Ernesettle Community School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Ernesettle Community School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

The headteacher of this school is Olivia Bartlett. This school is part of The Inspire Multi Academy Trust (South West), which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school.

The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Aaron Meredith, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Carol Wood. There is also an executive headteacher, Aaron Meredith, who is responsible for this school and one other.

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high aspirations for every pupil to succeed.

Through t...he very well-designed curriculum, pupils are enthused about the subjects they study. They articulate their ideas both in groups and to the whole class with maturity, insight and sophistication. For example, pupils were observed discussing with impressive knowledge their interpretations of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.

Pupils, including children in the early years, have very strong attitudes to learning. Their behaviour is impeccable. Through the curriculum, they learn the importance of kindness, friendship and respect.

They develop high levels of empathy for those less fortunate through fundraising for charity. Pupils experience the role of democracy in society through voting for the pupil parliament. They have a remarkable understanding of fundamental British values, such as liberty and the rule of law.

As a result, the characters of pupils are extremely well developed and they are very well prepared for their next steps.

The curriculum enables pupils to enrich their knowledge through visits to culturally significant places. For instance, pupils visit London, to see the Natural History Museum, and Dartmoor.

Pupils have a breadth of opportunities to explore the natural world, such as learning to care for the school's beehive.

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

The school has extremely high expectations of all pupils. The curriculum enables pupils to excel in their learning across a breadth of subjects.

Pupils build on their prior knowledge so that they are able to learn incrementally more complex concepts. Oracy lies at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils learn to articulate their ideas with impressive maturity and knowledge.

For example, pupils were observed explaining their methods for multiplying and dividing fractions with mathematical insight. Through the curriculum, pupils develop a broad vocabulary that enables them to voice their thinking about subjects with precision. In the early years, children are immersed in a language-rich environment that supports their early language development very well.

Consequently, pupils consistently achieve highly in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2.

Reading is prioritised in all areas of the curriculum. Carefully selected texts underpin pupils' learning.

Pupils are avid readers. Through the study of a breadth of texts, pupils learn how authors craft their writing. This supports the development of pupils' writing as they move through the school.

The early reading programme is meticulously designed to ensure that all pupils, including those who struggle, learn to read well. Staff continually check pupils' reading knowledge to ensure that they address any misconceptions. Children in early years learn the connection between letters and the sounds they make, which prepares them very well for Year 1.

Pupils, including children in early years, with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive exemplary support. The school is meticulous in identifying SEND and ensuring that pupils' needs are addressed in all areas of the curriculum. As a result, pupils engage with learning and achieve well.

Pupils receive bespoke support where appropriate.

In early years, children learn the routines of school exceptionally well. They are eager to learn.

Through well-structured activities, children learn to communicate their thinking with fluency and form relationships with confidence. Similarly, pupils in other year groups have very strong attitudes to learning. Behaviour, both in the classroom and around the school, is excellent.

Pupils are polite, respectful and inclusive.

The school is tenacious about ensuring pupils' attendance at school. It uses a range of bespoke approaches to ensure that pupils do not miss out on learning the curriculum.

Consequently, attendance is very strong. The many planned trips and visitors further enrich and enthuse pupils' learning. For example, visitors to the school present their view of the world, such as humanism.

Pupils' personal development underpins the curriculum. Through assemblies and the personal, social and health education programme, pupils learn about the values inherent to British citizenship exceptionally well. Their knowledge about individual liberty and the importance of inclusion is impressive.

Pupils develop leadership skills, such as organising and running the school library. The school's curriculum develops pupils as citizens of modern Britain remarkably well.

Leadership at all levels is visionary.

Staff unanimously share this vision of excellence. Collaboratively, leaders and staff continually strive to ensure that evidence-based research informs the design of the curriculum. They are proud to work at the school.

Their workload and well-being are well supported by the school. Trustees and governors know the school well and pose effective challenge and support.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged outstanding for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in November 2019.