Biscovey Academy

Inspection of Biscovey Academy Lamellyn Road, Par, Cornwall PL24 2DB

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

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The interim head of school is Rob Wallbank. This school is part of Aspire 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), Rachel Warwick, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Penny Shilston.

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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 November 2014. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 20 and 21 May 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the moment pupils join in Year 3, the school promotes and lives out its ‘Dare to Dream’ vision for pupils. It achieves this through a laser-like focus on academic success. Typically, the school’s expectations for pupils are high. This supports most pupils to achieve well academically. As a result, they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has a calm and orderly feel. It adjusts the provision skilfully for pupils who struggle to follow the school’s expectations for behaviour. In lessons, most pupils engage closely with their learning. Staff and pupils have warm relationships. This helps pupils feel they can share openly any worries they have. Consequently, pupils feel safe and well cared for. The school deals with incidents of bullying swiftly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is rightly proud of its strong offer for pupils’ wider development. It ensures that pupils experience visits beyond the locality in contrasting locations. For example, pupils attend an international rugby match. Pupils develop a strong pride in their local community through the school’s hosting of its annual May fayre. They learn the importance of teamwork through success in sports tournaments.

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

The trust’s partnership with the school is a successful one. It has varied its level of support appropriately, depending on the school’s needs. For example, during the pandemic, standards of behaviour declined. The trust moved swiftly to help the school and provided training for staff to ensure that systems for behaviour were understood and applied consistently. Consequently, pupils’ attitudes to learning are now positive. However, although the school is now on a more stable footing, the trust continues to make regular checks on the school’s performance, along with the hub council. As a result, the trust knows the school well and holds its leaders to account robustly.

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

The school has a well-established and ambitious curriculum. It uses its close links with the infant school to ensure that pupils’ previous learning is considered carefully. This means that pupils build on their knowledge in a logical way. The success of pupils’ learning over the long term is evident in pupils’ outcomes at the expected standard at the end of key stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. However, this has not come at the expense of a broad and balanced curriculum. Pupils enjoy a rich diet of subjects in which they typically learn well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from precise support to help them learn alongside their peers. The school has a rigorous approach to the identification of pupils with SEND to ensure this support is put into place quickly.

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

The school’s curriculum identifies the essential knowledge that pupils need to know. Teachers use this information to implement the curriculum well. Teachers ensure that they teach the key knowledge effectively and check carefully whether pupils have learned it. This helps pupils to learn new knowledge securely. However, sometimes the activities 20 and 21 May 2025

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which pupils complete do not help them to deepen and extend their knowledge as well as they could.

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Reading has a high priority in the school. The school has ensured that there is a consistent approach to reading throughout all year groups. This means that pupils continually learn and apply their reading skills well as they move through the school. Staff identify any pupils who fall behind and help them to catch up quickly. Pupils learn to appreciate a range of genres through the reading curriculum.

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Pupils benefit from a series of residentials designed to build their resilience. They develop their talents and interests well through clubs and well-considered experiences. For example, pupils record a song in a professional recording studio. This helps them to develop a love for the arts.

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There is a strong sense of shared vision. Staff have highly positive views of the direction of the school. Many parents and carers hold similar views. They feel that staff care for their children well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, teaching does not consider well enough what pupils already know and can do. At times, the activities which pupils complete do not help them to deepen or extend their knowledge as well as they could. The school should ensure that, where this is the case, the activities pupils complete are well considered to extend and deepen their knowledge.

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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. 20 and 21 May 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). 20 and 21 May 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27 and 28 November 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Aspire Academy Trust.  The interim head of school took up his post in April 2025.  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. 20 and 21 May 2025

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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 met with the head of school and other senior leaders, groups of staff, groups of pupils, the chair of the trust and trust executive leaders.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. 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 looked at samples of work and spoke to pupils about their learning in other curriculum areas.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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.  An inspector spoke to some parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments, and Ofsted’s surveys for pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Jason Edge, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jonathan Gower Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 May 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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