Breage CofE Primary School

Inspection of Breage CofE Primary School Trewithick Road, Breage, Helston, Cornwall TR13 9PZ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 3 and 4 July 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their time at Breage Primary and form positive relationships with staff. Children in the early years settle quickly into school routines. Leaders ensure that the school’s values are an important feature of daily life for pupils. Staff model these values, which include forgiveness and respect. Pupils are rewarded for demonstrating them through their words and actions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and supportive of each other. Bullying is rare. Pupils talk confidently about trusted adults they would talk to if they had any concerns. Leaders have created a calm learning environment. Most pupils show positive attitudes towards their learning. However, what they learn needs further improvement. Staff do not always have high enough expectations of pupils, and therefore some low-level disruption persists. At playtimes, pupils enjoy a range of physical activities, such as construction and water play.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The recently established school councillors share their views and help to make changes. For example, they raised money for a buddy bench in the playground. Pupils benefit from extra-curricular trips, such as a visit to the Isles of Scilly and a museum. Staff bring this learning back to the classroom. For example, pupils wrote letters to the museum to reflect on their visit.

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better?

Leaders have begun to make improvements to the curriculum and to the effective running of the school, and they are reflective about what still needs to be done. They have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.

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better?

Staff begin to develop children’s understanding of phonic sounds while in Nursery. The school’s chosen phonics programme is then introduced to children as soon as they start Reception Year. As pupils move through the programme, staff support them to catch up if they fall behind their peers. All classes enjoy regular story times. In the early years, staff develop children’s communication and language skills well. During their interactions with children, they consider their choice of vocabulary carefully and encourage children to copy.

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better?

The curriculum in some subjects is underdeveloped. Subject leaders have not considered how the curriculum is best adapted to the context of the school. Subject leaders do not have a detailed understanding of how the curriculum builds in complexity from the early years through to Year 6 and beyond. They have not broken down the knowledge that pupils need to learn into small enough steps to support pupils to build up their understanding over time.

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better?

Teachers’ use of assessment in reading and mathematics identifies accurately whether pupils have learned the curriculum as intended. However, this is not the 3 and 4 July 2023

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case in other subjects. Therefore, pupils develop misconceptions or have gaps in their knowledge of the curriculum.

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Staff work together effectively to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND receive the specific support they need to meet their needs. This is reviewed regularly and updated as appropriate.

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Pupils’ wider development is an important part of the school’s ethos. Pupils follow a curriculum that teaches them about important concepts such as relationships and health. However, leaders do not have a clear overview of how this builds and develops from one year to the next. Staff encourage pupils to talk about their feelings and help pupils to manage their emotions. Pupils are aware of the importance of looking after their mental health.

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Pupils agree that the school is an inclusive place. The use of any derogatory language is not tolerated. Children in the early years play cooperatively together. They learn the importance of sharing. Through the religious education curriculum, pupils learn about different world faiths. They are involved in leading local church services. Pupils also join in with community traditions. However, pupils are less confident in their understanding of fundamental British values.

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Staff demonstrate a growing subject knowledge. Leaders have planned a programme of professional development for staff to support weaker areas. Staff are proud to work at the school. They are positive about the changes in leadership. Some staff say workload is high due to the number of new initiatives. However, they share a common purpose and want to improve the quality of education for pupils.

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Parents are supportive of the school. They say that staff are caring and that the school has a family feel. However, some parents comment that communication from the school is not detailed and regular.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff complete regular training around safeguarding. This includes child-on-child abuse and how to spot the signs of radicalisation. Staff know how to report any concerns about a child’s safety or well-being. Leaders then act quickly and work with external agencies as appropriate.

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Safeguarding

Leaders complete the necessary checks on adults who apply to work at the school. Staff understand that keeping children safe is a collective responsibility.

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Safeguarding

Pupils talk confidently about how to keep themselves safe online. They have an age- appropriate understanding of how to form positive, healthy relationships. 3 and 4 July 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not clearly identified the specific knowledge that pupils need to learn in some subjects. As a result, pupils are not able to successfully build their knowledge in these subjects over time. Leaders should identify the core knowledge that pupils need to know so that pupils can develop a deeper understanding of each subject.  Teaching does not consistently check pupils’ understanding and application of prior or new learning. Therefore, some misconceptions or gaps in knowledge persist. Leaders should ensure that assessment identifies the areas that pupils need to revisit so they develop a secure understanding of the curriculum.  Leaders’ communication with parents is not detailed and regular. This leads to some parents being less informed about school events or how they can support their child at home with their learning effectively. Leaders should ensure that communication with parents is timely and informative.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 3 and 4 July 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10240632 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 November 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school joined the Aspire Academy Trust in January 2023.  Since the previous inspection, a new headteacher has been appointed.  Breage Primary is a Church of England School. The last section 48 inspection of the school’s religious character took place in June 2017.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, members of the academy improvement group, the chair of the trust, the deputy chief executive officer of 3 and 4 July 2023

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the trust, the special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders and the early years lead.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, looked at curriculum planning, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also spoke with leaders about the curriculum in other subjects.  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 pupils and staff about safeguarding.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents and carers,

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Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Kelly Olive, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kevin Martin Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 July 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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