Warbstow Primary Academy

Inspection of Warbstow Primary Academy Warbstow, Launceston, Cornwall PL15 8UP

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

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The head of this school is Hannah Mould. The 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. 1 and 2 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is driven by its values, which include kindness and respect. Staff care deeply about pupils. They build positive relationships with them. As a result, pupils feel confident to share their worries with any staff member. Pupils are happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations for pupils. Pupils meet these expectations in their behaviour and in what they achieve. They demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning. Pupils treat each other and adults with courtesy. Older pupils serve drinks to younger children during breakfast club. The school is calm and purposeful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning. They are curious about the world around them. Staff take opportunities to bring nature into the classroom. Children in the early years observe butterflies hatch in their classroom. One child exclaimed, ‘I can’t believe it, it’s a real butterfly,’ capturing a moment of awe and wonder.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their link with a partner school in Uganda. They write letters to the children there. This helps raise their awareness of the world beyond their school. Pupils in the school council help to make changes such as redesigning the school playground. Pupils vote, which develops their understanding of democracy.

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

The school’s ‘curious curriculum’ offers a broad and ambitious experience for pupils. In all years, the school has a clear intent for pupils’ learning experiences through the curriculum. The curriculum’s ambition reflects pride in the school’s heritage while remaining outward looking. Children benefit from an ambitious curriculum in the early years. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities access the same learning as their peers and receive tailored support in the classroom. This means they make secure progress through the curriculum.

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

The school prioritises early reading. Through the effective delivery of the school’s chosen phonics programme, pupils become confident and fluent readers. Staff identify pupils who fall behind in reading. They help them to catch up quickly. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their reading journey. Pupils show positive attitudes towards reading. They enjoy listening to their teachers read high-quality texts. One pupil, typical of many, told an inspector, ‘I love it when my teacher reads to us.’

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

Pupils build their mathematical knowledge well over time. Teachers provide pupils with regular opportunities to practise their mathematical skills. They check pupils’ understanding and revisit areas where pupils are less secure. This enables pupils to know and remember more. Children begin their journey in the Nursery and Reception Years, with a strong foundation in early reading and early mathematics.

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

Pupils are enthusiastic about the wider curriculum. They have opportunities to explore the history of their local area. Pupils then experience a broader view of history over time. They understand chronology and can name different time periods. The school has 1 and 2 July 2025

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carefully planned the sequence of the foundation curriculum starting with the early years. For example, in early years, children learn about maps and when they might use them. In key stage 2, pupils use maps to plot places of interest using grid references.

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The school is working to develop checks on learning in the wider curriculum. In some subjects, teaching does not carefully check what pupils know and can do. Therefore, learning is not adapted to support pupils to build or deepen their knowledge effectively.

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Children access a wide range of activities to develop their learning in the early years. They develop fine motor control with stimulating activities, such as making potions. Children experiment with counting and completing number sequences. Staff carefully consider children’s needs and interests. When planning learning activities, staff thoughtfully select engaging resources.

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The school provides pupils with opportunities to develop their interests beyond the curriculum. For example, the school provides extra-curricular clubs such as cookery, cricket and football. Pupils enthusiastically recall their trip to a farm, where they learned about silos, slurry tankers and veterinary work with farm animals. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 are able to contrast this rural experience with their recent visit to a British city. Some older pupils have recently been appointed to positions of responsibility. These include being reading, ‘eco’ and well-being leaders. However, these roles are in their early stages of development and need further refinement to make the impact that the school intends on developing all pupils into active citizens of the future.

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Leaders, and those responsible for governance, offer strong support and challenge to the school. Their ambition has driven rapid improvements in the curriculum, including careful management of the impact of new changes on staff workload. The trust has an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and next steps. The school puts in place the right support for pupils and their families regarding attendance. As a result, most pupils attend regularly. The school develops staff’s knowledge and skills effectively. As a result, staff deliver subjects such as mathematics and reading with confidence.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some wider curriculum subjects, school assessment systems are not well developed. Staff do not use their checks to adjust teaching so pupils can secure or extend their learning. As a result, some pupils achieve less well in these subjects. The trust should ensure that teachers have the knowledge and skills to use assessment effectively in these subjects so that pupils can achieve well. 1 and 2 July 2025

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 Pupils do not all consistently benefit from leadership experiences beyond the classroom. As a result, pupils do not develop a strength of character or an understanding of their ability to contribute to society as well as they could. The trust should ensure that opportunities are broad and that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, access them in equal measure.

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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 July 2025

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School details

Headteacher Hannah Mould (head of school)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 March 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Warbstow Primary Academy is part of Aspire Academy Trust.  The school does not use any providers of alternative provision.  The head of school took up her post in April 2025.  Since the previous inspection, several members of staff are new to the school.

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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. 1 and 2 July 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 the head of school, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, the trust strategic lead, a member of the hub council, the chair of the trust, the CEO of the trust and several staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, looked at samples of work and spoke to pupils about their learning.  Inspectors spoke to pupils and looked at samples of work in art and design, science and physical education.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views of the school.  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.  The inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. The inspectors also considered the responses of pupils and staff to Ofsted’s respective online surveys.

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Inspection team

Thomas Brewer, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kelly Olive His Majesty’s Inspector 1 and 2 July 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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