Berry Pomeroy Parochial CofE Primary School

Berry Pomeroy Parochial CofE Primary School

Address: Berry Pomeroy, TQ9 6LH Unique reference number (URN): 147812

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The pastoral support and personal development of pupils is a high priority at this school. Pupils are well cared for because leaders and staff know pupils well. Pupils are proud to be part of the school community. The school values help pupils learn how their own actions impact on others. There is a desire for pupils to be ‘change makers’. Pupil groups such as the ‘sustainability champions’ lead projects that benefit the school and the village. Pupils confidently contribute to the running of the community café, serving soup they have made themselves from their own recipes. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities have full access to the richness of the school provision for personal development and wellbeing.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils are reflective about their own beliefs and respectful when discussing different religions and moral dilemmas. Diversity is celebrated. Pupils understand the fundamental British values. They talk maturely about how democracy and the rule of law are important for creating their harmonious school. Consequently, pupils are well prepared for their future life as adult citizens.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have designed an effective health and relationships programme. Pupils develop secure and detailed knowledge about relationships. They understand what constitutes healthy friendships as well as how to look after their own physical and mental health. Pupils are aware of risks and how to keep themselves safe, for example when using tools in the forest area or when they are online.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils develop their talents and interests through a range of activities within the curriculum and outside of the school day. They enjoy representing the school in sporting competitions and musical performances. Older pupils run activities such as a craft club for younger pupils. Trips are a particular highlight for pupils. Pupils describe how these trips help them to learn because they see the curriculum in 'real life'. The school ensures that all pupils benefit from this personal development offer, particularly those who are disadvantaged.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils enjoy coming to school, which is reflected in the high rates of attendance. The school has appropriate systems in place to track pupils' attendance. Where attendance for a pupil declines, leaders act swiftly. Staff work closely with families to find personalised solutions that support pupils in returning to school promptly. The result of this renewed focus has led to improvements in attendance for all groups of pupils, including those pupils who are disadvantaged.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

The school is calm, orderly and pupils generally behave well. There are clear routines that pupils know and adhere to. These help pupils to feel secure and enable them to transition smoothly between activities during the school day. The positive behaviour of pupils is linked closely to the school’s values and ethos. Pupils are encouraged to collaborate and be respectful. Disruption in lessons is rare and this calm behaviour is underpinned by positive relationships between staff and pupils. Most pupils demonstrate attentive attitudes to learning and engage keenly with their work. At break and lunchtimes, pupils play well together and enjoy positive interactions. Pupils know that if there are any incidents or fallings out that these are dealt with quickly by staff.

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Early years Expected standard

The early years curriculum is thoughtfully designed to ensure children develop knowledge and skills across all aspects of the curriculum. Staff work closely with parents and carers to support children to settle well in school. Children build positive relationships with staff. Children show kindness towards each other and play cooperatively across the day. They become increasingly independent, for example when using the outdoor forest area. As a result, children enjoy their learning and are keen to attend school. The Reception class is co-located with Year 1. This supports children to transition confidently into Year 1.

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Early years Expected standard

Reading is an important part of the school day. Children develop their phonics knowledge over time and are supported to build their reading fluency and confidence. Leaders quickly identify children who need extra support to catch up and keep up with their peers. Staff generally make effective use of classroom activities to develop children’s vocabulary. They model language, helping children to develop their communication skills. Outside, children engage in purposeful activities that promote their physical development. For example, guided tasks such as sawing wood enable children to build strength, coordination and confidence in a safe and structured setting.

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Inclusion Expected standard

This school is inclusive and committed to meeting the needs of all pupils. Parents and carers of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), speak positively about their children's experiences. Parents value the strong partnership they form with the school. Leaders identify pupils' needs promptly and accurately. The school works closely with external professionals to ensure that pupils with SEND receive the targeted support they require. Leaders ensure that pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan benefit from learning and personal development targets that staff can measure and review regularly in line with their EHC plan requirements. However, where assessment and the quality of teaching is not sufficiently precise, this hinders the progress pupils with SEND make through the curriculum.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school is proactive in supporting pupils with SEND to transition successfully to secondary school. This helps to ensure that pupils are well supported and their needs met appropriately. The school uses its pupil premium funding effectively. Targeted interventions, such as individual reading support, help those who find reading challenging to make progress. Pastoral provision is designed to ensure that disadvantaged pupils are supported. As a result, pupils who are eligible for this funding, including those with SEND, achieve well.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils achieve above others nationally including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is reflected in published outcomes at the end of key stage 2, for the Year 1 phonics screening check and the Year 4 multiplication table check score. This indicates that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Achievement Needs attention

