Polruan Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and proud to be members of this small, friendly school. They appreciate the close community, where everyone knows each other. Pupils understand the school values, including being responsible.

Across the school they show kindness and consideration towards others. Pupils know that staff care and will take time to listen to, and address, any concerns they may have.

The school has high expectations for all pupils to achieve the best they can.

Staff promote these expectations well across the school. Pupils work hard and achieve well. They have positive attitudes to learning and strive to meet the high standards expected of them.

Pupils be...have well in classrooms that are purposeful learning environments.

The school encourages pupils to take up leadership positions. These include being reading buddies and members of the school council.

The school involves the school council in decision-making. Recently this has included choosing new playground equipment. This helps pupils understand how to listen to different views and reach agreement.

Pupils take part in a range of extra-curricular activities and visits. For instance, they take part in sporting competitions with other schools. These opportunities nurture pupils' talents and contribute to their wider development.

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

The school curriculum is broad and ambitious. Across subjects, important knowledge, skills and vocabulary are clearly identified from Reception to Year 6. The curriculum is regularly reviewed and adapted to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the school's mixed-age classes.

This helps pupils to learn successfully. Teachers present new concepts in clear and engaging ways that build on prior learning. For example, in art, pupils in key stage 1 create collages with textured paper.

Then, in key stage 2, pupils create their own textured paper using frottage. They use this paper to create collages in the style of an artist they have studied previously.

The school checks regularly how well pupils are learning the curriculum.

This enables teachers to identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge. However, occasionally these checks lack precision. As a result, some gaps in pupils' knowledge go unnoticed.

This hampers how well some pupils progress through the curriculum.

Reading is a strong part of the school's culture. From their start in Reception, children enjoy listening to stories.

They quickly learn sounds that enable them to begin to read simple words. Staff apply their training well to help pupils build their phonics knowledge. Pupils who are at risk of not keeping up with the phonics programme are quickly identified and supported to catch up.

Pupils read confidently with fluency and expression.

The school has effective systems for identifying the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These pupils are suitably supported so that they learn alongside their peers and achieve well.

Pupils behave well. Staff consistently reinforce the school's high expectations. Respectful, positive relationships are evident.

Classrooms are calm and purposeful, which helps pupils to focus on their learning. From when they join, children in the Reception class learn to follow routines and listen carefully to teachers' instructions. The school gives attendance and punctuality a high priority.

It has established strong relationships with parents and carers in order to support its focus on maintaining positive attendance.

The school has established well-devised approaches to support pupils' personal development. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when near the local waterfront.

The school has paid particular attention to broadening pupils' horizons beyond the locality. Pupils learn about faiths and cultures that are different to their own. They participate in village events and support families abroad affected by war.

The trust and school work together effectively to raise standards. Trust staff and the hub governor challenge and support leaders effectively. They hold them to account for their actions.

Staff say that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being. The parents who shared their views during the inspection were overwhelmingly positive about the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school does not always precisely check how well pupils learn. As a result, gaps in pupils' knowledge occasionally go unnoticed and pupils do not learn as well as they could. The trust should sharpen its assessment strategies to ensure that any gaps in pupils' knowledge are identified and promptly corrected.