Stoke Fleming Community Primary School

Stoke Fleming Community Primary School

Address: Stoke Fleming, Dartmouth, Devon, TQ6 0QA Unique reference number (URN): 141286

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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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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils achieve consistently well in national tests in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2. Over time, pupils’ attainment and progress have been above national averages. Disadvantaged pupils do particularly well, often achieving more than their non- disadvantaged peers nationally, starting in the early years. Where achievement in phonics and the Year 4 multiplication check has not been as high, leaders have made improvements and achievement is rising.

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Achievement Strong standard

The school is sharply focused on securing essential knowledge and skills for pupils with barriers and disadvantages. Although older pupils would benefit from greater handwriting fluency and opportunity to show the detailed knowledge they gain across the curriculum, in writing, this has not limited the writing standards achieved by the end of key stage 2. Pupils are very well prepared by the time leave for the secondary phase.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have successfully established a culture of high attendance. Overall attendance is above the national average. The number of pupils who are persistently absent from school has fallen sharply with the biggest gains being made by disadvantaged pupils. Leaders’ approach to building pupils back to regular attendance is supportive yet robust. They have developed sophisticated systems for monitoring patterns of attendance which allow them to intervene quickly and effectively where necessary. The school works in partnership with the local authority to ensure that families and children get the right support. Through regular communication and by celebrating successes with parents, the school is breaking down longstanding barriers to regular school attendance.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

The behaviours and attitudes that provide the best conditions for learning are present across the school. Pupils show excellent manners. They are sociable, confident, and independent, which helps them to make the most of the spacious outdoor environment during social times. Older pupils show increasing leadership and care for their peers as they mature. Pupils learn the importance of kindness and showing respect for each other even where there are differences very well. Although pupils are well equipped to recognise and challenge bullying, this occurs very rarely.

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Early years Strong standard

Leaders are highly knowledgeable about the quality of the school’s early years provision and have ambitious plans for how it will evolve. Great care is taken to provide a rich and stimulating curriculum for the children. Opportunities for learning through play and expert teaching helps children to secure their early learning rapidly. The teaching of early reading and writing is highly effective. Children reliably go on to pass their phonics screening check at the end of Year 1. Staff provide excellent model sentences to support children’s developing spoken language skills. They consistently support children to expand on their speech by asking well-chosen questions. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make rapid progress because the provision is precisely adapted to meet their needs. For example, where appropriate, pupils with communication difficulties are supported to try out and become confident using

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Early years Strong standard

alternative communication methods and devices. Disadvantaged children, including those known to social care, benefit from well-focused support informed by detailed knowledge of their circumstances. These children achieve at least as well as their peers. Overall, children in the early years, including those who need extra support, are consistently well cared for and taught across the nursery and Reception classes.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The school identifies pupils’ needs proactively. For example, all children are screened carefully for any gaps in their speech, language and communication skills, so that these can be addressed at the earliest opportunity. Staff benefit from considerable expertise across the trust, which is used to ensure that they have the specialist training that they need to meet pupils’ needs. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from considerable adaptation to the school environment, curriculum and teaching, which enables them to make rapid progress. Leaders work alongside staff and partners from the local authority to monitor the impact of the provision for pupils with SEND. This leads to ongoing improvements in pupils’ experiences as the provision is tailored precisely for individuals.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils, including looked after children, is used intelligently to close any gaps in communication, reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders’ ambitious and persistent focus on this, has led to notable gains for pupils with barriers. For example, where targeted support has been given to disadvantaged pupils, their attendance and achievement in national tests has consistently improved. The school’s highly inclusive approach to providing a rich programme of enrichment activities for all pupils ensures that no one misses out.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders from the school and trust work together in a highly effective way to identify aspects of the provision to develop and to drive improvements. They are quick to challenge any areas of underperformance. For example, their meticulous work to improve the teaching of reading has led to increased achievement in phonics and reading throughout the school. Leaders consistently shape the school’s systems and provision to achieve the best possible outcomes for all pupils, often by bringing in expertise from outside the school.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The arrangements for governance have served the school very well over time. Members of the local governing board and trust leaders plan monitoring activities strategically. This leads to an accurate and detailed evaluation of the school’s strengths and areas to develop. The trust maintains a detailed understanding of the school’s context and challenges. They engage regularly with the parent community and know that they hold the school and its leaders in very high regard. Trustees hear directly from the school’s leaders and local governors and combine what they learn with their own national insights to provide informed governance.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Staff enjoy and value a programme of professional development which is informed by the latest educational research. This includes leadership development opportunities and access

