Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Laura Cornish Headteacher Charmouth Primary School Lower Sea Lane Charmouth Bridport Dorset DT6 6LR

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Requires improvement monitoring inspection of Charmouth Primary School

This letter sets out the findings from the monitoring inspection of your school that took place on Wednesday, 26 April 2023, on behalf of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills. The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and took place because the school has received two successive judgements of requires improvement at its previous graded (section 5) inspections.

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Requires improvement monitoring inspection of Charmouth Primary School

During the inspection, I discussed with you and other staff, governors and the local authority the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection. We discussed the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. I also visited lessons, listened to pupils read to a familiar adult, met with a group of pupils about their learning, looked at a sample of books, checked the single central record and met with the designated safeguarding leader, scrutinised curriculum documents and the school development plan. I have considered all this in coming to my judgement.

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Main findings

There have been several staff changes since the previous inspection. Two new teachers, including an assistant headteacher, have joined the school since September 2022. You, along with your staff, are working steadily to address the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection. A comprehensive and diagnostic assessment system has been introduced in phonics. This enables you to identify gaps in the sounds pupils know and to implement effective catch-up programmes. This is helping pupils in the early stages of reading to build their knowledge well. There is also training and support for staff to ensure a consistent delivery of the phonics programme. This is starting to make a difference.

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Main findings

Your work to create a curriculum that is well designed now considers what pupils need to learn and builds knowledge over time, starting in the early years. This is having a positive impact in some areas of the curriculum. Pupils can remember what they have learned. However, this is not yet securely in place for all foundation subjects. Pupils still have gaps in knowledge in some areas of the curriculum.

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Main findings

You have secured some improvements to identify the needs of pupils with SEND with greater accuracy. There is now a clear process in place. As a result, pupils receive support in a timely manner based on their needs. Despite this, there remain inconsistencies in how precise the targets are for all pupils. This means that it is difficult to measure the impact of the support, where this is the case.

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Main findings

You have raised expectations of the quality of work that pupils can produce. Most pupils have positive attitudes to learning and the presentation in older pupils’ books has improved over time.

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Main findings

You are supported and held to account well by governors. They routinely check that the actions that you and other leaders have taken are making a difference. Governors work closely with Dorset local authority. They use recommendations from external support to hold leaders to account. For example, a thorough review by the local authority partner identified the need for leaders to check on what pupils know and remember over time. As a result, there is a plan in place to address this.

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Main findings

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the Department for Education’s regional director and the director of children’s services for Dorset. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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