Camborne Science and International Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), know this is a school where staff have the highest expectations. There are clear and consistent rules and routines, which ensures that pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons. Most pupils also conduct themselves well around the school.

Many aspire to achieve and take pride in their work. As a result, lessons are purposeful, and pupils learn increasingly well.

Most pupils appreciate the high expectations.

They recognise that the expectations have helped to stop disruption in lessons. Pupils say most staff resolve issues, including bullying, quickly. However, some still find ...it difficult to rise to what is expected and do not agree that it is necessary.

Like some parents, they also believe the new expectations on them are unrealistic. Coupled with a period of instability and a high amount of change, some parts of the community are unsettled and do not have confidence in the school. As a result, although most say they feel safe, some unnecessarily harbour concerns.

The curriculum supports pupils' wider development well. There are plentiful opportunities for pupils to explore their interests and talents. Pupils with SEND learn alongside their peers.

Many rightly believe they are supported effectively.

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

The school is highly ambitious for this disadvantaged community. As well as expecting the highest standards of behaviour, leaders have constructed a well-sequenced, broad and relevant curriculum.

This is particularly well designed and implemented in the sixth form. The school's work is rooted in a clear moral purpose: to improve outcomes for all pupils.

Leaders, including those from the trust, identify the strengths and weaknesses of provision accurately.

They act swiftly to tackle areas that could be better. For example, the school has recognised the need to improve pupils' behaviour and achievement, which declined during and following the pandemic. Staff have ambitiously implemented a range of strategies to improve behaviour and ensure pupils' learning is more secure.

This is already bearing fruit. For example, the implementation of the curriculum is consistent and secure across most subjects. Pupils remember key knowledge, particularly in recent lessons and programmes of study.

As a result, pupils are now making better progress than has been the case historically.

The school ensures that pupils have access to appropriate academic and vocational courses. English Baccalaureate (EBacc) subjects are at the heart of the curriculum.

The school has rightly focused on improving the quality of the curriculum to increase uptake of the EBacc and realise its ambition for more pupils to move into top quality further or higher education. For example, the school has focused on improving the curriculum in modern foreign languages, and learning in this subject is already strong. Curriculum plans are carefully tailored to meet the needs and interests of pupils, including those with SEND.

Most pupils recognise this, particularly in the sixth form. For example, many say they appreciate how well they are taught and that lessons are more focused on what they need to learn. As a result, many go on to secure further or higher education, employment or training.

The school's use of assessment is secure. Teachers are particularly adept at checking pupils' understanding during lessons to ensure everyone keeps up, including those with SEND. However, the use of assessment to check pupils' application of knowledge over longer periods of time is less well developed.

This means that, sometimes, pupils do not link key knowledge learned in a previous year or key stage well enough to help them make the most of what they are learning now. It also means the school does not use assessment as well as it could to refine and strengthen the curriculum further.

The school has rightly prioritised the need to improve attendance.

Staff have a sound understanding of the specific challenges of the community they serve. From this they have developed a clear and rigorous strategy to tackle persistent absence and improve overall attendance. As a result, pupils' attendance is already improving.

Pupils increasingly understand the importance of attending regularly. Sixth-form students already attend well, responding to the clear expectation for them to attend every lesson.

The school's aspiration for pupils is reflected in the promotion of pupils' social and emotional development.

Pupils experience plentiful opportunities to explore their interests and abilities. Pupils learn about different cultures and beliefs through copious international trips, visits and work experience. This helps the school to support pupils to broaden their horizons and understand fundamental British values.

Pupils appreciate the careers guidance they receive, including help to secure useful work experience placements. Students in the sixth form feel particularly well supported. They say they have had much help and guidance to secure appropriate university courses or apprenticeships.

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 curriculum is still developing and embedding. This means that, sometimes, the use of assessment is not as helpful as it could be.

While teachers use assessment well to check how well pupils remember knowledge in lessons and at the end of a programme of study, the overall use of assessment to check how well pupils remember key knowledge in the long term is not as effective. The school should continue to refine the use of assessment to better identify where pupils have gaps in their learning and where the curriculum can be further improved so that pupils make even better progress. ? The school has tackled with good effect several historic weaknesses in a short amount of time.

However, it has not successfully secured the confidence of some members of the community about why these changes were needed or what difference they will make. This means that some members of the school's community, including pupils and parents, lack confidence in what the school is trying to do. The school should improve how it engages and communicates with all members of the community so that they pull together in the same direction.

• The school's strategies for improving attendance, although robust, are new. This means, although attendance is improving, there are still too many pupils who do not attend as well as they should. The school should embed and refine its strategies to ensure that more pupils attend well.