Stoke Climsland School

Inspection of a good school: Stoke Climsland School Stoke Climsland, Callington, Cornwall PL17 8ND

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Stoke Climsland is a warm, welcoming school. Pupils enjoy attending. They learn how the school’s values, such as empathy and perseverance, help them in their daily life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy much of their learning but are not always challenged by an ambitious curriculum. They do not always learn as well as they could. The work leaders have done to redesign the curriculum does not identify the key knowledge that pupils should learn. In some subjects, including reading for older pupils, learning is disjointed. Teaching does not help pupils to connect to what they already know or prepare them for more complex learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave well. Overall, learning is not affected by low-level disruption. The inclusive ethos of the school supports pupils who find learning and self-regulation difficult. Pupils understand that everyone is different and has different needs. However, there is confusion about the consistency and fairness of rewards and consequences. These are not clearly understood by pupils, which leads to frustration. Pupils say that staff’s efforts to resolve issues, such as teasing or unkindness, do not always prevent this from happening again.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy enrichment opportunities, such as trips and visitors, that support their learning. Pupils enjoy attending a number of extra-curricular clubs. These opportunities support their wider development. They would like these broadened to include interests beyond sport.

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

In most subjects, leaders have set out and sequenced the key themes they want pupils to learn about. However, they have not yet identified the specific knowledge they want 8 and 9 November 2022

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pupils to learn within these themes. This means that teaching does not always help pupils to build meaningfully on knowledge they already have. For example, in history, leaders have not identified common strands for pupils to understand through different time periods. This means pupils do not develop an understanding of specific historical changes, such as settlements or belief systems.

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Effective leadership of phonics has ensured that younger pupils learn to read well. Staff who deliver phonics have good subject knowledge. As a result, they skilfully deliver phonics sessions with confidence. Pupils enjoy their phonics lessons and accurately segment words and blend sounds, building fluency in their reading. Assessment is used well to make sure that pupils are taught the right sounds at the right time. Those pupils who struggle to keep up receive effective support to read books that match the sounds they know.

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However, the reading curriculum for pupils who have completed the phonics programme is weaker. The books these pupils read are not well chosen. Teaching is not securely based on subject expertise. This means the reading curriculum is not implemented well enough. The implementation of the mathematics curriculum is more successful. Even so, there is still inconsistency in implementation across the school.

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Teaching is not based on effective assessment of what pupils know. This is partly because the key knowledge pupils need to learn is not clearly identified in the curriculum. As a result, pupils’ work is not always well matched to their needs. Learning tasks are not always designed to develop pupils’ thinking or application of the knowledge they have acquired over time.

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Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their barriers to learning accurately identified. Leaders work well with a range of external agencies to provide the right help for pupils. Teachers are supported to use a variety of strategies to help pupils with SEND achieve success in the context of their individual starting points.

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Pupils have many opportunities for wider personal growth. They understand that being a responsible citizen in modern Britain means embracing equality and diversity. Pupils know about discrimination and why some people might experience this. They understand the importance of respecting other people’s views and opinions.

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Leaders, including governors, engage well with staff. Staff feel well supported to manage pupils’ behaviour. They appreciate the efforts of leaders to address any concerns about workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that keeping children safe is everyone’s responsibility. Leaders have a good knowledge of their community and families, which means they are vigilant to any changes or concerns. 8 and 9 November 2022

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Staff know the signs of abuse. They follow the school’s systems for recording and reporting. Leaders act swiftly when there are concerns for a pupil’s well-being. Checks on adults who are recruited by the school are thorough.

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Pupils know there are trusted adults they can talk to if they have a worry. Pupils learn about keeping themselves safe, particularly when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not identified the specific knowledge pupils must learn in all subjects, including reading beyond the phonics programme. Consequently, pupils do not build knowledge well enough in these subjects. Leaders must identify and sequence knowledge across all subjects. This will ensure that pupils can build on what they already know and remember more over time.  Teaching does not always use effective strategies to help pupils learn as well as they could. Leaders need to develop teachers’ subject knowledge and pedagogical choices so that they implement all curriculum subjects effectively.  Parents, carers and pupils do not fully understand how behaviour is managed. This leads to confusion and pupils’ views that rewards and sanctions are unfair and inconsistent. Leaders must ensure that the processes used to manage behaviour are understood by everyone. Rewards and consequences should be applied so that those

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

affected regard them as consistent and fair, while ensuring intelligent and effective action to support those pupils who struggle with their behaviour.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2017. 8 and 9 November 2022

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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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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. 8 and 9 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10240922 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.stoke-climsland.cornwall.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 and 7 June 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is federated with Calstock Community Primary School and shares a governing body, executive headteacher and staff.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the 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.  The inspector held meetings with the executive headteacher, head of school, special educational needs coordinator, curriculum leaders and teaching and support staff.  The inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and with a representative from the local authority. 8 and 9 November 2022

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 The inspector met with the designated safeguarding leads to discuss how they keep pupils safe in school. She considered the school’s recruitment procedures, staff induction and training, records of concerns and their engagement with external agencies. The inspector also spoke with staff and pupils throughout the inspection.  The inspector listened to pupils read to an adult.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. In addition, she met with pupils informally and formally to hear their views.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including free-text responses. She also took into consideration responses to the staff and pupil surveys.  The inspector examined a range of documentation provided by the school, including documentation relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Angela Folland, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 8 and 9 November 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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