Stratton Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Stratton Primary School New Road, Stratton, Bude, Cornwall EX23 9AP

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Outcome

Stratton Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Stratton Primary is a friendly and inclusive school. Pupils are greeted warmly in the morning by staff in breakfast club or their teachers on the school gate. Throughout their day, pupils benefit from the kindness shown to them by staff. As a result, pupils enjoy school, feel safe and have adults they can speak to with any worries. Parents agree their child is well cared for and thriving at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop their independence and resilience by attending residential trips. The school carefully plans these to be further away from home, and for a longer period of time, as pupils get older. Pupils also participate in regular visits within their local area. These celebrate Cornish heritage and make links with curriculum learning. Recent excursions to RHS Garden Rosemoor, Truro Museum and a trip to the beach to learn about coastal safety have been enjoyed by pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a strong voice through the popular school council. Many pupils also take on leadership roles, such as being a water safety ambassador, member of the eco committee or a sports leader. Classes ‘buddy up’ which allows older pupils to role model positive character traits. For example, Year 6 pupils and children in Reception Year read together.

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

Pupils learn a varied and ambitious curriculum. Subject leaders have carefully planned what pupils will learn from the early years foundation stage up to Year 6. Teachers have secure subject knowledge. Published outcomes at key stage 2 show most pupils achieve well. The school has strengthened the curriculum in response to lower published outcomes at key stage 1, particularly in writing. As a result, current pupils’ progress and quality of work has improved.

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

Across the curriculum, learning becomes increasingly more complex as pupils get older. Pupils complete planned formal assessments to check their learning over time. However, 16–17 July 2024

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ongoing teaching does not routinely check what pupils have understood or remembered. Therefore, some gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not picked up quickly.

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As soon as children join in Reception Year, they start learning the school’s chosen phonics programme. Staff receive appropriate training which means phonics is delivered consistently well. Pupils’ achievement in reading is improving. This is due to more targeted support for pupils who struggle. Regular reading continues to be important as pupils move up through the school. Staff have developed a ‘Stratton School Top Reads’ list to encourage pupils to read widely and for pleasure. Many pupils visit the well-resourced, inviting library.

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Staff in the early years foundation stage develop children’s language and communication skills. They carefully plan which vocabulary to model in different activities. Children listen attentively and start to use these words in their own play. Children develop their fine motor skills through activities such as ‘drawing club.’

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The school effectively supports an increasing number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff get to know pupils well. They receive regular and purposeful training around pupils’ specific needs and how best to support these. As a result, staff make appropriate adjustments to the classroom environment, or the curriculum, so pupils with SEND learn successfully.

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Most pupils follow the school rules of being ready, respectful, and safe. They are enthusiastic about their learning. Pupils listen well to staff. Children in Reception Year know and follow the expected routines. A minority of pupils in the school display some challenging behaviour. Although staff take a calm and restorative approach, this can cause some disruption to such pupils’ learning and that of others.

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At playtimes, pupils access different ‘zones’ where they can be active or choose to sit quietly with friends. Staff support pupils to play safely and be considerate of their peers. Children in Reception Year take turns when using the outside equipment. Many choose to practise their gross motor skills with games, such as cricket.

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Pupils learn a broad and interesting personal development curriculum. They develop an age-appropriate understanding of the protected characteristics. Pupils are passionate about the importance of treating everyone equally. They learn about potential dangers when online and in the community. Given the school’s proximity to the sea, the school teaches pupils about beach and water safety.

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Leaders, including governors, understand the importance of pupils attending school regularly. They work closely with families to overcome any barriers that cause non- attendance. Despite this, pupils’ attendance remains stubbornly below what is typical nationally.

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Staff are supportive of the leadership of the school. Leaders consider the impact of any changes on staff workload. Staff take up opportunities for professional development. Many, including early career teachers, take on additional roles and responsibilities. 16–17 July 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teaching does not consistently check pupils' understanding of new knowledge and concepts. Therefore, misconceptions or gaps in knowledge are not immediately identified and so persist. The school should ensure that teaching carefully checks what pupils have learned so that planned next steps support pupils’ learning effectively.  A minority of pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This means they miss vital parts of their education and develop gaps in their knowledge of the curriculum. Leaders should develop further approaches in their work with families and external agencies to improve the attendance of such pupils.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good on 20 and 21 March 2019.

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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 16–17 July 2024

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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). 16–17 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.stratton.cornwall.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 20 and 21 March 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, a new headteacher has been appointed.  The school uses two registered alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector carried out this ungraded inspection under section 8 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.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held discussions with the headteacher, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCo), key stage leader and members of the local governing body. 16–17 July 2024

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, the inspector 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 inspector: 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 inspector considered responses to the online survey for parents and carers, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. The inspector also considered responses to the staff survey and responses to the survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Kelly Olive, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 16–17 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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