St Erme with Trispen Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Erme with Trispen Community Primary School Trispen, Truro, Cornwall TR4 9BJ

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Outcome

St Erme with Trispen Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this school. They feel safe and well cared for. Staff know the pupils and families well. In the early years, children settle quickly into well-established routines.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has clear systems for behaviour. It has ensured that pupils and staff understand these systems. For example, pupils talk with excitement about receiving behaviour points. Pupils know what happens if they display poor behaviour. They say that bullying is rare, but adults resolve it effectively should it occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has raised its expectations of what pupils should learn. Pupils have risen to these. In lessons, they listen well and participate in discussions enthusiastically, eager to share their ideas. Children in Reception recall their previous learning well during their reading sessions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a voice in the school through roles such as the school council and prefects. Older pupils help to support younger pupils at lunchtimes. This helps them to become caring and compassionate individuals.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers speak positively about the school. They recognise the many positive recent changes, such as to the curriculum. Many praise the ‘family feel’ of the school.

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

Following a difficult period during the pandemic, the school has improved in recent times. New leadership identified issues in safeguarding and behaviour and ensured that these were rectified swiftly. They have done this while coping with a number of staffing changes.

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

The school is ambitious for all pupils. It ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities have their needs well met. Staff in the early years quickly identify 12 October 2023

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children who require additional support. They make adaptations to their provision as necessary.

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The school has revised its curriculum. While some of these changes are recent, the impact on pupils’ learning can already be seen. In particular, the school has worked to ensure that content is sequenced logically. The school has helped teachers to implement the curriculum effectively through agreed approaches in subjects such as mathematics. As a result, pupils learn well. For example, in history, pupils recall in depth about the Great Fire of London. In mathematics, they talk knowledgably about how content they have learned in the past informs current learning. However, in some subjects, systems for checking what pupils have learned are not well developed. Therefore, the school is not clear on where gaps in pupils’ knowledge exist.

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Leaders have revised the curriculum for pupils at the early stages of reading. They retrained staff so that they are clear on how best to teach reading. This has yielded impressive results. Pupils learn to read quicker than in the past. They read books matched to the sounds they know. This means that pupils, including those who have fallen behind, can practise and apply what they have learned in class. This helps them to become confident, fluent readers.

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Pupils have highly positive attitudes to reading. They say it ‘sparks your imagination’. They enjoy sessions where teachers read to them. Pupils also read a rich range of books and authors independently. Nevertheless, the reading curriculum for older pupils is not well planned. It does not clearly define what pupils will learn. This means pupils do not build on their reading skills coherently.

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The school has carefully considered the personal development offer for pupils so that it is clear about what pupils will learn and when. Pupils know how to stay safe on the internet. For example, they know the importance of not sharing personal details. They learn about different faiths and cultures. As a result, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Pupils pursue their talents and interests through a range of clubs, such as dance, football, sewing and craft. They build their confidence and self-esteem through residentials. Trips to local castles and museums help pupils to further understand curriculum content.

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The school works closely with families on attendance. It takes robust action when, despite support, pupils’ attendance does not improve. As a result, pupils attend better than their peers nationally. However, leaders rightly feel there is still more work needed to strengthen this further.

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Governors support and challenge the school effectively. They identify the expertise needed on the governing body and recruit governors accordingly. Governors make regular checks on aspects of the school’s work. In addition, they draw on external support when needed. Consequently, they have an accurate view of the school’s performance. 12 October 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The key stage 2 reading curriculum is not planned in sufficient detail. The school has not considered well enough what pupils need to know by the end of each year. As a result, some older pupils do not develop their reading skills quickly. The school needs to ensure that the content of the key stage 2 reading curriculum is well thought out so that pupils learn to read well.  The school’s use of assessment is at an early stage in some subjects. This means that gaps in pupils’ learning are not always identified. The school needs to ensure that assessment is used effectively in all subjects to identify how well pupils learn, adjusting future learning accordingly.

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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 January 2015.

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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. 12 October 2023

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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). 12 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up her post in January 2022.  The school is currently undergoing significant building work.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school club.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 and other senior leaders, groups of staff, groups of pupils and representatives from the governing body. The lead inspector also held a telephone call with a school improvement partner commissioned by the local authority. 12 October 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, 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: 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 observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also spoke to parents at the start and the end of the day.

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Inspection team

Jason Edge, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tom Page Ofsted Inspector 12 October 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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