Trekenner Community Primary School

Inspection of Trekenner Community Primary School Lezant, Launceston, Cornwall PL15 9PH

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 12 and 13 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is determined for pupils to succeed. Since the previous inspection, changes have been made to develop the school. The improvement of the curriculum has been a priority to help pupils learn well. These actions are starting to make a difference. However, it is early days. The curriculum does not yet support pupils to build their knowledge across the curriculum well enough.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Trekenner Community Primary School are happy and well looked after. This view is shared by parents. Parents praise the care and support in place for pupils. Many share that pupils’ well-being is at the heart of the school. Pupils are taught the importance of using their voice if they have any concerns. They know that adults will help them with any problems they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A variety of wider opportunities are in place to enrich pupils’ experiences. This is a strength of the school. Pupils talk positively about trips to enhance the curriculum. For example, pupils visit a local river to support their understanding of fieldwork and physical geography. To develop talents and interest, pupils enjoy many clubs, including film and art club. The school makes adaptations to enable pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to fully access the school’s offer.

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better?

The school has developed the design of the curriculum. Some subjects are further ahead than others. Within the more established subjects, such as mathematics, the school has identified and sequenced progressively the knowledge pupils need to learn, starting in the early years. Staff receive support to teach the curriculum well. This is having a positive impact on how well pupils are learning the curriculum in these subjects.

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better?

For subjects in their infancy, the new curriculum does not identify the precise knowledge pupils need to learn to help them build knowledge securely. Staff have not yet developed the expertise they need to adapt learning based on gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This stalls progress through the curriculum for pupils, including those pupils with SEND.

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better?

Assessment is used to check how well pupils learn the curriculum. Within the more established subjects, assessment is used to identify and address misconceptions. However, across the curriculum, assessment is not used with enough precision to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Some pupils make repeated errors, including in their writing across the curriculum. As a result, pupils embed misconceptions. This makes it difficult for them to build their knowledge.

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better?

The school prioritises teaching pupils to read. This starts in the pre-school where children enjoy books that excite them about reading. While learning to read, pupils read books that match the sounds they know. This helps them to develop their confidence and fluency. The school promotes a culture of reading. Pupils have daily 12 and 13 March 2024

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opportunities to share books. For example, younger children use teddies as ‘reading buddies’ to share their stories.

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The school has developed the curriculum in early years. The curriculum considers the knowledge children need to know and remember to prepare them for future learning. For example, children in pre-school secure their knowledge of numbers up to 5 through a range of number activities. The school’s actions to develop the provision in early years are beginning to make a difference. However, it is still early days.

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Most pupils want to do well. They show positive attitudes to their learning, but this is variable. Pupils behave better when the curriculum is well matched to their needs. However, on some occasions, low-level disruption hinders pupils’ learning. This can go unaddressed. The expectations of pupils’ behaviour are sometimes not high enough. As a result, pupils experience lost learning time.

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The school is working hard to improve attendance. Pupils value the ‘attendance cup’ that promotes high attendance. They say it is important to come to school every day to learn.

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The school has created an effective curriculum that extends beyond the academic. Pupils understand the fundamental British values to be well prepared for life in modern Britain. They have a lived experience of democracy by voting for pupil leadership roles, such as ‘house team captains’. Pupils are encouraged to be responsible and active citizens. For example, ‘school council’ choose a charity to raise money for. Pupils have a secure understanding of equality through their knowledge of the protected characteristics. As a result, they are inclusive of others.

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The governing body has been strengthened since the previous inspection. As a result, they are holding leaders more effectively to account. Both governors and leaders are mindful of staff well-being and workload. Staff value this as well as the training they receive to support curriculum development.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The knowledge pupils need to know and remember is not identified with enough precision across the curriculum. As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge securely and so they are less prepared for future learning. The school must identify the precise knowledge pupils need to learn and develop staff expertise to implement the curriculum effectively. 12 and 13 March 2024

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 Staff do not use assessment well enough to check pupils’ understanding. Some pupils embed misconceptions and subsequent learning does not build on what pupils know and can do. The school needs to ensure that assessment is rigorous across the curriculum to help all pupils learn the curriculum well.  The expectations of pupils’ behaviour are not always high enough. As a result, low-level disruption impacts the learning of others. The school must ensure that there are equally high expectations of pupils’ behaviour by consistently applying the behaviour policy.

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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). 12 and 13 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 December 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Trekenner Community Primary School is part of The Launceston Rural Learning Trust.  The headteacher joined the school in September 2022. There have been significant changes to the governing body since the previous inspection.  This is a smaller than average-sized primary school. Pupils are organised into four mixed-age classes.  The school provides a before-school club.  There is a pre-school provision for children aged two and above.  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. 12 and 13 March 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school's education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors spoke with school leaders, subject leaders, parents, pupils, governors and representatives from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. 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. Inspectors also spoke to leaders and pupils about 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.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a trusted adult.  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. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Esther Best, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Laura Horne Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 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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