Pinvin CofE Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

In the words of one of the pupils, Pinvin CofE First School is a 'caring community where we look after each other'.

The church values of respect, community, peace, wisdom, joy and hope, shine through in all aspects of school life. Pupils understand why these values are important and reflect them when they work and play together.

Pupils are proud to attend their school.

They say that they are happy and feel safe. They know that staff care about them and say that they can always talk to a trusted adult if they are worried about anything. Pupils behave well during lessons and at playtimes.

They have positive attitudes towards learning. They treat each o...ther and adults with respect.

Everyone has worked hard since the last inspection to move the school forward.

Leaders have a clear vision with high expectations for all. Staff want the best for every pupil and have supported these changes. Staff are proud to work at the school.

Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities that broaden their experiences. They enjoy a range of clubs, including mindfulness yoga. The pupil parliament also allows pupils to have a say about what happens in school.

Pupils appreciate this.

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

The school has been through several changes over the last few years. The leadership structure has altered a number of times, and new staff have joined.

This includes the appointment of an additional deputy headteacher. Following the last inspection, leaders swiftly addressed the concerns regarding safeguarding, ensuring that a robust system that is understood by all is in place. In addition, leaders have implemented many changes across the school, which is ensuring that pupils benefit from a good quality of education.

Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for the school. Pupils get off to a great start in the early years, where clear routines and high expectations help children settle quickly. Expert staff provide children with well-planned activities that build knowledge and support children in becoming confident and independent learners.

In the early years, the curriculum is well sequenced, allowing children to build on what they already know and can do. Staff know the pupils extremely well and relationships are highly positive. Children feel safe and happy.

Recently, the school has reviewed and developed the curriculum. It is broad, ambitious and designed to give pupils what they need for their next steps in education. However, some staff are unclear about the best ways to deliver the planned curriculum.

When this is the case, the activities chosen do not always enable pupils to learn and remember as well as they could. This means that, sometimes, the curriculum does not always have the impact that leaders intend.

The school's phonics programme is well planned and gets pupils off to a good start in reading.

Children begin to hear sounds and listen to nursery rhymes as soon as they start in pre-school. This develops their speech and language. The school ensure that staff are experts in teaching phonics.

Staff use assessment well to spot any pupils needing extra help to keep up. This extra help is quickly put in place and monitored for impact.

Across the school, teachers have secure subject knowledge and present content clearly.

Pupils talk excitedly about their lessons and are keen to share their learning. However, at times, staff do not have high enough expectations for handwriting and presentation of work and some repeated spelling errors are not picked up. As a result, work is sometimes hard to read and lacks pride.

Leaders have ensured that the personal development programme includes teaching pupils about how to stay safe in an age-appropriate way and about accepting the differences between people.

Staff take the time to get to know pupils well. Parents and carers value this.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive good support and are included fully in all aspects of school life. Staff receive regular training on how to identify and support pupils with SEND. Leaders and teachers work with parents to put suitable plans in place.

Staff understand pupils' needs well.

Leaders place a high priority on making sure that pupils are in school. Their work in this area is having a positive impact.

Pupils' overall attendance has improved. Nonetheless, too many pupils are persistently absent. Leaders recognise that their work in this area needs to continue.

The school and trust benefit from leaders who understand and fulfil their roles effectively. They challenge each other to ensure that decisions and changes benefit all involved. Staff feel supported by leaders.

They also know that leaders consider their workload and do not add to it unnecessarily.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the work given to pupils does not always support them to remember the essential learning.

As a result, some pupils do not learn as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that the activities chosen for pupils support them to remember more across the curriculum. Some pupils' work lacks pride and contains basic grammar, punctuation and spelling errors.

Teachers do not consistently address this. As a result, these pupils repeat the same mistakes or are not being helped to present work to a high standard. Leaders should make sure that teachers consistently have high expectations for presentation and that teachers address pupils' errors promptly.

• Too many pupils are regularly absent from school. This means that they do not learn as much as they should. Leaders should continue to work closely with families to ensure that they understand the importance of regular attendance.