Port Isaac Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are let down by the quality of education they receive.

The curriculum is ineffective. Leaders have not identified the main priorities for improvement. They have not addressed long-standing issues such as poor attendance.

Leaders do not engage well enough with parents.

Pupils at Port Isaac want to learn. They listen to their teachers and do what they are asked.

They enjoy challenges but would like more. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They say they feel safe.

Pupils say that staff are kind and treat them fairly. However, too many pupils are repeatedly absent from school. This slows their progress and means that they miss large parts of ...their primary education.

Leaders do not challenge this well enough.

Pupils get on well with one another. The school responds to any concerns about bullying.

Pupils say that bullying rarely happens. They play together well at breaktimes and enjoy using the well-equipped playground and school grounds. Pupils like taking on responsibilities such as caring for the school dog.

They enjoy extra activities such as the lunchtime reading club.

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

Leaders, including governors, do not know the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Their ambition for pupils' education is too low.

Governors do not ensure that statutory requirements are met. They do not hold leaders to account for the quality of pupils' education, which is poor. Leaders do not provide parents with enough information about their child's education.

Leaders receive extensive support from the local authority. They have used this to make some changes in the past few months. For example, staff have improved the learning environment in the Nursery.

However, these changes are very recent, and it is too soon to see any real impact.

The curriculum is poorly designed. Leaders have not identified the important knowledge that pupils need to learn.

Leaders have not thought about the order that key knowledge will be taught in. Pupils do not build knowledge well over time. For example, in mathematics, pupils have large gaps in their understanding.

Leaders have not considered how to use assessment effectively. Pupils are not helped to remember what they have learned. Many subject leaders are new to their roles.

They do not understand pupils' needs or the subject curriculum well enough.

Reading is not prioritised. Too many pupils do not learn to read well enough.

This holds them back with their learning in all areas of the curriculum. Pupils who have fallen behind do not receive effective support. Leaders are unclear about their expectations for the youngest pupils in the school.

Too many pupils do not gain a secure understanding of phonics. Leaders have not thought about how to extend pupils' reading once they are able to read simple texts. Pupils are not helped to build a habit of independent reading.

Leaders have made some improvements to the support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Until recently, leaders had not supported pupils with SEND well enough. However, there is much more to be done to ensure that learning is adapted to meet pupils' needs.

When the Nursery is open, there is better provision for children in the early years, but this is only for part of the week. At other times, pupils in the Reception Year have less expert input. The curriculum in the early years is not designed well.

Too many pupils are not prepared for Year 1.

Pupils find it difficult to talk about their learning with confidence. They find it hard to explain their thinking.

Pupils usually behave well in lessons and around school. However, their work in books does not show pride or commitment to their learning. This is not helped by leaders' low expectations.

Too many pupils do not attend school often enough. This inhibits their learning of the curriculum significantly.

Pupils appreciate the limited opportunities that leaders provide to develop their character and their social understanding.

They are pleased to take on responsibilities in the school and they enjoy the residential programme. However, these opportunities and the curriculum are piecemeal. They do not broaden pupils' experiences well enough.

Pupils' understanding of people from different backgrounds and of life in modern Britain is not well developed. Their aspirations are limited.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have put systems in place to keep pupils safe. Governors check the effectiveness of these systems. Leaders carry out the necessary recruitment checks on staff.

Leaders work well with external agencies to secure extra support for pupils.

Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities. They know the pupils well.

Staff are vigilant and know how to record concerns. Leaders make sure that all staff understand the procedures for keeping pupils safe.Pupils trust the adults in school and feel able to share concerns with them.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teaching pupils to read is not given a high enough priority. Pupils are not taught to read as well and as widely as they should. Leaders need to ensure that staff receive appropriate training to enable pupils to become confident and enthusiastic readers.

• Leaders have not identified the key knowledge that pupils need to learn across all subjects. As a result, pupils receive a jumbled, disconnected series of lessons. Pupils do not progress well through the curriculum.

Leaders must identify the component knowledge all pupils need to know and sequence it effectively so that pupils know more and remember more. ? Assessment is not used effectively. Teachers are unclear if pupils remember key knowledge.

Gaps in pupils' learning are not identified. Assessment must be used effectively to identify what pupils know and to address any gaps in knowledge. ? The approach to supporting pupils' personal development has not been carefully considered.

This means that pupils have significant gaps in their understanding of British values, diversity and equality. Leaders must provide a meaningful curriculum that prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. ? Leaders do not engage with parents effectively.

Parents do not have the necessary information they need to support their child's learning. Leaders must communicate well so that parents know and understand the school's ambitions for their children's education and can support them. ? Leaders have not tackled long-standing issues with persistent absence.

This means that too many pupils are missing large amounts of their education. Leaders must address this as a matter of urgency so that attendance improves swiftly and pupils make the most of their primary education. ? Leaders and those responsible for governance may not appoint early career teachers before the next monitoring inspection.