Threemilestone School

Inspection of Threemilestone School Polstain Road, Threemilestone, Truro, Cornwall TR3 6DH

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

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The headteacher of this school is Suzannah Teagle. 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. 1 and 2 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a warm and welcoming school. Inclusion is central to the school’s vision of ensuring every pupil belongs. Pupils learn in a calm and orderly setting. The school takes its time to get to know pupils and their families well. This helps pupils thrive. They enjoy coming to school and love to learn. Their high attendance is evidence of their positive attitudes to learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s ambitious curriculum reflects the school’s high expectations of what pupils can achieve, starting in the early years. Pupils rise to these expectations and learn the curriculum well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ wider development is exceptional. The school goes above and beyond to provide pupils with experiences beyond the academic. This begins before children join the school. For example, a summer picnic supports children in their transition into Reception Year.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school celebrates diversity. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures throughout their time at school. The carefully selected books, artists and musicians that pupils learn about broaden their understanding of the world. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They have a lived experience of democracy through pupil leadership elections, such as ‘PALs’ (Pupils As Leaders). Pupils are rightly proud of the difference they make to their school.

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

The school, the trust and those responsible for governance are determined for all pupils to be successful at this school. There has been a relentless drive to develop the curriculum. The school has identified and sequenced the precise knowledge that pupils need to know and remember across subjects. The school’s ‘launchpads’ exemplify the smaller steps of knowledge that pupils will learn. These help teachers to be clear about what they need to teach and when. As a result, pupils build their knowledge based on prior learning securely over time.

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

The school has a clear understanding of how well the curriculum is implemented and uses this to develop subjects further. For example, staff benefit from regular training to develop their subject expertise to teach the curriculum well. Staff are overwhelmingly grateful for the support they receive from the school to fulfil their roles, including those who are new to the teaching profession.

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

There is a shared approach to the teaching of the curriculum. For example, in mathematics, teachers model new learning and give pupils the time they need to practise. Pupils regularly retrieve previous learning across subjects to embed knowledge into their long-term memory. As a result, pupils talk confidently about their learning and build their knowledge securely. For example, in the early years, children enjoy talking about the drawing techniques of Henry Matisse. 1 and 2 October 2024

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Across subjects, teachers use a variety of strategies to check what pupils know and remember. They use this information to identify and support pupils’ gaps in knowledge to help pupils keep up. Sometimes, these checks are not precise enough to identify misconceptions or to establish if pupils are ready for new learning. As a result, some pupils do not deepen their knowledge as well.

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Staff think carefully about adaptations to learning to enable pupils to learn successfully, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These pupils benefit from early identification to ensure they get the help they need. For example, pupils receive a language assessment when they begin school to identify and support any gaps they may have.

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Reading is at the heart of the school. Teaching pupils to become confident and fluent readers is a high priority. This starts the moment children begin Reception. Staff teach the phonics programme well because of the regular training and coaching they receive from subject experts. They rigorously identify and support those pupils who need help to keep up. The school promotes a love of reading. A carefully considered ‘reading spine’ exposes pupils to a breadth of genres and authors. Pupils value the many opportunities to enjoy books. For example, the ‘reading shed’ is popular during social times.

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Pupils are clear about the school routines and the expectations of behaviour. This starts in the early years where children know how to behave when listening on the carpet. Pupils value highly the ‘star tokens’ they collect as a team to earn the ‘supernova’ reward.

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The school has carefully considered the wider opportunities in place to enhance pupils’ experiences. Pupils benefit from a range of trips and residentials, such as workshops at an aquarium. They value the wide range of clubs available to develop their talents and interests. The school tracks participation to ensure that pupils gain from the school’s offer. This includes disadvantaged pupils where involvement is high.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On some occasions, strategies used by teachers to check what pupils know are not precise enough to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge or to establish pupils’ readiness for new learning. As a result, some pupils do not deepen their knowledge fully. The school needs to ensure that checks on what pupils know are used effectively to adapt subsequent learning to build on what pupils know and can do. 1 and 2 October 2024

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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). 1 and 2 October 2024

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School details

Website www.threemilestone.cornwall.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 November 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Threemilestone School is part of Truro & Penwith Academy Trust.  The school provides a before- and after-school club.  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. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 1 and 2 October 2024

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 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 spoke with school leaders, curriculum leaders, parents, governors and representatives from the trust.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography, and art and design. 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. 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

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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’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Esther Best, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Marcus West Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 October 2024

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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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