Bude Primary Academy - Juniors

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy, welcoming and inclusive school. Staff establish positive relationships, which allow pupils to thrive. Pupils show strong attitudes to their learning and behave well around the school.

Bullying is rare. Pupils recognise that staff resolve issues quickly, on the rare occasions this is necessary. Pupils embody the school's values to work together to be ready, respectful and safe.

Consequently, pupils enjoy playing, learning and growing together.

The school has high expectations for pupils, both academically and in how they behave. Pupils respond positively to these expectations.

They achieve increasingly well. Staff know their pupils in...dividually. They use this knowledge to make learning relevant for each pupil's interests and starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

As a result, pupils' work is often of a high standard and pupils remember the curriculum with increasing depth.

The school develops pupils' character creatively and effectively. Pupils benefit from a range of useful experiences to help them follow their talents and interests.

Staff provide unique and targeted support for pupils, so that all can participate in what the school has to offer.

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

Bude Primary Academy - Juniors is a rapidly improving school. Trust and school leaders have worked together determinedly to manage several challenges of late.

Following the last inspection, great progress was made to improve the curriculum and help pupils to learn increasingly well. However, a period of turbulence, high staff turnover and change in leadership at the school stalled this progress, reflected in pupils' achievements in 2024. Since then, leaders have turned things around successfully.

They have raised expectations further, embedded changes to the curriculum and improved the school systematically. As a result, the upward trajectory in pupils' achievements is now back on track.

The school has used ongoing self-assessment to adapt and improve the curriculum, including in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND.

The curriculum is now better matched to pupils' needs. For example, the school has ensured that learning is sequenced appropriately and that there are explicit links between the knowledge pupils will learn across subjects. Staff ensure every lesson contributes to pupils' learning across the curriculum effectively.

The school identifies pupils' needs precisely, including by working closely with key services from the local authority, such as the autism in schools team. Staff use the information they receive to adapt lessons skilfully to meet individual needs. As a result, pupils remember key knowledge increasingly well.

The standard of their work across the curriculum is strong.

Nevertheless, there is more to do. Some older pupils still have gaps in their knowledge.

Whereas the curriculum is now sequenced well to address this for the future, the school's checks to identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge remain weaker in some subjects.

Reading is prioritised highly. High-quality texts underpin the curriculum.

The school has established a robust reading programme. Pupils learn to read rapidly as a result. Staff use timely checks to identify pupils who do not have secure phonic knowledge.

They then provide targeted, effective support to ensure pupils catch up. As a result, pupils learn to love reading, including those who find it tricky.

Pupils behave well.

The school has improved its work to promote better attendance. It has introduced useful ways to identify barriers to attendance and support families. However, although persistent absence and overall absence have reduced slightly, pupils' overall attendance remains below average.

Pupils' wider development is promoted well. The school ensures that extra-curricular activities are accessible to all pupils. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is stimulated effectively through regular and varied clubs and calendar events.

Pupils learn about different cultures, diversity and fundamental British values. Trips and visits, such as to the local mosque or mines, are utilised whenever possible to enrich and enhance pupils' learning appropriately.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's approach to assessment is not used to identify gaps in pupils' learning consistently well. This means the gaps in some pupils' knowledge persists in some subjects. The school and trust should embed, and where necessary refine, the curriculum and the use of assessment further, so that gaps in pupils' learning are identified and addressed consistently.

• The school's work to improve attendance has limited impact overall. This means some pupils do not attend school as much as they should. The trust should ensure that the school's work to improve attendance leads to consistently strong attendance for pupils.