Callington Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Callington Primary School 24 Saltash Road, Callington, Cornwall PL17 7EF

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 November 2022

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Outcome

Callington Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Everyone at Callington Primary School goes to great lengths to make this a happy and welcoming place. Many parents agree that staff work hard to achieve the school’s aim of ‘the best for every child, all of the time’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils are respectful of each other and staff. Pupils who need help managing their behaviour receive the right support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Rewards and sanctions are applied fairly. This means the atmosphere in classrooms is typically calm and purposeful. Low-level disruption is unusual and does not prevent learning. If bullying happens, leaders deal with it effectively. This helps pupils feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate a wide selection of clubs. These range from cross-country running to board games and football. Pupils enjoy regular educational trips and visits from external speakers. Older pupils speak enthusiastically about the residential visits that are planned each year.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to achieve well. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils leave the school well prepared for their next steps.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. In most subjects, leaders set out the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn. In these subjects, leaders have thought carefully about how pupils build their learning in logical steps, starting in the early years. Children in the Reception Year enjoy playing and exploring together. The early years curriculum helps children to gain confidence. They develop into happy, competent learners. Children in the early years are well prepared for the demands of key 15 and 16 November 2022

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stage 1. However, in a small number of subjects, leaders have not set out the important knowledge pupils need. As a result, pupils do not build knowledge as well as they could.

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Children learn to read as soon as they start school. Staff read regularly to pupils and spark their enthusiasm for books. The reading curriculum helps pupils develop their reading fluency and their vocabulary. It also develops their comprehension skills. Pupils can choose from a wide range of books. They enjoy reading books together in the library. Staff provide appropriate support to pupils who struggle to read. This helps them to catch up quickly. As a result, they develop into confident and fluent readers.

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In most subjects, teachers present information clearly and they check pupils’ understanding effectively. Teachers praise success and point out misconceptions. Pupils learn from corrections and improve their work. When assessment is less effective, pupils continue to make errors. In English and mathematics, teachers assess pupils’ learning over time. This means teachers can rectify any gaps in pupils’ understanding. Leaders have not embedded assessment as effectively in the wider curriculum.

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Leaders identify pupils with SEND quickly and accurately. Leaders are ambitious for these pupils to learn the full curriculum. In most lessons, the needs of pupils with SEND are met. However, the curriculum is not always adapted well enough to meet some pupils’ needs. This sometimes hinders their learning.

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The school provides well for pupils’ broader development. For example, pupils learn about a wide range of religions, beliefs and cultures. They develop a good understanding of issues relating to equality. Pupils understand that no two people are the same, but everyone is equal.

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Staff are positive about the school. They feel that leaders care about their work and value the difference they make to pupils. They are proud to be members of staff.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Leaders ensure that staff receive regular and appropriate training. Staff are vigilant and understand how to identify and respond to concerns. Leaders work closely with parents and external agencies where necessary. This keeps pupils safe.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in school and know that adults will listen to them if they have a problem. They also learn about how to keep themselves safe outside of school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, teachers are not clear enough about the important knowledge that pupils should learn. As a result, pupils do not build knowledge 15 and 16 November 2022

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cumulatively. Leaders should ensure that the important knowledge pupils learn is identified clearly in all subjects.  Staff do not always adapt the curriculum effectively for pupils with SEND. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not learn the curriculum as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is adapted effectively to meet the needs of all pupils with SEND.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Callington Primary School, to be good in January 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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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. 15 and 16 November 2022

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School details

Headteacher Antony Fugill and Hannah Loss (Co- Headteachers) Website www.callington-ji.cornwall.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The co-headteachers took up their roles in January 2021.  The school is part of The Duchy Academy Trust.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteachers and other senior leaders. The inspector also spoke with groups of staff and pupils.  The inspector carried out deep dives into 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 with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work 15 and 16 November 2022

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 The inspector met members of the local governing body and a member of the board of trustees.  The inspector met with leaders responsible for safeguarding. The inspector reviewed a range of safeguarding documents and records, including the school’s record of recruitment checks. The inspector also spoke with staff, governors and pupils about safeguarding.  The inspector considered the responses made by parents to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including any free-text responses. The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Paul Walker, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 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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