St Keverne Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is determined for all pupils to succeed. It is introducing changes to ensure that the curriculum provides pupils with the knowledge and skills they need.

These actions are beginning to make a difference. However, it is still early days. The curriculum does not yet support pupils to build their knowledge well enough across all subjects.

Pupils of St Keverne talk with enthusiasm about their school. They are proud of how staff and pupils help and encourage each other. This creates a calm and welcoming school community where pupils feel well-cared for, confident and safe.

Pupils attend well. They conduct themselves positively around the school. Pupils ...respond positively to the high expectations of staff.

During unstructured times, such as lunchtime and play time, older pupils act as positive role models for younger pupils. They know this is important role to carry out.

Pupils of all ages demonstrate the school's values of honesty, kindness and respect.

They show these in their understanding of diversity and how people can be different. These qualities prepare them well for being active members of their communities and moving on to the next stage in their education.

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

The school has worked, with the wider trust, to address the areas for improvement identified in the previous inspection report.

It is working with determination to strengthen the quality of education. The school has thought carefully about the knowledge it wants pupils to learn and remember across the subjects they study. However, the curriculum for subjects in the wider curriculum is not implemented well enough.

This means pupils do not gain the knowledge they need to progress well through the curriculum. Furthermore, the school has not made sufficient checks on this to ensure they have a wholly accurate knowledge of the impact their actions have had.

The school has given priority to the teaching of early reading.

Children in Reception develop their phonic knowledge from the start of their time at school. When pupils fall behind the pace of the programme, they quickly get the support they need to help them to catch up. As a result, pupils become increasingly fluent and confident readers.

Pupils read regularly and enjoy listening to high-quality texts read to them by staff.

Decisions made by the school in some subjects, such as mathematics and physical education (PE), have successfully impacted on pupils' learning. For example, whole class arithmetic sessions are increasing pupils' fluency in number.

Changes to teaching in PE has resulted in pupils retaining the knowledge and skills they learn and transfer them across different sports. However, teachers do not check pupils' understanding well enough. Consequently, teachers do not adapt learning and address misconceptions that pupils may have.

This is more effective for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is because the school has made sure that the support to meet their needs is precise and well-targeted.

The curriculum for children in the Reception class is more established.

The school ensures children get off to a strong start to their education. With support from the wider trust support, it has overhauled the space and resources that children in early years use. Staff use this well to encourage and promote independence, problem solving and curiosity.

Children play imaginatively with the resources inside the classroom and in the outdoor area. They know the rules in place and the expectations staff have of them to tidy up after use. Children interact with their peers and adults using ambitious language and high-quality vocabulary.

They are well-prepared for learning in Year 1.

Pupils' wider development is supported well. They are encouraged to be aspirational.

Pupils learn about relationships, well-being and how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Pupils value the trips they take part in to enrich the curriculum and deepen their awareness of the world around them. These include visits to Plymouth and Bristol, as well as getting to know their local area.

Pupils understand the concepts of fundamental British values and embody these through daily school life.

Staff hold positive views of the recent improvements to the school. They value the support from leaders and the wider trust to increase their expertise and manage the workload involved with the significant change.

Those in governance roles have an in-depth knowledge of the school. They use this to challenge and support leaders in their school improvement work.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There is not a well-established curriculum in place for subjects in the wider curriculum. The school does not have a fully accurate view of the effectiveness of their actions and decisions concerning the new curriculum design. Consequently, pupils do not gain the knowledge they need to achieve well.

The trust must ensure that the intended curriculum is implemented effectively, and the necessary checks and monitoring are timely so that pupils learn more and progress well towards more successful outcomes. ? The school does not check pupils' understanding well enough and identify and address misconceptions they may have. The trust must ensure that staff regularly check pupils' understanding so that learning can be adapted and gaps in knowledge addressed.

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