Eggbuckland Vale Primary School

Inspection of Eggbuckland Vale Primary School Charfield Drive, Eggbuckland, Plymouth, Devon PL6 5PS

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

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The headteacher of this school is Susie Wilson. This school is part of CONNECT 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 (CEO), Stuart Bellworthy, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ian Mitchell. 7 and 8 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff live out the school’s values to be resourceful, open, aspirational, resilient and reflective. This is a ‘ROARRsome’ school. This is a unique school where staff go to tremendous lengths to get to know pupils as individuals. Families express deep gratitude to the school for understanding their children’s contexts, needs and strengths.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The high levels of mutual respect between everyone lead to a seamless integration of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This includes those from the Deaf Education Centre (DEC). Pupils show remarkable support and care for one another. The school has turned disadvantage on its head. Whatever their context, pupils learn to celebrate the distinctive knowledge or skills they have. Young Carers are recognised for their skill with money, and ‘MKC Heroes’ develop friendships with others in service families. Both deaf and hearing pupils learn to communicate in British Sign Language.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s ambition for every pupil is for them to acquire the knowledge and skills they need for future life. Published outcomes reflect pupils’ academic success. These, allied with independent life skills, communication and a strong sense of personal worth, prepare pupils for their next step.

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

Exceptional aspiration for each pupil is at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils love to learn. This is because the curriculum is inspiring. Subject knowledge is identified and sequenced intricately. Pupils build on what they already know, developing secure knowledge over time. Teachers are creative in how they deliver the curriculum. For example, in art and design, pupils appreciate extended time to develop their art projects when they can concentrate on knowledge and skills without distraction. Pupils produce exceptional quality work across the curriculum.

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

In addition to the strong personal development offer for pupils, expert staff in the DEC have designed an additional bespoke programme for deaf pupils. It focuses on the specific skills that give them the very best opportunity for success in a hearing world. This progressive programme includes life skills specific to deaf pupils, including independence and taking care of their equipment. This significantly increases their confidence and ability to live more independent lives.

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

The provision for pupils with SEND, including those who are deaf, is exceptional. The school has a deep understanding of pupils’ needs and barriers. Where necessary, pupils with SEND experience a bespoke curriculum, but more often expert adaptation enables them to learn alongside their peers. Staff have excellent knowledge and skills to adapt learning for the full range of needs in their classes. Where specialist knowledge and support are required, this is well integrated into the mainstream classrooms. This benefits individuals, groups and, sometimes, whole cohorts of pupils. For example, pupils, including hearing pupils, leave the school able to communicate in basic sign language. 7 and 8 January 2025

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The support for pupils with SEND enables them to make the best progress possible through the curriculum.

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The school is permeated with a love of reading. In the Nursery, children join in with rhymes and songs, which sets them up well to learn phonics in Reception. Children in Reception quickly develop the listening and attention skills they need to be successful in phonics lessons. They have plenty of purposeful opportunities to practise segmenting sounds and blending words in their play. Consequently, they become fluent readers.

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The adaptations for phonics and early reading for pupils with SEND are exceptional. Many pupils learn alongside their peers. Others receive a bespoke curriculum matched well to their needs. Deaf pupils learn to recognise written and spoken sounds, including the mouth shape for each phoneme so they can lip read. They also learn British Sign Language for whole words. This gives them the tools they need to have a choice over their communication in the future.

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Vocabulary is an essential part of every subject’s curriculum. In the Nursery, children become skilled at describing shapes and explaining their reasoning. This strong feature of the mathematics curriculum is mirrored, for example, in key stage 2 history. Pupils recall specific knowledge and historical terms in discussions about previous learning, which sets them up for their new theme. Written work shows pupils can use these words accurately. Work completed by pupils is high quality, showing pupils’ extremely positive attitudes to their learning.

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Without exception, staff are knowledgeable and passionate. The school and the trust invest continually in the professional development and well-being of all their staff. The staff team works cohesively and relentlessly to improve its knowledge and practice so their pupils benefit. Exceptional leadership at all levels underpins the success of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 7 and 8 January 2025

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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). 7 and 8 January 2025

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School details

Website www.eggbucklandvale.plymouth.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school has a specially resourced provision (DEC) with 18 places for pupils with moderate to profound hearing loss.  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. 7 and 8 January 2025

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, religious education and history. For each deep dive, 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 held meetings with the headteacher, the assistant headteachers, the special educational needs coordinator, curriculum leaders and teaching and support staff. The lead inspector met with members of the local governing body and the chair of the trust. She also met with the CEO and the school improvement lead.  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

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. In addition, they met with pupils informally and formally to hear their views.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. Inspectors also took into consideration responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Angela Folland, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tracy Hannon Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 January 2025

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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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