Pensilva Primary School

Inspection of Pensilva Primary School School Road, Pensilva, Liskeard, Cornwall PL14 5PG

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 19 and 20 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are inspired by the school values of ‘To live, to love, to learn’. They are proud of their school. Pupils know that everyone is unique. This is something that is celebrated. Pupils have a firm understanding of difference and the need to treat everyone equally. The school has prioritised pupils’ well-being through a strong personal development curriculum. As a result, pupils are kind and respectful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils, including those in the early years, conduct themselves sensibly and behave well. The school is a calm and orderly place. Playtimes and lunchtimes are enjoyable, social occasions. The school has organised a range of activities for pupils to engage with during lunchtime, including basketball and football. Pupils say they feel safe and supported. They are confident that adults will help them if they have a problem.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In Reception, children benefit from a well-designed curriculum. A clear sequence of learning enables children to build knowledge systematically. Children are well prepared for Year 1. However, the rest of the school’s curriculum has areas which require improvement. This means the quality of education is not yet good.

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better?

The school’s evaluation of the quality of education is overgenerous. The curriculum is not well established. The school has not identified how learning should be broken down into small, precise steps and when each idea should be taught. This means that sometimes pupils do not have the prior knowledge that they need to make sense of the new learning.

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better?

The school has made recent progress to improve. However, the school’s curriculum is in the early stages of development. The school is not clear about the essential knowledge pupils need to learn. This means pupils do not deepen their understanding in some subjects. Assessment in these subjects is also less developed because the curricular goals are unclear. Consequently, pupils’ knowledge in some subjects is weak. For example, in geography, pupils struggle to recall knowledge they have been taught about continents.

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better?

Children in the early years get off to a strong start. They enjoy a range of activities that help them to be creative and which promote their reading and writing. Routines are embedded from the start of school. Children quickly learn what staff expect of them and follow rules sensibly. The school has a focus on developing children’s communication and language skills. Adults model new language and engage children in high-quality discussions. Children quickly become independent and confident learners. They play and learn happily together. The early years curriculum ensures that children develop the knowledge and skills they need.

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better?

The school has rightly prioritised reading. Pupils and staff have renovated the school library. Pupil ‘reading champions’ promote the love of reading across the school. 19 and 20 September 2023

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They help others to choose books and keep things organised. Pupils enjoy reading. They are enthusiastic about books and their favourite authors.

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Staff successfully deliver the early reading programme. Children begin to learn to read as soon as they start Reception. They read books that are matched to the sounds they know. Adults support well those who are struggling to read. This means pupils catch up quickly. The school also has an organised approach to teaching reading in key stage 2. As a result, pupils develop their knowledge of language and deepen their understanding of texts.

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The school has made recent improvements to the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school ensures that the needs of pupils with SEND are identified quickly. Learning is adapted so that these pupils can learn alongside their peers.

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The school uses the expertise of outside agencies to support the teaching of personal, social and health education. For example, police workshops help pupils to understand how to keep safe online. Pupils learn about healthy friendships and relationships as part of their sex and relationships education curriculum. There are several extra-curricular clubs. These include girls’ football, mindfulness, gardening and reading. Pupils value these opportunities. Pupils enjoy a range of trips that enhance their learning, including visits to the local zoo and theatre.

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Governors do not gather the level of information they need to evaluate the school accurately. As a result, they are unable to offer sufficient challenge to school leaders to improve the quality of education. Staff feel valued and are grateful for the consideration that the school gives to their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In most subjects, the school’s curriculum is not sufficiently well planned and sequenced. It is not fully clear what pupils should learn and when, to build their knowledge over time. The school must ensure that the curriculum and the way in which it is assessed continue to be developed so there is clarity about what pupils should know and be able to do in all subjects.  The school has not yet ensured that all subjects are well implemented. As a result, pupils do not learn as well in some subjects. The school must support all staff to deliver effective teaching in all subjects so that pupils learn well across the curriculum. 19 and 20 September 2023

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding ( this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 19 and 20 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 April 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher took up his post in January 2023.  The school does not use alternative provision.  Pensilva Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, the designated safeguarding leads, members of staff, a representative from the local authority and chair of the governing body. 19 and 20 September 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited samples of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Gavin Summerfield, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Iain Freeland Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 September 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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