Highampton Community Primary School

Inspection of Highampton Community Primary School Highampton, Beaworthy, Devon EX21 5LE

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The principal of this school is Jo Luxford. This school is part of Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Dan Morrow, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tania Skeaping.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Highampton Community Primary School as an academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 as, until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection of the predecessor school. 5 and 6 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning at this small, rural school. Pupils treat each other with kindness. They are happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils live up to these expectations. They behave well in class and around the school. At playtimes activities such as ‘wheelie Wednesday’, where a variety of scooters and bikes are available for pupils, encourage all pupils from across the school to play together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils contribute to the life of the school. They are proud to attend the school improvement club. They discuss ways they can improve the school site and community. School wildlife champions work together with charities to restore and develop the school pond.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school nurtures pupils’ talents and interests. For instance, they enjoy gardening club. Pupils grow and sell plants and vegetables at events to raise money for the school. Pupils learn musical instruments, such as keyboard and guitar. They get to showcase their talents at the annual trust ‘festival of hope’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. Every parent who responded to the Ofsted parent survey would recommend the school.

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better?

The school and trust has thought carefully about how the curriculum can meet the needs of pupils, including children in early years, in a very small school. The curriculum is suitable for pupils who are taught in mixed aged classes. The school has made deliberate decisions about what pupils will learn in a wide range of subjects. This starts in the early years, where the curriculum is designed carefully to prepare children for learning beyond Reception. Children learn alongside pupils in key stage 1. The older pupils model routines and good habits for listening and following instructions. As a result, attitudes to learning are positive.

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better?

In many subjects, the school identifies the knowledge and skills that pupils will learn. For example, in mathematics pupils in Year 4 order complex fractions. By the time pupils are in Year 6, carefully sequenced teaching enables them to explore the relationship between fractions and decimals confidently. However, in a small number of subjects, the school has not considered how the curriculum in Year 1 builds on what pupils have previously learned in the early years.

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better?

The trust has invested significantly in making sure staff are skilled in teaching phonics. Reading is a top priority in early years and across the school. Children begin learning to read from the first day in Reception. They read books which carefully match the sounds they know. This means they can practise becoming accurate and fluent readers quickly. 5 and 6 March 2024

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The school promotes the love of reading from an early age and encourages parents to share a love of reading with their children. For example, the ‘reading cafe’, where parents are invited to find out how the school teaches reading. This encourages parents to make a positive contribution to pupils’ reading.

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Assessment is used well to check what pupils know and remember. For example, the school use assessment to check pupil’s phonics progress. Any pupils that fall behind are given swift support to catch up. The school supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. In the classroom, learning is adapted, where necessary, to meet the needs of these pupils.

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The school makes pupils’ broader development a high priority. Pupils attend visits and residential trips that bring the curriculum to life. For example, the school organises a Year 6 residential trip to Normandy. Pupils practise speaking French in real-life situations. The curriculum for pupils’ personal, social and health education (PSHE) is well thought through. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and know what it means to be a good friend.

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Through their actions and conduct, pupils demonstrate some of the fundamental British values. For example, they have a clear understanding of equality and respect. Pupils learn about a range of faiths through religious education. However, they do not know as much as they could about the lives of others from different families and cultures.

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Trustees have an accurate view of the school’s strengths. They are strongly committed to improving the school further. Staff speak highly of the development opportunities the trust provides and feel that leaders are mindful of their workload. Staff are proud to work at the school and for the trust.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the school has not considered how the curriculum builds on what pupils have learned in the early years. This slows pupils’ learning. The school and trust should ensure that in all subjects, the curriculum in Year 1 links to what pupils have learned in the early years.  The school’s efforts to improve pupils’ understanding of lives different from their own are not embedded. As a result, pupils’ knowledge of how people might live beyond their community is not as strong as it could be. The school and trust should enable pupils to gain a broader understanding of diversity beyond their community. 5 and 6 March 2024

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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). 5 and 6 March 2024

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School details

Website www.highampton-primary.devon.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Highampton Community Primary School converted to become an academy school in September 2018. When its predecessor school, Highampton Community Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.  Highampton is a very small rural primary school where most pupils attend from the local community.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is well above average.  The school does not use any 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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school's education provision. 5 and 6 March 2024

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 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 executive principal, the principal, the designated safeguarding leads, members of staff, the CEO of the trust, and the chair and members of the trust board.  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

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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 the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments, and the staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Gavin Summerfield, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Lovett Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 March 2024

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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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