Torpoint Nursery and Infant School

Inspection of Torpoint Nursery and Infant School Albion Road, Torpoint, Cornwall PL11 2LU

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

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since April 2015. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 4 and 5 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is an infectiously happy school. Staff have warm and positive relationships with pupils. This promotes an environment where pupils feel safe and secure. The school has high expectations of its pupils in all areas of school life. They live up to these and learn the curriculum well. As a result, pupils are well prepared for junior school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable. They learn in a wonderfully calm and purposeful environment. This is because staff expect pupils to behave in a kind and respectful way. The schools’ excellent pastoral support addresses any concerns pupils have. ‘Worry monsters’ encourage pupils to talk about their feelings. ‘Forces Friends’ meet regularly to support pupils whose family members are in the armed forces. This helps pupils to feel confident and flourish in their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school gives pupils an exceptionally strong sense of their place in the world. Pupils learn about local customs and traditions. The school’s cultural days help pupils to learn about how people from different backgrounds live. It taps into some of its families’ countries of origin to do this. This helps pupils to understand life beyond Cornwall. Pupils learn new skills in an extensive range of clubs, from Spanish to taekwondo.

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

The school’s determined and ambitious leadership team has fostered a united vision. The construction of the curriculum has been a team effort. The school has considered carefully staff’s workload and well-being throughout this. Consequently, staff morale is high.

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

The school has a well-designed curriculum. It draws upon its locality to help provide context for pupils. For example, pupils learn about local landmarks, such as the significance of the Tamar Bridge. The school uses trips to help pupils deepen their knowledge further. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from high quality support matched closely to their learning plans. Consequently, they learn the same curriculum as their classmates.

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

The school has ensured there are strong links in the curriculum between the early years and older classes. As a result, pupils’ learning builds successfully on their existing knowledge. Children in the early years learn exceptionally well. They flourish and become highly independent, focused learners. This is because staff provide activities that are well matched to children’s needs.

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

The school provides focused professional development for staff to develop their teaching. Consequently, staff have the expertise to implement the curriculum well. For example, teachers check what pupils can recall from previous learning. This helps to address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge quickly. The school identifies pupils with SEND swiftly. It has found that a growing number of children start school with gaps in speech and language. The school has trained staff in supporting pupils effectively to overcome these barriers. 4 and 5 March 2025

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Reading is central to the school's curriculum. Children in the nursery recite nursery rhymes regularly. This helps them to start recognising the sounds in words. Staff teach the phonics code well. They spot adeptly those pupils who fall behind. Staff give them the right support to help pupils catch up. Pupils develop a deep love of reading. This is because the school promotes this wherever possible. For example, teachers share a range of carefully chosen books with pupils regularly.

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The school ensures that pupils apply their phonics knowledge to their writing frequently. However, some pupils, who find writing trickier, are sometimes not given the right level of scaffolding to help them to write well. As a result, they find some tasks too hard, and they do not progress through the writing curriculum as well as they could.

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Pupils’ exceptionally high standard of behaviour continues at social times. The school provides a range of interesting activities to engage pupils. The ‘friendly lunch club’ provides quieter play for those pupils who require it. Consequently, lunchtimes are a joyful experience for pupils. The school works closely with families to ensure pupils attend well.

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Pupils benefit from a personal development programme of the highest standard. It is ingrained throughout school life. Pupils contribute to the community extensively. For example, they sing at a range of events in the community. Pupils learn to think of others through raising money for charities. They show great maturity in their leadership roles as school councillors and play leaders.

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The governing body knows the school well. They check on the school’s work regularly and continue to develop their expertise to support and challenge leaders.

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The school’s positive relationships extend to its excellent engagement with parents and carers. Families rightly appreciate the school’s efforts to involve them in their child’s learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils who find writing more difficult sometimes do not receive the appropriate adaptations to help them write well. When this happens, pupils struggle to write fluently and progress through the writing curriculum securely. The school should ensure that it provides pupils who need additional help in their writing with the appropriate support and adaptation to help them achieve well. 4 and 5 March 2025

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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). 4 and 5 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.torpoint-inf.cornwall.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 April 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up her substantive post in 2021 after a period as the acting headteacher.  The school has recently opened its own breakfast and after-school club provision.  The school does not currently make use of 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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 4 and 5 March 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school's education provision.  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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with teachers, visited a sample of lessons, 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.

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders, groups of staff, groups of pupils, representatives from the local authority and members of the governing body.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  Inspectors gathered parents’ views by considering the responses to Ofsted Parent View and by talking to parents. The inspectors also reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Jason Edge, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Marcus West Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 March 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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