However, this success is not consistently reflected in the quality of work pupils produce in lessons. A significant proportion of pupils do not secure basic spelling, grammar and handwriting at an age-appropriate level. The school does not consistently identify where these gaps in pupils' knowledge exist. This includes pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils. As a result, pupils do not progress through the curriculum as well as they should and do not secure essential skills effectively. Sometimes, pupils struggle to recall their prior learning in different curriculum subjects. This limits their ability to build on what they know.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The curriculum is broad and ambitious, with subjects carefully sequenced to build pupils’ knowledge and understanding over time. The school has high expectations for all pupils. Important knowledge that leaders want pupils to know and remember has been clearly identified.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

However, leaders' oversight of the implementation of the curriculum is not fully effective. The quality of teaching across the school is inconsistent. In mathematics, learning activities are not consistently well matched to pupils’ stage in learning, particularly in mixed-age classes. At times, the teaching of phonics lacks sufficient precision. Sometimes, staff do not identify and correct errors that pupils make when learning phonics such as their pronunciation.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teachers do not use their checks on what pupils know and remember of the curriculum to inform next steps in learning effectively. When pupils begin to fall behind in their learning, this is not addressed promptly. As a result, gaps in pupils' knowledge persist and grow. For example, pupils’ books show common misconceptions in grammar and expectations for handwriting are not consistently high. Similarly, incorrect spellings are often not addressed. In the wider curriculum, pupils develop misconceptions in subjects such as history and geography. Teachers do not identify or correct these promptly. Consequently, pupils do not build secure and accurate knowledge as effectively as they should.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve outcomes that are above national averages. This is reflected in published results. However, leaders at both school and trust level do not have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. This means that weaknesses in teaching are not addressed swiftly and current pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Trustees ensure the school fulfils its statutory responsibilities. However, those responsible for governance have an overly positive understanding of the school because leaders have not been precise in identifying necessary priorities for school improvement. Consequently, trustees and members of the local advocate board are not providing the level of challenge needed to ensure pupils achieve as well as they could.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders and those responsible for governance share a strong moral purpose that guides them to make decisions in the best interests of pupils. This ensures that pupils who are disadvantaged or pupils with SEND have the same chance of success as their peers. Most parents and carers are highly positive about their children's experiences at the school. They praise staff and the nurturing relationships they build with pupils.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff are supportive of the school and its leaders. Leaders are considerate of staff workload and wellbeing. Staff appreciate the professional development opportunities provided by both the school and the trust.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils at this school feel safe and well cared for. Each morning, staff warmly welcome pupils. This helps to foster a secure sense of belonging. Close relationships between the school and parents and carers enable staff to get to know pupils well. As a result, pupils say they feel safe and know they can approach any adult if they have concerns. This positive culture is reflected in the school’s high rates of attendance.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy learning. They speak enthusiastically about their current topics as well as what they have learned previously. Pupils achieve well compared to others nationally at the end of Year 6. However, these outcomes do not fully reflect the frequency of mistakes and misconceptions in pupils’ work across the school in different subjects. Sometimes, gaps in pupils' learning are not addressed so pupils do not build their knowledge effectively.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Throughout the school, pupils behave well. Incidents of disruption are rare. Older pupils take pride in being role models for younger pupils. They value the responsibility of acting as 'buddies' for children in the Reception Year. Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities to develop their talents and interests. They take part in clubs such as art, Spanish and gardening. Overnight residential visits to different cities are carefully planned to help pupils build resilience and independence. Pupils also take on meaningful responsibilities, such as ‘sustainability leader’, which foster leadership and accountability. They are proud of their achievements, including introducing recycling initiatives across the school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Leaders and staff ensure that pupils develop an appreciation of their surroundings. They learn to value nature and the importance of caring for the environment. At the same time, leaders are ambitious for pupils to experience life beyond their immediate community. Opportunities to visit cities broaden pupils’ horizons and help prepare them for life in modern Britain.

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Next steps

• Trust leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that school leaders receive effective support and challenge in order to identify the right priorities, in particular those that will help to close gaps in pupils’ knowledge swiftly. • Leaders should ensure that assessment is used effectively to check what pupils know and remember in the wider curriculum, enabling teachers to adjust lessons so pupils build securely on prior learning and address any gaps in their knowledge. • Leaders should ensure that staff have the expertise required for consistently effective teaching, so that all groups of pupils, including those with SEND progress well through the curriculum.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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About this inspection

This school is part of the Academies for Character and Excellence, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Cheryl Weyman, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Philip Mantell.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspection activities: Inspectors spoke with the executive headteacher, the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, the chair of trustees and the CEO during the inspection. The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. The inspectors visited lessons. The 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 and pupil surveys.

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About this inspection

This school is registered as having a Church of England character. The last section 48 inspection took place in September 2017.

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About this inspection

The school uses no alternative provision.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (1 term) 4.9% 5.1% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2024/25 (1 term) 15.4% 14.3% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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