St Keverne Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Keverne Primary School School Hill, St Keverne, Helston, Cornwall TR12 6NQ

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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. Inspectors are recommending the next inspection to be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at St Keverne Primary School. They feel well cared for and enjoy coming to school. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are included in all aspects of school life. Pupils are taught about the school values of ‘resilience, engage, ambitious, language’. This helps them to build their confidence in a safe and nurturing environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have prioritised the development of the curriculum to ensure that high expectations are in place for all pupils. While the curriculum has improved, it is in the early stages. Leaders’ actions are beginning to make a difference to the education that pupils receive. However, the curriculum does not yet support all pupils to build their knowledge as well as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and respectful. They show positive attitudes to learning. Pupils work well with each other and value being part of the school community. Parents speak positively about the school. They appreciate the pastoral support that staff provide. Parents particularly praise how staff care for pupils and the help that pupils with SEND receive.

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

After a period of instability, the school has joined a new multi-academy trust. In a short space of time, trust leaders have a clear view of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. As a result, work is already underway to improve the quality of education for all pupils, including those in the early years. Subject leaders are being supported by the trust to develop an ambitious curriculum. The essential knowledge pupils need to know and remember is being identified. However, this is not yet fully in place across the curriculum. The needs of pupils with SEND are identified well. Leaders have prioritised ensuring that pupils with SEND receive the support they need. Teachers adapt learning to help these 23 May 2023

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pupils to access the full curriculum. Individualised support plans include learning targets that are in small, manageable steps. This helps these pupils to build their knowledge securely over time.

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Leaders prioritise teaching pupils to read. This starts in Reception, where children enjoy a range of books that excite them about reading. Pupils across the school enjoy talking about their favourite books. Recently, pupils attended a literacy festival to meet a range of authors. One pupil said, ‘The visit inspired me to want to be an author and to write my own book.’ While learning to read, staff match pupils’ reading books to the sounds they know. They identify pupils who fall behind and support them to catch up. Leaders provide training that helps staff to understand the approach to phonics. This helps most pupils to progress well. However, some staff do not yet have the expertise they need to model the teaching of phonics with sufficient accuracy. As a result, some pupils do not learn to read as well as they could.

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Pupils conduct themselves well around the school. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. Pupils play well together during social times and older pupils enjoy helping the younger ones. Pupils know what makes a good friend and show kindness to others. They are confident that adults will help them to resolve any worries.

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Children in Reception enjoy their learning and share well with each other. They are introduced to new vocabulary based on familiar settings and ideas. For example, to develop their understanding of the world, they learn about the key events in their lifetime. However, staff are not clear about what children should be learning across the early years curriculum. This hinders children’s building of knowledge and skills. For example, the development of language is not supporting pupils to deepen their knowledge as well as they could.

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Leaders recognise the importance of supporting pupils’ personal development. Pupils are taught about equality and diversity to prepare them for life in modern Britain. They talk confidently about their respect for others and those who are different to them. Pupils know that everyone should be treated equally. They value the school trips, the residentials, and the visitors that come to the school.

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All staff are proud to work at the school. They care about the pupils and each other. Staff appreciate leaders’ consideration for their well-being. While there is a recognition of increased workload, staff value the support from leaders to manage their time effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know pupils and their families well. They know the steps to take if they have any safeguarding concerns. Staff receive regular training to identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. If there is ever a concern, leaders act quickly. They gain further support from outside agencies for families who need it. Leaders make the necessary recruitment checks on adults who work with pupils. 23 May 2023

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Pupils feel safe. They are taught about how to keep safe both online and in the wider world. Pupils know how to seek help if they have any worries.

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Leaders make the necessary recruitment checks on adults who work with pupils.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Children in the early years do not have sufficient opportunities to develop important elements of their learning, such as language and communication. As a result, they do not build their knowledge as well as they could. Leaders need to ensure the early years curriculum provides opportunities for children to deepen their understanding across all areas so that it prepares them well for key stage 1.  Some subject leaders do not have the knowledge and expertise they need to lead their subjects with clarity. As a result, leaders are not clear about the important knowledge they want pupils to learn. They need to continue to strengthen subject leadership so that, across all subjects, there is a clear sequence of learning that helps pupils to build their knowledge well over time.  Some staff do not have the necessary expertise to help pupils to learn the curriculum effectively, including when learning to read. As a result, some pupils do not build their

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

depth of knowledge and vocabulary well enough. Leaders must ensure that all staff have the depth of subject knowledge they need to teach the curriculum effectively.

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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 February 2017. 23 May 2023

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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. 23 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10226914 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 31 January and 1 February 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school transferred to Aspire Academy Trust in January 2023.  This school is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  The school uses one 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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors 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 inspectors spoke with school leaders, subject leaders, parents, pupils, governors and a representative from the trust.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a trusted adult. 23 May 2023

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 To evaluate safeguarding, the inspectors spoke to the deputy designated safeguarding leader, staff, governors and pupils, and evaluated record-keeping and staff training.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey for parents. The inspectors considered comments made by parents online during the inspection and met with some parents at the start of the first day. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Esther Best, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Richard Light Ofsted Inspector 23 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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