St Erth Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Erth Community Primary School 32 School Lane, St Erth, Hayle, Cornwall TR27 6HN

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might be outstanding if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is William Coleman. The school is part of Truro & Penwith 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, Jennifer Blunden, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Anita Firth.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at St Erth Community Primary School excel. The school’s mission of ‘caring, sharing, preparing for life’ threads through school life. Pupils are happy, safe and supported to be the best they can be. Staff are relentless in their ambition to help pupils thrive in all that they do. Pupils enjoy coming to school and love to learn. This is reflected in their high attendance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum. Staff have high expectations of what pupils can do. Pupils rise to these and have excellent attitudes to their learning. As a result, they make excellent progress through the curriculum. They are very well prepared for their next stage of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ personal development is of a high quality. There are many enriching opportunities and experiences available to pupils. They are well supported to be responsible, respectful and active citizens. Pupils know they make a difference to their school through their leadership roles. For example, the eco-committee members are proud to have gained the ‘Eco-Schools Green Flag’ accreditation.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. They value the care and nurture that staff provide. One parent said, ‘A truly nurturing and aspirational school. My son has thrived during his time at the school.’ 16 July 2024

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

Across the curriculum, the school has identified precisely the knowledge it wants pupils to know and remember, starting in the early years. For example, in geography, concepts of maps within fieldwork and locational knowledge have been sequenced progressively. As a result, pupils build their knowledge securely based on what they know and remember. This prepares them well for future learning.

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

Teachers use a variety of strategies to help pupils learn. This includes the effective use of technology through the trust’s ‘Advantage Project’. The school has a well-considered approach to teaching the curriculum. Through ‘ready, reflect, review’, pupils secure knowledge into their long-term memory. For example, they review their previous learning at the start of every lesson. This helps them to remember their learning with ease. In geography, pupils talk confidently about a range of different biomes and climates to compare different landscapes.

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

Assessment is used with precision to identify and support any gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This ensures pupils are well supported to learn the curriculum successfully. Pupils value the feedback they receive from teachers. They explain with enthusiasm that it helps them to know they are learning ‘more and more’.

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

Teaching pupils to read, and to develop a love of reading, is a high priority. Pupils take great pleasure in sharing books. ‘Book talk’ is a regular feature of the school day that pupils and staff look forward to. Pupils learn to read from the moment they start school. They are given all the support they need to become confident and fluent readers quickly. This is reflected in the high proportion of pupils who succeed in the phonics screening check.

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

The school is highly ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to do well. Staff think carefully about adaptations to learning to enable these pupils to be successful. Pupils with SEND benefit from ambitious learning plans that are closely monitored and reviewed. This helps them to progress well through the curriculum alongside their peers.

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

Pupils show high levels of engagement in their learning. Routines and expectations are well known. Across the school, pupils are proud to share what they know and remember. For example, children in Reception Year sing with delight the ‘rainbow number song’, securing their knowledge of number bonds to 10.

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

The wider offer for pupils is at the heart of the school. Visits enhance the curriculum and inspire pupils’ learning. For example, pupils visited an exhibition at Tate St Ives to learn more about the artwork of Beatriz Milhazes. To develop their talents, pupils take part in annual productions, such as ‘Matilda’. The school choir performed on stage at the Hall for Cornwall as part of a trust music showcase. There are a range of clubs and inter-school competitions on offer for pupils to take part in. These are adjusted to follow pupils’ interests, such as the newly launched rounders league. Engagement is carefully tracked to ensure that pupils consistently benefit from these opportunities, including those who are disadvantaged. 16 July 2024

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Staff greatly appreciate the support in place for them to fulfil their roles. This includes training to further strengthen subject expertise in the teaching of the curriculum. Staff, alongside the trust and those responsible for governance, are wholeheartedly committed to ensuring that all pupils succeed at this school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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, St Erth Community Primary 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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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). 16 July 2024

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School details

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

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Information about this school

 St Erth Community Primary School is part of Truro & Penwith Academy Trust.  This is a smaller than average-sized primary school. Pupils are organised into four mixed-age classes.  The school provides a before-school club.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider.

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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. The inspectors discussed the 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 trust. 16 July 2024

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 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.  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.  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

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parents. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Esther Best, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Laura Horne Ofsted Inspector 16 July 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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