North Petherwin School

Inspection of a good school: North Petherwin School Brazzacott, North Petherwin, Launceston, Cornwall PL15 8NE

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Outcome

North Petherwin School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

North Petherwin is a happy and inclusive school. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their learning and the wider opportunities they receive. They say school is like an extended family. Parents agree and are very supportive of the school’s ethos to develop all aspects of pupils’ characters.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils’ conduct and attitudes to learning are excellent. They are supportive of each other and enjoy harmonious relationships. Children in the early years benefit from well-established routines. They form strong relationships with staff at the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils attend the range of clubs on offer, which includes crochet, bible stories and different sporting activities. Pupils take on positions of responsibility, such as being a playground leader or member of the school council. They are proud to adopt these roles. Leaders create opportunities in the curriculum for outdoor learning, such as ‘wildtribe’. This helps pupils to develop attributes such as resilience and teamwork.

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

Pupils follow a broad and ambitious curriculum from the Nursery and Reception Year through to Year 6. Leaders have thought carefully about the knowledge they want pupils to learn in each subject and across the different year groups. Leaders have provided staff with effective training on how to support the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Therefore, staff identify and understand how to make adaptations to the curriculum, as necessary, to further support pupils’ learning.

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

Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge. They have high ambitions for what pupils should learn. Staff track pupils’ understanding of the curriculum regularly and remedy gaps in pupils’ knowledge or any misconceptions quickly. This allows pupils to progress well. For example, in mathematics, pupils show confidence in calculation, 4 May 2023

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reasoning and problem-solving at an age-appropriate level. However, in some subjects, the work pupils produce does not reflect leaders’ high expectations.

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Leaders believe all pupils should leave the school as competent readers. Therefore, reading is an important part of pupils’ daily routine at the school. Staff encourage reading for pleasure through competitions, parental involvement and displays in classrooms and corridors. There is a ‘book of the week’ for all classes, including for children in the early years. Pupils talk excitedly about the books they are reading. Staff look for opportunities to extend pupils’ understanding of diversity through the reading books they share based on the curriculum.

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All staff have received appropriate training to teach the phonics curriculum effectively. Children start learning to read at the beginning of Reception Year. Books are well matched to the sounds pupils know. Staff provide support for pupils who fall behind. This approach enables pupils to become fluent and confident readers.

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Pupils understand the expectations for their behaviour. They are usually keen to try their best in lessons. Low-level disruption is extremely rare. Children in the early years learn in a calm, nurturing environment. They know how to take turns and play cooperatively. At playtimes, pupils show maturity and self-regulate, with little need for adult intervention.

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The wider development of pupils is a strength of the school. Pupils talk confidently about their understanding of the protected characteristics and why they are important. They learn about beliefs and cultures different to their own. Trips and visits also expand pupils’ horizons. For example, pupils attend an annual trip to the beach or the moor. Some pupils also perform as part of a Royal Shakespeare Company production.

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Staff are proud to work at this school. They feel well supported by the headteacher, governing body and the trust. Staff say that leaders value them. One example of this is through the time committed to developing the subject knowledge of staff. They agree that leaders look for ways to further reduce workload and improve their overall well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders prioritise safeguarding and ensure all staff receive regular and appropriate training. There are effective procedures in place for the safe recruitment of new staff.

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Safeguarding

Staff know the correct process for reporting and recording any concerns about a pupil. Leaders take swift action and seek advice from external agencies, as required. They communicate promptly with parents.

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Safeguarding

Pupils say they feel safe and protected in school. They can give the name of a trusted adult they would approach should they have any concerns. Pupils learn through the personal development curriculum about online safety and how to keep themselves safe in the community. 4 May 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some areas of the curriculum, staff do not make clear their expectations for the quality of work that pupils produce. Therefore, pupils are unable to use their work to revisit the knowledge they have learned or to demonstrate the progress they make through the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that pupils produce a high standard of work across the curriculum.

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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 school to be good in July 2013.

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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. 4 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10287465 Type of school Primary

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School details

Website www.northpetherwinandwerringtonschools. co.uk Date of previous inspection 6 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school belongs to a federation with one other primary school. The headteacher is the executive headteacher of both schools.  The school has a nursery with provision for two- and three-year olds.  The school does not use 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, assistant head of school, special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, curriculum and key stage leaders, a group of governors, the chief executive officer of the trust and a director of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject 4 May 2023

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leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised the single central record of adults working in the school. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding leader to consider how well the school identifies pupils who are at risk and engages with external services. Inspectors also spoke with a range of pupils and staff about safeguarding.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents and carers, Parent View, including free-text comments. Inspectors also considered responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Kelly Olive, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ashley Leeson Ofsted Inspector 4 May 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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