St Nicolas' CofE VA School, Downderry

Inspection of St Nicolas’ CofE VA School, Downderry Downderry, Torpoint, Cornwall PL11 3LF

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Chrissy Gardiner. This school is part of St Barnabas Church of England 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, Sean Powers, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sue Morrish. 9 and 10 July 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Nicolas is a joyful and inspirational school. Staff ensure they bring learning to life. For example, it utilises local artists to demonstrate their creative processes. Pupils learn about life cycles by caring for the school’s ducks in the ‘Quack Shack’. As a result, pupils have a deep passion for their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s success is built on an exceptional offer beyond the academic. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) participate fully in these. The school’s beachfront location is virtually an extension of the classroom. Extra- curricular activities are carefully considered. They link carefully to both academic learning and in developing pupils’ character. The school also extends pupils’ experiences beyond its immediate locality. Residential visits to Cardiff and London help pupils understand the diversity of modern Britain.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s approach to developing the whole child can be seen in pupils’ behaviour. There is a culture of mutual respect between staff and pupils. When speaking to visitors, they are exceptionally polite. Pupils are self-motivated to do well. Consequently, staff rarely need to remind them of their high expectations. Bullying is not an issue. Pupils understand how people can be different. They talk sensitively about how some of their peers sometimes need extra support.

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better?

The school’s transition to new leadership and changes to the staff team has been a smooth one. The trust has provided additional internal and external support to help staff settle into their new roles. Governors continue to make regular checks on the school’s work. The school’s detailed curriculum has ensured that new staff know precisely what to teach and what pupils have learned previously. This has helped to maintain a high-quality education.

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better?

The curriculum is typically implemented well. Teachers explain new concepts clearly. They check what pupils can do. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about their recent learning, such as the Mayans. However, in some subjects, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do is not high enough. When this happens, pupils do not retain or apply their learning over the long term.

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better?

The school acts on any weaknesses that emerge. For example, following a dip in key stage 2 mathematics outcomes, the school identified issues around pupils’ arithmetic knowledge. It has adapted its lessons so that pupils practise these more often. Consequently, pupils are starting to use written methods with greater accuracy. The school has rightly identified there is more to do to improve pupils’ spelling and handwriting.

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better?

Reading is the centrepiece of the school’s curriculum. Pupils’ high outcomes in both the phonics screening check and key stage 2 national tests reflect this. Children in the nursery recite familiar songs and rhymes. Well-trained staff ensure that pupils 9 and 10 July 2024

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learn the phonics code well. The small number of pupils who struggle receive the help they need quickly. Older pupils can comprehend increasingly complex texts.

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The early years is the leading light of the school. Staff place no ceiling on what children can achieve. Transition into St Nicolas is thorough and high quality. Rules and routines are quickly established. This helps even the very youngest children to settle quickly. Staff have forensic knowledge of what children can do and what their next steps are. They meticulously plan activities that move children’s learning forward. Nothing is left to chance. Children show impressive, sustained concentration when learning independently. As a result, they are extremely well prepared for Year 1.

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St Nicolas is a school for all. It has seen a rise in the number of pupils with SEND, including those with education, health and care plans. It has adapted well to this changing landscape. Staff carefully make any changes to provision necessary. This support helps pupils to learn the same broad and balanced curriculum as their peers.

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Pupils enjoy a rich range of clubs to pursue their talents and interests, such as gardening, dance and beach club. Pupils develop their leadership skills through roles, such as eco-councillors. These make a tangible difference to the school. For example, the school council organised a ‘St Nics Got Talent’ show for pupils to participate in. Pupils in Year 6 say the school has prepared them well for going to secondary school.

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The overwhelming majority of parents and carers praise the school highly. They speak highly about the head of school and her approachability. Parents value the school’s outdoor learning and how staff help to support families as well as pupils. Staff also share the same sense of pride. They feel their workload is taken into consideration and feel change is managed well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do are not high enough. When this occurs, pupils do not recall their knowledge well in the long term. The trust should ensure that staff are supported to take into account what pupils can already do so that they provide work to help them learn and remember the curriculum with the same depth of knowledge as in other areas. 9 and 10 July 2024

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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). 9 and 10 July 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 May 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of St Barnabas Church of England Multi Academy Trust.  Since the last inspection, the executive headteacher has left. The head of school took up her post in September 2023.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school provision.  The school is a Church of England primary school in the Diocese of Truro. Its most recent section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, was carried out in 2018, when the school was judged to be good.  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. 9 and 10 July 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.  Inspectors met with trust executive leaders, the head of school, groups of staff, groups of pupils, the chair of the trust and members of the governing body, including the chair.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, 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 staff, looked at samples of work and spoke to pupils about their learning in other curriculum areas.  Inspectors also spoke to staff and looked at samples of work in other curriculum areas.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.

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 An inspector spoke to parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, the staff survey and pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Jason Edge, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tom Page Ofsted Inspector 9 and 10 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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