Gerrans School

Inspection of a good school: Gerrans School Tregassick Road, Portscatho, Truro, Cornwall TR2 5ED

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Outcome

Gerrans School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The executive headteacher of this school is Kate Douglass. This school is part of The Roseland 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, Christopher Challis, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nigel Hyde. The executive headteacher is responsible for this school and one other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

New leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to flourish, thrive and achieve well in the school. Staff have consistently high expectations of pupils in both their learning and behaviour. Relationships between adults and pupils are close and supportive. Staff know the pupils and their families well. Pupils trust staff and know who to speak to if they have any concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Across the school, pupils behave well. In the classroom, pupils work hard and show positive attitudes to learning. In the playground, pupils play together happily within the well-resourced outside space. Pupils in all age groups are respectful to adults and each other. Pupils are happy, safe and attend well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the wider enrichment opportunities that the school provides. Carefully planned trips and visits enrich the curriculum and broaden pupils’ understanding of the world around them. Pupils enjoy a range of clubs and extra-curricular opportunities, including ‘doodle’ club, segway and sailing. Pupils compete against other schools in dodgeball and squash tournaments.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. All parents who completed the Ofsted Parent View survey would recommend the school.

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

The school has a broad and balanced curriculum which matches the intent of the national curriculum. The school has identified the most important knowledge that pupils need to 25 June 2024

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know. It has been clearly split into small steps of learning. For example, in Reception Year children learn about patterns in number. Older pupils build on this knowledge and learn how to solve problems involving measures and decimals. Staff subject knowledge is strong. Staff explain new learning clearly. Pupils learn the intended curriculum through activities that support them to know more and remember more. Staff regularly revisit important knowledge and concepts, as well as key vocabulary. Pupils develop the language they need to be successful. However, in a few subjects, the curriculum is new or being revised. In these subjects, pupils do not yet develop the same depth of knowledge as they do in others.

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In English and mathematics, subject leadership is well-established. Leaders have the essential skills and relevant subject knowledge to improve the curriculum in their subjects. However, in the wider curriculum, some subject leadership is not as precise. There have been fewer opportunities for these subject leaders to check how the curriculum is taught. As a result, the quality of implementation varies. Sometimes the curriculum is not delivered as intended. This means that at times pupils’ knowledge lacks breadth and depth.

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The school fosters a love of reading. Children in Nursery readily describe their favourite characters from the picture books that they regularly read. They are immersed in a language-rich environment where books are valued. The school’s phonics programme is well organised and provides the required content to support pupils’ reading. Pupils read books that match the sounds that they know. Pupils get plenty of practise to consolidate their phonics knowledge. Pupils who are struggling have effective additional support to catch up quickly.

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The school ensures that older pupils continue to develop their accuracy, fluency and understanding through reading high-quality texts. The library and bookshelves are well stocked with books that spark pupils' interests. Older pupils spoke enthusiastically about the books that they have read and their favourite authors.

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The school supports pupils with SEND effectively to learn the same curriculum as their peers. They are committed to removing barriers that may prevent pupils from learning as well as they can. Pupils with SEND have personalised plans that set out the support they will receive. As a result, the school makes appropriate adaptations to meet pupils’ specific needs.

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School attendance is high and persistent absence is low. The school has effective systems in place to monitor attendance and act on concerns. The school arranges meetings with parents if a pupil's attendance starts to cause concern.

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The programme to promote pupils’ wider development has been carefully considered. Through their actions, pupils demonstrate some of the fundamental British values. For example, pupils are proud of the school council and how they have raised money for charities. Pupils enjoy supporting the local community and sing at the local residential home at Christmas time. 25 June 2024

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Trustees and members of the primary local monitoring committee understand their roles. They provide appropriate challenge and support to the school. Staff appreciate the changes that have been made to improve the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some curriculum subjects, changes to the curriculum are recent and need time to embed. In these subjects, pupils do not yet develop the same depth of knowledge as they do in others. The school and trust need to continue to develop the curriculum so that pupils have the same depth of knowledge across all subjects.  Some subject leaders’ understanding of the impact of the curriculum is limited. As a result, some foundation subjects are not securely and consistently delivered across all year groups. The school and trust must ensure that support is given to subject leads to monitor the impact of the curriculum effectively.

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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 predecessor school, Gerrans School, to be good in June 2013.

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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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You can search for published performance information about the school.

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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). 25 June 2024

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School details

Headteacher Kate Douglass (executive headteacher)

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Date of previous inspection

2 October 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  There have been several changes of staff since the previous inspection. The executive headteacher and deputy head teacher took up post in September 2023.

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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 executive headteacher, members of staff, the chief executive officer of the trust, trustees and the chair of the primary local monitoring committee. 25 June 2024

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and music. 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 the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments, and the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Gavin Summerfield, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Tustain Ofsted Inspector 25 June 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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