North Cornwall Alternative Provision Academy

North Cornwall Alternative Provision Academy 3-5 Barn Lane, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL31 1LZ

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monitoring inspection report:

During the focused monitoring inspection, inspectors considered the following evaluation areas. This was due to concerns raised to Ofsted about the school related to:

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monitoring inspection report:

 Safeguarding  Leadership and governance  Attendance and behaviour

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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 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, children are made safer and feel safe.

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Leadership and governance

Leaders have established appropriate safeguarding practices and trust-wide policies that reflect statutory requirements. These are generally implemented as intended, and pupils are kept safe as a result. Trust leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They have responded to weaknesses with decisive action to bring about improvements to the provision. An improvement plan is in place, supported by robust trust oversight, including regular review and close checks of safeguarding practice, pupils’ attendance and behaviour. This support is proportionate and is beginning to secure greater consistency in whole-school practice. Monitoring Inspection report: North Cornwall Alternative Provision Academy, 6 and 7 May 2026

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However, some aspects of leadership at school level are not yet sufficiently precise. Responsibilities for attendance, behaviour and alternative provision are not embedded securely across the leadership team. Consequently, leaders’ evaluation of these areas is inconsistent and, at times, overly reliant on trust-level expertise.

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Following recent changes to the quality assurance of alternative provision (AP) across the trust, the school’s oversight of the use of external AP has improved. Leaders regularly seek assurance that pupils attending AP are safeguarded and that educational expectations are met.

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Governance is effective at the trust level and provides appropriate assurance that areas for improvement are being addressed. Actions taken by trust leaders demonstrate suitable capacity for improvement and ensure that safeguarding standards continue to be met.

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Attendance and behaviour

Many pupils join the school following significant disruption to their education, which contributes to low attendance on entry. Leaders understand the complexity of pupils’ circumstances and implement personalised approaches to support re - engagement. These include flexible timetables, outreach work, close partnership with families and, where appropriate, carefully commissioned alternative provision. There are clear examples of pupils whose attendance has improved substantially over time, demonstrating the positive impact of trusted relationships and consistent support pupils receive.

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Attendance and behaviour

School leaders respond effectively to individual cases but are less secure in evaluating patterns and trends of absence at the whole-school level. As a result, strategic oversight of attendance is not sufficiently sharp and the impact of actions taken is not consistently evaluated.

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Attendance and behaviour

Clear approaches for managing behaviour are in place and align with trust policies. Staff receive ongoing training, including helping pupils to recognise and manage their emotions and actions. All incidents are recorded appropriately. Over time, the use of restrictive interventions and suspensions is decreasing. Leaders recognise the link between behaviour, curriculum quality and teaching adaptations. Current work to strengthen staff practice is appropriate. Trust leaders are updating systems to further refine the recording of behaviour incidents to support more precise analysis and sustained improvement.

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Additional next steps

Leaders and those responsible for governance should, in addition to the next steps raised at the school's previous inspection:

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Additional next steps

 Continue to embed priority areas, such as the accurate recording and analysis of behaviour incidents and leaders’ actions to improve pupils’ attendance. Monitoring Inspection report: North Cornwall Alternative Provision Academy, 6 and 7 May 2026

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 Ensure that leaders and staff have a clear knowledge and understanding of policies and procedures and that these are consistently applied well.

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About this inspection

This inspection was conducted under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and in accordance with Ofsted's published procedures for focused monitoring inspections. The inspection was carried out because concerns had been raised with Ofsted about: leadership and governance, attendance and behaviour and safeguarding at the school.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this monitoring inspection was not to determine grades for any of the evaluation areas, but to look into the concerns that caused Ofsted to decide to inspect the school.

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About this inspection

The inspection team spoke to the trust and school leaders, staff, pupils, parents and carers.

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About this inspection

The new substantive head of school was appointed in April 2025. There have been other changes in staffing and leadership.

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Team inspector

Gavin Summerfield His Majesty's Inspector

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About this school

Type of specialist provision Social, emotional and mental health difficulties Monitoring Inspection report: North Cornwall Alternative Provision Academy, 6 and 7 May 2026

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and inspects to 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 looked- after-children, safeguarding and child protection.

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

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