Bere Alston Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Bere Alston Primary Academy.

They say that the school's values, promoted through 'give me 5', help the school to be a happy, safe place to learn.

Pupils respond positively to the school's high expectations. Children in the early years settle into school life well.

Staff support them to learn the school rules and routines quickly. This prepares them well for key stage 1. Throughout the school, pupils are polite and well-mannered.

They are enthusiastic about learning. Pupils listen attentively in lessons.

Staff take time to build warm, secure relationships with pupils and their families.

This helps pupils to lea...rn well in a nurturing environment. Pupils feel safe.

Pupils enjoy the wide range of enrichment activities that the school provides for them beyond the academic curriculum.

For example, taking part in activities such as coding club or arts and crafts. Pupils also enjoy representing the school in sporting activities. They have opportunities to develop leadership roles.

For example, pupils in key stage 2 organise lunchtime activities for younger pupils. Pupils can also represent their class on the school council. These experiences enable pupils to develop new interests and find undiscovered talents.

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

The school is ambitious for all pupils. Following a period of time during which there were significant changes in leadership and staffing, with support from the trust, the school is now in a stable position. It has designed an ambitious curriculum.

This begins in the early years where children learn to communicate effectively and develop positive attitudes to learning.

The school has made reading a priority. All staff have the expertise they need to help pupils to learn to read well.

In the early years, children start to learn phonics and begin to read simple words. Pupils read books that match the sounds they know. This supports pupils to develop their fluency in reading.

When pupils struggle to read, adults provide effective support to help them to catch up. Staff have selected a range of high-quality books for pupils to enjoy. These cover a range of genres and promote pupils' understanding of different cultures.

Pupils value reading and take pleasure in sharing their favourite books.

Teachers use their knowledge of the subjects they teach well. They explain new concepts with clarity.

In most subjects, teachers use assessment effectively. They use this information to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge. For example, in mathematics, if pupils do not fully understand a topic teachers revisit previous learning to address pupils' misconceptions quickly.

This enables pupils to build their confidence and understanding.

However, in some subjects, the school is still developing assessment systems. In these subjects, assessment information is not yet used well enough to check on what pupils know.

For example, in history pupils can recall what they have learned about Victorians but are not confident about Mayans. In these subjects, teachers do not identify gaps in pupils' knowledge. As a result, the curriculum is not adapted to make learning as successful as possible.

In these subjects, pupils do not build their knowledge securely.

The school accurately identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This process starts as soon as children join the school.

Individual pupil plans are precise. Staff follow them closely. As a result, pupils with SEND learn the curriculum as well as their peers.

They are fully included in all aspects of school life.

Pupils take pride in their work. In the early years, children learn to take turns and share resources.

Pupils of all ages play well together during social times. The school is a calm environment where pupils behave well and show respect for each other and adults.

The school has high expectations of pupils' attendance.

There is a robust system in place to monitor this. If attendance starts to fall, the school takes swift action to address it.

The school supports pupils' personal development well.

Pupils learn about the diverse world beyond their local community. Pupils know why fundamental British values such as democracy and tolerance are important in day-to-day life. They understand why it is important to treat everyone equally.

Trustees know the school's strengths and areas for improvement. They hold leaders to account for their actions. The school and trust prioritise developing staff expertise.

Staff value the support they receive which helps them to strengthen their teaching.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, assessment processes are still being developed.

In these subjects, the school is not using assessment information as effectively as it could to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge. This means that pupils do not build their knowledge well enough over time. The trust needs to ensure that teachers use assessment effectively across all subjects to inform future learning.