St Teath Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Teath Community Primary School North Road, St Teath, Bodmin, Cornwall PL30 3JX

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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?

Staff have high expectations for pupils. They want to raise pupils’ aspirations of what they can achieve. Staff challenge pupils to do their best. Pupils quickly learn to read well and develop a love of reading. However, in some parts of the curriculum, leaders have not identified the key knowledge pupils need to learn with enough precision. As a result, in these subjects, pupils do not build their knowledge as well as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and parents appreciate the staff at St Teath School. Pupils feel that staff know them as individuals. One pupil said, ‘Staff are generous with their time, and they give us a lot of help.’ Every parent who completed the online survey said that they would recommend the school to others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They are polite and kind to one another. Pupils are safe in school because of the care given by staff. Pupils say that bullying never happens. If it did happen, they are confident that adults would sort it out promptly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are particularly proud of the sporting success they achieve. They enjoy the extra- curricular clubs that leaders provide, such as American football, martial arts and dance. Taking part in drama performances helps pupils to grow in confidence.

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

Leaders have put in place a well-considered and effective approach to the teaching of phonics. This begins from the start of early years. Teachers regularly check what pupils have learned. They use this information to deliver the phonics programme with precision. If any pupil falls behind, staff help them to catch up. Pupils use their phonic knowledge to 21 February 2023

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read words with increasing accuracy. They proudly use their knowledge of sounds to write and spell words correctly.

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Pupils enjoy the books that their teachers read to them every day. Staff give pupils clear guidance about how to choose the books that they read for themselves. Each term, leaders provide a set of ‘recommended reads’. These books give pupils an insight into a wide range of cultures and beliefs.

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In mathematics, teachers use precise language when they explain new ideas. They help pupils to make links to what they have learned before. Teachers ask questions that help pupils to think deeply. They challenge pupils to give clear answers, and they make regular checks on pupils’ understanding. In the early years, children make good use of the mathematics resources and equipment that staff provide. Teachers deliver ‘morning maths’ sessions every day. These help pupils to recall and refresh what they have learned. Pupils are confident in their understanding of key mathematical facts and ideas.

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Leaders have mapped out the experiences they want pupils to have within the wider curriculum. Pupils enjoy their learning in the foundation subjects. However, leaders have not identified precisely what they want pupils to know and remember in each subject. As a result, pupils have some gaps in their knowledge. They do not build their knowledge well over time. Leaders have not identified these gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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Pupils listen carefully to instructions. They act within the clear routines and expectations set out by teachers. Low-level disruption rarely disturbs learning. This helps pupils to concentrate well. Pupils play cooperatively at breaktimes. Older pupils help younger pupils. They are polite to one another and respect adults.

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Leaders make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are included in all aspects of school life. Leaders listen to parents so that they can understand pupils’ strengths and needs. They draw on outside expertise to secure the best support for pupils. Staff help pupils with SEND to meet their learning targets. They make adaptations that enable all pupils to access the full curriculum offer.

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Leaders deliver a well-thought-out offer for pupils’ wider development. Pupils take part in a wide range of sporting events, in school and the local area. Through these, pupils build their confidence and sense of community. Leaders organise events that help pupils to learn about the jobs they might do in the future. They broaden the experience that pupils have of other cultures. Pupils learn about democracy, through the work of the school council.

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Leaders have recently put in place a new curriculum for pupils’ personal and social development. This is beginning to improve pupils’ knowledge about their health, relationships and the world around them.

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Staff appreciate the support that they receive from leaders. They are proud to work at the school. Governors and trustees are very positive about leaders’ recent improvements. They have a less clear picture of the further development needed to improve the quality of education for pupils. 21 February 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff listen to pupils. They report any safeguarding concerns to leaders quickly. Leaders take effective action to secure support from external agencies. Pupils learn about staying safe, particularly when they are online. They say there are trusted adults they can share any worries with.

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Safeguarding

There are some minor weaknesses in safeguarding arrangements. Leaders do not carefully plan actions to improve safeguarding systems. Information about pupils is not always recorded in a clear way. Leaders, including governors, have not checked the effectiveness of systems and training sufficiently.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, leaders have not identified with enough precision what they want pupils to know and remember. As a result, pupils have some gaps in their knowledge. Leaders are unsure where these gaps are. Leaders must identify the most important knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember. They must support teachers to check that pupils remember this knowledge over time.  There are some minor weaknesses in safeguarding arrangements. Leaders, including governors, do not have a clear picture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders must address these weaknesses so that safeguarding arrangements are secure.

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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 predecessor school, St Teath Community Primary School, to be good in December 2017.

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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 21 February 2023

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when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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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. 21 February 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 St Teath Community Primary School converted to become an academy school in October 2018. It is part of the North Cornwall Learning Trust. When its predecessor school, St Teath Community Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  There is a before-school provision managed by the school.

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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 met with the headteacher, subject leaders, teachers, groups of pupils, governors, trustees and representatives from the multi-academy trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about 21 February 2023

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their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s safeguarding documentation, including safeguarding checks carried out on staff working at the school. They reviewed how well the designated safeguarding leads act on concerns about pupils’ welfare. Inspectors talked to pupils, staff, governors and trustees about how the school keeps everyone safe.  Inspectors considered the 43 responses to the Ofsted online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including 33 free-text responses. They also considered the 16 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Gower, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Gary Chown Ofsted Inspector 21 February 2023

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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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