Camestone School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Camestone School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Camestone School. They demonstrate the school values in the way they behave and treat one another. Pupils are polite, making sure that everyone is made to feel welcome.

At break times, pupils play kindly together.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), live up to leaders' high expectations. They understand how new learning builds on what they learned before.

Pupils have a positive approach to challenging work. They use the teachers' feedback and help from their peers to diligently correct mistakes.

Pupils e...njoyed taking part in the different clubs and activities that were available before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

These clubs are slowly returning. Some pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities, such as being school councillors or play leaders. Pupils gain a lot from the school trips, which add to what they learn in school.

Pupils trust staff to notice if they are upset or worried. They know staff will help them if they have any problems. Pupils are confident that if bullying or falling out were to occur, staff would sort it out quickly.

As a result, they feel safe in school.

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

Leaders have carefully considered the curriculum and have high aspirations for all pupils. Curriculum plans in most subjects set out what pupils should learn.

Many teachers use these to plan well-sequenced lessons. These build on what pupils have learned before. Pupils revisit and rehearse important knowledge before they move on to new learning.

Teachers introduce and repeat the vocabulary they want pupils to use. Teachers regularly check that pupils understand the concepts being taught and address any misconceptions.

Most curriculum leaders have expertise in the subject they lead.

Some leaders have had less opportunity to check the effectiveness of curriculum delivery. These leaders have not addressed some teachers lacking the required subject knowledge. These teachers find it challenging to teach some subjects confidently and clearly.

They miss opportunities to help pupils link learning across the curriculum. Therefore, some pupils' knowledge of what they should know is not as strong as it should be.

Pupils with SEND learn and achieve well alongside their peers.

This is because teachers adapt the curriculum effectively to meet pupils' individual needs. Leaders work closely with staff and parents. Together they ensure that pupils with SEND receive the right support at an early stage.

Leaders have put in place a clear phonics and reading programme. Most staff have received comprehensive training to ensure that the delivery of the phonics programme is effective. Children in the early years begin learning the sounds letters make as soon as they start school.

By the time they are in Year 1, pupils use their knowledge to read words of increasing complexity. They read books that are closely matched to their phonics knowledge. As they grow older, pupils read widely and often.

There is time set aside for classes to enjoy a book together. This broadens pupils' knowledge of different authors and stories. A few pupils require extra support with their reading.

This is planned carefully to help the pupils learn the sounds in words they need to know, so they may read with increasing confidence.

Classrooms are calm, purposeful places where pupils learn without disruption. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school.

They are friendly, polite and understand what is expected of them. Pupils are taught the school's values and to respect differences and other opinions.

Leaders continue to evaluate and extend how they cater for pupils' wider development.

Pupils' understanding of democracy is enhanced through the school council elections and guest speakers who work in government. There are also opportunities for pupils to learn about healthy eating, and the personal, social and health education curriculum helps them to develop respect for one another and for different faiths.

Staff are overwhelmingly positive and morale is high.

Leaders communicate clearly. Therefore, staff understand the benefit of any changes to the curriculum or school systems. Staff receive a workload that is manageable.

As a result, they enjoy working at the school.

Governors are well informed. They understand the school's strengths and weaknesses.

Governors assure themselves that leaders' actions are making a positive difference to the quality of education for all pupils. They make good use of external partners' assessments of the school to quality assure the work of leaders. Governors provide appropriate support and challenge.

This ensures they fulfil their statutory duties.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Governors check that safeguarding systems work well.

Staff receive regular training to increase their knowledge.. They act fast to identify and report concerns about pupils.

Leaders follow these up without delay. Leaders know pupils and their families well. Therefore, they share helpful insights with external agencies.

Together they ensure vulnerable families receive timely support.

Pupils learn to stay safe online. They know the dangers associated with accessing unsuitable computer games or social media.

Pupils know that if they have concerns, online or offline, they must tell an adult they trust.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders' successful development of curriculum leadership is not yet fully embedded in all subjects. Some curriculum leaders lack rigour in how they identify areas that need to improve in the subject they oversee.

As a result, some teachers and support staff lack the subject and pedagogical knowledge to maximise pupils' achievement across the curriculum. Leaders should maintain and build on recent curriculum improvements by ensuring that all curriculum leaders have the training and support they need to fulfil their roles.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Camestone Lower School, to be good in April 2017.

Also at this postcode