start. As pupils get older, they do not have a consistently strong journey as they move from one class to another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and happy at school. They attend well. Pupils recognise how behaviour has improved and that bullying is extremely rare. Classrooms are calm, orderly places for pupils to learn in. Pupils’ attitudes to learning have improved.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are strong ambassadors for the school’s inclusive culture. They demonstrate respect and tolerance for different cultures and beliefs. Pupils value the breadth of extra-curricular activities available to them. Leaders make sure that all pupils have the chance to experience the school’s extra-curricular offer, particularly disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are continuing to tackle weaknesses across the school. However, curriculum leaders are still finding their feet when it comes to monitoring standards in their subjects. Some weaknesses in the quality of education remain.

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better?

Leaders have a renewed focus on securing improvements across the school. The school has benefited from effective governance and specialist support. Leaders have increasingly tackled underperformance that exists. The capacity of curriculum leadership in the school is growing steadily. However, there is more to do to ensure senior leaders, governors and trust leaders have accurate information about the quality of education the school provides.

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better?

Leaders have brought about positive changes to early reading and the provision for pupils with SEND. Pupils are served better as a result of this work. Leaders have introduced new curriculum thinking in science and the foundation subjects. The curriculum in these subjects is stronger than previously. However, not all staff are able to bring the curriculum to life well enough. Leaders have not routinely noticed this. At times, sequences of lessons do not build coherently toward curriculum milestones. This hinders pupils’ progress. In the early years, the curriculum structure is much stronger. Staff skilfully build children’s knowledge from their starting points. This is particularly strong when supporting children’s early speaking, reading, writing and number development.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised early reading. Through effective leadership, staff’s knowledge of phonics has improved. Phonics sessions support pupils’ progress well. However, there are some minor inconsistencies that leaders are working on with 26 and 27 April 2022

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staff to iron out. Pupils read books that match the sounds they know with increasing accuracy and fluency. Children begin to build their familiarity of phonics in the early years. Adults provide a gentle introduction to phonics in the Nursery class, which children enjoy.

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Teachers’ use of assessment information varies across subjects. It is stronger in early reading and mathematics, where teachers adapt the curriculum to meet the different needs of pupils. In other subjects, teachers’ use of assessment information is less effective. In the early years, staff use assessment much better. They correctly identify what children need support with and provide a meaningful and challenging curriculum. As a result, children enjoy the activities that adults provide, and their learning takes off. Children have a solid foundation of knowledge, which prepares them well for life in key stage 1.

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Leaders have prioritised supporting pupils’ personal development. They leave no stone unturned to make sure pupils do not miss out on the school’s broad offer. For example, they follow up on pupils who may have missed relationships education with additional sessions. Pupils have a secure knowledge of the fundamental British values. They know why they are important principles for day-to-day life. Pupils enjoy the school’s extra-curricular offer. For example, every pupil learns a musical instrument.

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Pupils’ behaviours and attitudes have significantly improved. Pupils enjoy school and attend well. Low-level disruption in lessons does not occur. In most cases, activities intrigue pupils and ignite their curiosity.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure pupils are safe. They carry out the necessary recruitment checks so they only appoint staff who are suitable to work with children. Staff receive training to help them keep up to date with local and national safeguarding issues, such as sexual harassment and violence.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have a robust understanding of the concerns in and around the Falmouth area, including county lines. They know the signs and symptoms which may indicate children are involved.

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Safeguarding

Staff pass concerns about pupils’ welfare on to leaders in a timely manner. Leaders take appropriate action to help keep pupils safe. 26 and 27 April 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is variation in how well teachers implement curriculum plans. As a result, pupils’ successful knowledge acquisition varies. Leaders need to ensure teachers are clear about the important knowledge pupils need to learn, and plan sequences of lessons that support successful knowledge acquisition.  Curriculum leaders have not routinely monitored how well their subjects are being taught. Pupils’ progress through the curriculum varies from class to class. Leaders need to monitor the implementation of the curriculum in their subjects and provide support to staff who need it.  Teachers’ use of assessment varies. It is not always clear how teachers use this information to adapt the curriculum to meet the varying needs of pupils. This hinders the learning of some pupils. Leaders need to support teachers to make effective use of assessment information.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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.

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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 and 27 April 2022

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 June 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses one registered alternative provider.  Since the previous inspection in 2019, there has been a change to school leadership. The headteacher took up post in 2020. Recently, two new assistant headteachers have been appointed.  The school has a nursery on site that is overseen by school leaders. Most children who attend the school’s nursery later move into the Reception class.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspectors deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and science. Inspectors met with subject leaders, visited lessons, 26 and 27 April 2022

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spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult. Inspectors also considered pupils’ artwork and samples of their writing.  The lead inspector met with the school’s safeguarding leader and scrutinised the school’s single central record.  Inspectors considered pupils’ behaviour throughout the inspection.  The lead inspector spoke with the chief executive officer of the trust. The lead inspector spoke with governors who oversee aspects of the school’s work on behalf of the trust board.  Inspectors met with leaders responsible for the pupil premium grant and pupils’ attendance, behaviour and personal development.  The lead inspector considered responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Nathan Kemp, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kevin Butlin Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 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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