Nanpean Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

There are weaknesses in the quality of education that pupils receive at Nanpean School. The curriculum is not well designed. Pupils do not gain the important knowledge they need to succeed across subjects and in their personal development.

Pupils feel known, happy and safe at school. One pupil said, 'It is a lovely environment to be in. The teachers are kind and caring.'

Pupils say that they enjoy the wide range of activities and clubs that leaders provide. They appreciate their teachers too. One pupil said, 'They make everything feel interesting.'



Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They are polite. Pupils say that bullying is no...t tolerated and that it only happens rarely.

This helps them to feel safe. Pupils are confident that staff will listen to their concerns and will deal with any issues promptly.

Parents are positive about the school.

They appreciate staff being approachable. One parent wrote that the headteacher knows every child by name and 'makes an effort to make each of them feel like an important member of the school'.

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

Leaders say that they want to raise pupils' aspirations.

However, the curriculum that leaders have designed is not clear or coherent. Leaders have not set out in detail the knowledge that pupils need to gain in each subject. There is not a match between the goals that leaders set for pupils and the pathway for pupils to achieve them.

Leaders have only recently implemented the full curriculum. Pupils can remember some of their recent learning. However, many pupils have gaps in their knowledge.

Leaders have not thought clearly enough about how to fill these gaps. Teachers do not use assessment well enough across the curriculum to understand what pupils know and remember.

Pupils say that teachers help them to learn.

Teachers recap prior learning and provide clear explanations. However, learning activities provided by teachers do not always match what they want pupils to learn. Teachers do not always have high enough expectations of the work that pupils produce in their books.

In mathematics, not all pupils have the necessary confidence with number to allow them to learn well.

Teachers make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as other pupils. When necessary, learning is broken down into smaller steps.

However, leaders have not made sure that plans for pupils with SEND are available. This means that staff cannot use these plans to help pupils learn successfully.

Leaders prioritise reading.

Pupils are clear that reading is important and that their school teaches them to read well. Leaders provide suitable phonics training for staff. This helps staff to identify pupils who fall behind and respond quickly.

Pupils learn to read from books that match the sounds they are learning. They make a rapid start to their reading journey. Pupils value story time and their new library.

They support a charity by reading to older people over the telephone.

Pupils in the early years start to learn to read during their first week in school. Parents appreciate the 'sound videos' that are sent home each week.

Teachers establish clear routines in the early years and relationships are positive. However, leaders have only thought in a very general way about how the curriculum in the early years prepares pupils for their future learning.

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school.

There is a calm and orderly atmosphere. Pupils know the school rules. They are clear about the school routines.

Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. Supportive and constructive relationships exist between staff and pupils.

Leaders have not thought clearly enough about the curriculum for pupils' personal development.

The provision for pupils' spiritual development is weak. Pupils do not have the knowledge to prepare them well enough for the next stage in their education. For example, they have a limited understanding of democracy, diversity and protected characteristics.

Staff say that leaders take care of their well-being and consider their workload. Parents are positive about the communication they receive from leaders. However, leadership capacity is limited.

Leaders do not always check that key policies are being implemented and their ongoing effectiveness.

Governors do not have a good enough understanding of the school. They do not hold leaders to account for the quality of education that pupils receive.

Governors are not fulfilling all of their statutory duties.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that staff have regular safeguarding training.

Recruitment checks are carried out diligently.

All staff are vigilant. They are aware of the signs that could indicate a pupil is suffering from abuse.

Staff know how to report concerns about pupils and adults. Leaders take appropriate and timely actions to ensure pupils get the support they need. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in the community and online.

They know to share their worries with a trusted adult.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum design is not clear or coherent. The sequence of learning towards the end points is unclear.

This means that teaching and assessment are not precisely focussed. Pupils do not gain the knowledge they need. Leaders must review curriculum end points and the pathway to them, ensuring that the curriculum helps pupils to build knowledge sequentially through focused teaching and assessment.

• Pupils are missing out on the important knowledge they need for their personal development. They do not know and understand the fundamental British values. They have a limited understanding of diversity and protected characteristics.

Pupils are not well prepared for life in modern Britain. Leaders need to ensure that the wider curriculum systematically develops pupils' knowledge so that they are well prepared for the next stages of their education and life. ? Governors do not have a clear and accurate understanding of the quality of education.

They are not discharging all their statutory duties. This means that they are unable to hold leaders to account for the quality of education. Governors must ensure they fully understand the quality of education provided by the school and challenge leaders to bring about the much-needed improvements.

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