Stoke Climsland School

Inspection of Stoke Climsland School Stoke Climsland, Callington, Cornwall PL17 8ND

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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 Previous inspection grade Good 23 and 24 April 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn with increasing success at this inclusive community school. They embody the school values of empathy, equity, inspiration, integrity, perseverance and gratitude. Staff promote these values effectively and consistently. This helps to ensure that pupils learn to work and play together well, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or pupils who are disadvantaged. As a result, this is a safe and welcoming place for pupils to come and learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They play harmoniously together at breaktimes and lunchtimes. Bullying is rare. When it happens, staff listen and act swiftly to address it. Pupils generally show strong attitudes to their learning, particularly when expectations are high. Occasionally, some pupils need reminding of what is expected. However, this does not lessen the orderly and hardworking atmosphere in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils speak very positively about their learning. Lessons have been carefully planned to help them know more across subjects. Pupils are increasingly well prepared for the transition to secondary school. Many pupils with SEND say they are supported well by staff. Parents and pupils appreciate the wide range of extra- curricular experiences on offer.

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better?

Stoke Climsland is an effective and improving school. Leaders have secured the enthusiasm of all. Staff rightly say they feel valued. They work collaboratively to realise the school’s aims and values. Since the previous inspection, staff have worked together to systematically improve the curriculum and turn around a previous decline in standards.

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better?

Subject leadership is effective. Following the previous inspection, the school sensibly reorganised the leadership of the curriculum. Subject leaders benefit from useful and ongoing training. They utilise this to ensure that planning across all national curriculum subjects is carefully sequenced. This has helped raise expectations and ensure learning is logically sequenced. Teachers, including those in the early years, utilise this planning to promote pupils’ learning across subjects in meaningful ways. As a result, pupils, including pupils with SEND, remember relevant knowledge and achieve well.

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better?

Nevertheless, there is more to do. For example, the implementation of the curriculum needs refinement. Staff teach sequences of lessons that build effectively on what pupils know and can do. However, teachers’ subject knowledge is stronger in some subjects than in others. Where it is better, teachers expect more and utilise considered ways to help pupils make rapid progress. Conversely, sometimes expectations could be higher. Where this is the case, pupils’ learning is less secure because their teacher’s explanations are not as clear and less is expected of them. 23 and 24 April 2024

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The school has established useful approaches to assessment. Teachers utilise this effectively, particularly when checking how well pupils remember knowledge at the end of a sequence of lessons and through their learning in the early years. However, teachers are less adept at checking pupils’ understanding in lessons. This means teachers do not consistently adapt their teaching to help embed new learning or to check how well pupils can apply new knowledge. As a result, pupils’ progress is sometimes hampered.

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The reading curriculum has been revamped and improved. Teachers, including those in the early years, are reading experts. They diligently and consistently follow the school’s approach to teaching reading. Pupils take home books that match the sounds they have learned. They speak confidently about stories they have read, had read to them and learned to enjoy. Staff know it is their job to make reading enticing and enjoyable. As a result, they share high-quality texts with pupils in lessons and at routine times of the day. Collectively, this helps pupils develop good attitudes towards reading and the ability to read effectively.

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Historically, weaknesses in the school’s curriculum have meant that pupils’ achievements have been limited. However, improvements to the curriculum and its implementation are already having an impact. For example, pupils’ writing is now of a much higher standard. Pupils write for a range of audiences and purposes. They are increasingly utilising narrative techniques to influence their reader. Pupils’ work is much more often at age-related expectations. This means that pupils are ready for the next stage in their learning.

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Pupils’ personal development is promoted effectively. Trips and visits enrich and enhance pupils’ learning. Pupils benefit from the extensive school site. They learn strong attitudes to being healthy because they enjoy physical education, the games they can play and the well-being promoted through outdoor learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some elements of the implementation of the new curriculum need refinement. For example, some staff have higher expectations of pupils and, where this is the case, pupils learn more. The school should look to ensure greater consistency in how the curriculum is implemented. This will help pupils learn and remember even more of the intended curriculum.  Staff do not routinely check pupils’ understanding or adapt learning during some lessons. This hampers some pupils from building their knowledge over time. The school should build on its improved assessment to ensure that staff regularly 23 and 24 April 2024

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check pupils’ understanding and ability to apply their knowledge independently so that lessons can be adapted and gaps in knowledge filled in a timely fashion.

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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). 23 and 24 April 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.stoke-climsland.cornwall.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 November 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision.  The runs its own breakfast and after-school clubs.

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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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with leaders, including the executive headteacher and head of school, who is also the special educational needs coordinator.  Inspectors spoke to a representative from the local authority. They also met with three members of the governing body, including the chair. 23 and 24 April 2024

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, English and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work. Inspectors also looked at curriculum planning and listened to some pupils read.  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 took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including questionnaire and free-text responses. They also considered responses to the staff survey.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including those relating to

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governance, leaders’ evaluations, plans for school improvement and information about the school’s curriculum.

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Inspection team

Matthew Barnes, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Greg Chantler Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 April 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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