Bude Primary Academy - Juniors

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a rapidly improving school. After a turbulent period, the members of the newly appointed senior leadership team have established an ambitious vision for the school. They have united staff, parents and pupils.

Leaders have set clear, common goals. However, there is still some way to go. Leaders recognise this.

The curriculum has not been sufficiently embedded. This means pupils still do not learn as much as they could. Although leaders have established clear behaviour systems, some classes still have low-level disruption.

Pupils are proud of their school. They can identify the improvements that leaders have made, such as ensuring they feel safe at lunc...htimes. Pupils say bullying is rare but trust staff to resolve any issues should they occur.

Leaders enrich the curriculum with trips and experiences for pupils. For example, Year 6 pupils experienced a residential to Bristol to learn more about the slave trade. Pupils enjoy the range of sports clubs on offer, such as netball or cricket.

Leaders provide opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities in the school. For example, the school council organises fundraising projects, such as providing school equipment for children in Nepal.

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

Leaders have rapidly taken the school from a low ebb.

With support from the trust, leaders have worked on the most significant issues. Staff morale is now high.

Leaders identified that many pupils start school with weak phonics knowledge.

They quickly introduced a rigorous and systematic approach to the teaching of phonics. Teachers now rigorously check how well pupils read in school and swiftly identify pupils' gaps in knowledge. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained to support those pupils who have fallen behind.

As a result, pupils are now catching up quicker with phonics than in the past.

Pupils enjoy reading. They choose books from the well-stocked library and talk enthusiastically about their favourite authors.

Teachers expose pupils to ambitious vocabulary in whole-class texts. Pupils are beginning to use this to improve their own writing.

There is now a well-balanced and interesting core curriculum in place.

Leaders have considered the broad content they want pupils to know. In mathematics, content is carefully sequenced. Most pupils can recall what they have learned.

However, in the wider curriculum, teachers do not consider carefully enough the order that content is taught. It is not logically sequenced. This means teachers are not always clear on what pupils should know and by when.

Consequently, pupils do not build on their knowledge over time.

Leaders have supported teachers to implement the curriculum. Teachers say they appreciate this.

Nevertheless, this work is at an early stage. Approaches to teaching the curriculum are not yet consistent. Some teachers do not adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils.

This means pupils do not learn as much as they could.

Leaders have established an inclusive ethos. In the past, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) did not take part in the full curriculum.

Leaders have now created clear systems so that all pupils experience the same learning. As a result, the school manages the needs of pupils with SEND effectively, including those in the additional resource base. However, despite recent improvements, too many pupils with SEND, alongside disadvantaged pupils, do not attend school regularly enough.

This means they miss out on important curriculum content.

Leaders have raised expectations of how pupils should behave. This has had a positive impact.

However, not all staff have implemented these changes effectively. Consequently, in some classes low-level disruption remains.

Leaders promote pupils' personal development through carefully planned opportunities.

For example, pupils know the importance of equality through participating in events such as 'Bude Pride'. Through assemblies and the curriculum, pupils know how to keep themselves safe both online and in the locality.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that all staff receive regular safeguarding training, such as risks identified in the local area. As a result, staff can identify pupils at risk of potential harm. Leaders have clear systems for reporting concerns.

They know their families well. This means leaders make referrals to the local authority in a timely manner. Leaders challenge outcomes if they are not satisfied with the next steps.

As a result, vulnerable families get the support they need.

Recruitment processes are robust. Leaders make checks on these systems regularly.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In the wider curriculum, some subjects are not carefully sequenced and do not detail the precise knowledge pupils need to know. This means that pupils do not build on their knowledge over time coherently. Leaders need to plan the curriculum so that all subjects are well sequenced and the key knowledge pupils need to know is identified.

• Some teachers do not consistently adapt their teaching to meet the needs of all pupils well enough. As a result, pupils do not always learn as much as they could.Leaders need to support teachers to adapt the implementation of the curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils.

• Not all staff manage behaviour consistently. Consequently, there is low-level disruption in some classes. Leaders need to ensure that staff are supported to manage behaviour and that approaches are consistently applied.

• Too many pupils, including disadvantaged and those with SEND, are persistently absent. This means they miss important curriculum content. Leaders need to continue the recent improvements and work with families so that pupils attend school regularly.