Fowey Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school that has experienced significant turbulence in the last few years. New leadership has resulted in recent improvements in many aspects of the school's work.

However, changes to the curriculum are at an early stage. There is still more work to do to ensure that pupils learn well across all subjects.

Previously, too many pupils did not behave well.

Suspensions were high over several years. The school has now robustly and effectively addressed these issues. It has raised its expectations of how pupils should behave through the 'Fowey Way'.

Pupils behave well in lessons. They listen carefully to instructions and try hard with their work.<...br/>
Pupils enjoy school.

They feel safe. Pupils talk maturely about the positive changes in behaviour and how adults help them with their learning. Staff deal swiftly with any issues, including bullying.

Pupils are enthusiastic about the range of clubs on offer for them to pursue their interests, such as clubs for computing, craft, football and science.

Parents and carers have overwhelmingly positive views of the school. They recognise the recent improvements.

Parents speak particularly highly of the new leadership, which they say has re-established their confidence in Fowey.

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

The school has been through a tough period. High staff turnover, the COVID-19 pandemic and an ineffective curriculum have meant that the school had declined significantly.

The trust recognised this and put measures in place to reverse its performance. For example, it replaced the local governing body with a rapid improvement group (RIG). This has helped to support and challenge the school in equal measure.

Through keeping a close eye on the school's progress, it has an accurate understanding of the school's position. The trust recognises that much of the curriculum work has not yet had the desired impact in securing better outcomes for pupils.

Coupled with this has been the impact of the headteacher since taking up her post.

She demonstrates compassionate yet uncompromising leadership. The headteacher has galvanised a largely disaffected parent body and helped to create a stable, happy staffing team. There is now a strong sense of shared vision throughout the school community.

Inclusion lies at the heart of this. Pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities are included in the full life of the school. Staff skilfully make adaptations to pupils' provision as necessary.

The school has recently implemented a new curriculum. There are some emerging successes, such as in science. It has also revamped the reading curriculum to ensure that pupils learn to read well.

This is now a strength of the school. Children in Reception start to learn the phonics code as soon as they start school. Staff swiftly identify pupils who have fallen behind.

Through effective support, they catch up and keep up. The school promotes a love of reading through a series of carefully chosen books that teachers read with pupils.

However, there are teething problems in other areas of the curriculum.

While there has been consideration of the order in which pupils learn knowledge, the ambition of the school for pupils to learn well is not realised fully. This is because some teachers do not ensure that they plan learning that matches the knowledge identified in the school's plans. In addition, pupils are sometimes given tasks that do not deepen their knowledge of the subject.

This includes in early years. Consequently, pupils do not always build on previous learning in the way the curriculum intends.

Owing to the historical weaknesses, pupils have knowledge gaps in foundation subjects.

For example, in art and design, pupils have a limited recall of artists. The school has not yet developed precise systems to check what these gaps are and to address them accordingly. In addition, some subject leads are new to their role and do not have a strong understanding of how the curriculum develops from early years to Year 6.

This means that they have been slower to drive forward improvements that are necessary.

The school provides a well-considered curriculum beyond the academic. Pupils learn and recall topics such as consent and different types of relationships.

Through assemblies, they discuss world issues and have their achievements celebrated, such as the award of certificates. Trips and visitors help to deepen pupils' knowledge of the curriculum. For example, pupils visit Looe to understand the history of the fishing industry.

The school has made significant improvements in pupils' attendance. Through careful analysis and swift intervention, pupils now attend school more regularly than in the past.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some staff, including in early years, do not teach content in line with the curriculum intent. Learning activities sometimes do not deepen pupils' knowledge effectively. As a result, pupils do not always learn a well-sequenced, ambitious curriculum.

The school needs to ensure that it supports staff to understand and teach the identified knowledge in the curriculum and deepen pupils' learning through purposeful tasks. ? In foundation subjects, pupils have not developed a significant knowledge of the curriculum, and the school has not identified these gaps precisely. The school needs to identify these gaps through assessment and check that pupils catch up in their learning.

• Some subject leaders do not have a strong knowledge of the school's curriculum from early years to Year 6. As a result, they are not able to drive forward improvements across all year groups. The school needs to ensure that middle leaders are well trained in understanding their subject so that they can make the necessary improvements.