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Expected standard

to expert networks through the trust. Staff consistently report high levels of care for their workload and wellbeing.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils gain a broad understanding of different cultures and people with different lifestyles and beliefs. Their knowledge includes interesting details, which they remember well and discuss sensitively. The school brings learning to life for pupils by inviting in speakers that they can relate to. This helps to develop their curiosity and respect for others. Pupils of all ages develop secure knowledge of fundamental British values. They describe how these are lived out in the school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils speak confidently about learning that helps them to make safe and sensible decisions, such as in relationships or when interacting with others online. Pupils feel supported, included and listened to, with staff acting on their concerns. For example, staff introduced a lunchtime session to support girls with the pastoral challenges and changes they experience as they grow older. Pupils learn useful strategies to keep themselves healthy physically and mentally, including the role of sleep, exercise and healthy eating.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school’s approach to promoting pupils’ wider development means that a wealth of opportunities is built into the curriculum as an entitlement for all. Experiences are planned strategically, so that pupils’ experience a rich offer over time. The programme includes educational trips, adventurous activities and charitable work, helping to promote pupils’ confidence out in the world. By listening and adapting the offer based on pupils’ barriers and interests, leaders have secured increased participation in the optional elements of the programme, such as extra-curricular clubs, from disadvantaged pupils.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Opportunities to develop leadership skills are extensive. Pupils act as house captains, members of an eco-council, parliamentarians, librarians, and anti-bullying ambassadors. Through these roles and a range of performances and debates, many pupils become resilient, successful communicators who are well placed to make the most of what the next stage of their education can offer.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff and leaders are supported very effectively by the trust, to provide a high-quality curriculum which is generally taught well. Leaders are quick to recognise where pupils’ experiences and outcomes could be improved further. For example, they have strengthened the curriculum for handwriting having rightly identified that pupils could develop greater fluency at an earlier stage and that this would help them to communicate a breadth of knowledge more confidently in key stage 2. This needs more time to embed but is having a positive impact already.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The teaching of reading, including phonics, is a strength. This is the result of leaders’ effective work over time, to raise expectations and drive improvements in teaching so that all pupils pass their phonics check first time, avoiding the need to catch up later. Improvements to the curriculum and teaching of reading in key stage 2 have also embedded well.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff have developed effective teaching approaches, so that pupils benefit from clear explanations. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils receive focused support in class which usually helps them to learn successfully. Occasionally, the checks that teachers make on pupils’ understanding are not systematic enough to catch everyone. This can mean that individual pupils do not have a secure enough understanding of what has been taught to complete their independent work successfully.

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

The school provides a wonderfully rich and stimulating environment in which children and pupils can learn and grow together safely. Children in the early years have great fun developing their knowledge and curiosity across a diverse range of indoor and outdoor activities. During social times, pupils of all ages develop their imagination and independence through outdoor play. Well-established routines help pupils to follow rules and feel safe throughout the school day. In their time at the school, pupils acquire the behaviours and attendance habits that support future success. As a result, they achieve consistently well and are ready to take the next step in their educational journey with confidence.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are served very well. Where necessary, the provision is adapted considerably to ensure their success. Pupils with communication difficulties or gaps in their speech and language development are supported particularly well by well-trained staff. Disadvantaged children and those known to social care do well right from the early years because the school is sharply focused on making sure that gaps in reading, writing and mathematics do not open or widen at that stage. These pupils benefit from the full richness of school life because valuable experiences are built into the school’s '11 by 11' personal development programme. Therefore, everyone participates fully.

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

The school encourages pupils to take on responsibilities. These might be leadership roles within the school, or wider considerations such as taking care of the environment. Older pupils are diligent role models. They act as buddies for children in Reception Year and undertake duties as house captains in ‘family groups’ where pupils of all ages mix. All of this contributes to a healthy school culture in which friendship and kindness flourish.

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Next steps

Leaders should further develop approaches to checking for understanding to ensure that pupils' understanding is secure before they are asked to apply their knowledge in independent tasks.

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Team inspectors:

Craig Hayes, Ofsted Inspector Demelza Bolton, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 14 July 2026 Leaders should continue to embed the school's new handwriting curriculum, so that pupils can communicate the detailed knowledge that they learn across the curriculum in writing, earlier, and with even greater confidence.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Education South West multiacademy 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), Matthew Shanks, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Graham Austin.

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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 HMI.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the three trustees, three members of the local governing board, including the chair of governors, the CEO and two other executive leaders from the trust, during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspector(s) confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school, under the same registration, runs nursery provision.

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About this inspection

The school has undergone a significant change since the last inspection. A new headteacher was appointed in September 2024.

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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 6 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 needs support 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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average

2023/24 (final) 78% 73% Close to average

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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 (3 term) 5.1% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.7% 5.5% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 5.6% 5.9% 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 (3 term) 11.4% 13.0% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 11.9% 14.6% 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

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