Copper Valley Junior Academy

Inspection of Gunnislake Primary Academy Chapel Street, Gunnislake, Cornwall PL18 9NA

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 18 and 19 May 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Gunnislake Primary Academy are ‘kind, respectful and focused’. This helps them to develop positive relationships with staff and with their peers. Pupils feel safe. As well as talking with staff, they use their ‘I wish my teacher knew’ boxes to share any worries they have. They say that pupils learn and play well together and that bullying is rare. Pupils value rewards they receive for following their school rules. One pupil, who reflected the view of many, said, ‘I love getting things from the treasure chest.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have restarted school clubs and extra-curricular visits, which have been hampered by COVID-19. Pupils develop their talents and interests through opportunities such as local sporting festivals, learning to play the keyboard, ‘songfest’ and ‘MayFest’. Some pupils also produce and deliver care packages to local elderly residents.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have taken clear decisions on how to improve the school and are ambitious for all pupils, including those who are vulnerable. They use the pupil voice in their curriculum conversations. Consequently, pupils are happy, attend regularly and say they love to learn. They enjoy revisiting their ‘big books’ to look back at what they have learned in the wider curriculum.

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better?

Leaders ensure that reading is a priority for all pupils. From when children start in the Reception Year, consistent teaching means they have the phonics understanding they need to become successful readers. Staff select ‘favourite five’ books for pupils to read. As a result, pupils are very positive about reading and talk about the books they read for pleasure. Staff support pupils with any difficulties they have with reading. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), receive extra support which meets their individual needs. Once pupils have mastered the phonics curriculum, they continue to read widely.

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better?

In other areas of the curriculum, leaders have the same high expectations of all pupils. Pupils take pride in what they do and show this through their presentation of work and in their behaviour. The curriculum is ambitious, and staff quickly identify when pupils make mistakes or need further help.

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better?

Pupils with SEND are well supported to successfully learn alongside their peers. Staff know the needs of these pupils well. This means, in the shorter term, all pupils remember what they have learned. Despite this, in some subjects, leaders have not considered well enough how important knowledge is broken down into smaller steps. This means that some pupils find it difficult to make links between topics or remember what they have learned over a longer period of time.

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better?

Leaders provide a range of well-planned opportunities for pupils’ personal development. They adapt this skilfully for some pupils with SEND so they are well 18 and 19 May 2022

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prepared for the next stage of their education. As a result, pupils talk about positive relationships and the importance of being healthy. They understand what a stereotype is and how this can be harmful. For example, pupils talk knowledgeably about the roles of gender in society and how this has changed over time.

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Pupils model kindness through their actions. For example, they understand that people with disabilities might need extra help to benefit from the same opportunities as others. However, leaders have not considered well enough how pupils learn about different cultures. Many pupils cannot talk with confidence about life in different countries and cultures.

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Leaders carefully plan how to support staff to make further improvements to the curriculum. Staff value this and say that leaders positively champion their workload and well-being. Staff comment that they are supportive of each other and of the wider school community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders engage effectively with external agencies when pupils and families are identified as needing early help. They have robust policies and procedures in place, and all staff follow these well. Governors regularly check that pupils are safe in the school. Along with leaders, they make the right checks when new staff start at the school.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure pupils know how to keep themselves safe through the taught curriculum. For example, pupils understand the importance of staying safe when online and are aware of other dangers, such as fire and harmful substances.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not broken down important knowledge into small enough parts. This means that some pupils do not remember as much as they could over time. Leaders should ensure that all subjects have key knowledge clearly identified so pupils know more and make links between different aspects of their learning.  Leaders have not considered well enough how pupils learn about different cultures. As a result, many pupils do not have a well-informed understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity. Leaders need to provide cultural education for pupils that is coherently planned and implemented. 18 and 19 May 2022

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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. 18 and 19 May 2022

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 1 and 2 May 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Pupils at Gunnislake Primary Academy attend Delaware Primary Academy site for Reception Year to Year 4. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 attend the Gunnislake Primary Academy site. The headteacher is the same for both schools.  The school is part of Bridge Multi-Academy Trust.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The school has fewer than five children in the Reception Year.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The 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 and religious education. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the 18 and 19 May 2022

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curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, curriculum leaders, teaching staff and support staff.  The lead inspector met with the chair of governors, the executive headteacher of the trust and the chief executive officer.  The lead inspector spoke with the designated safeguarding leader to discuss the school’s procedures for keeping pupils safe. She considered the school’s recruitment procedures, staff induction and training, records of concern and engagement with external agencies. The inspectors spoke with staff and pupils informally throughout the inspection.  The lead inspector considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. She also spoke with parents on the school

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playground and by telephone. The lead inspector took into consideration responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Donna Briggs, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kerri Conday Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 May 2022

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