St Breward Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend St Breward. They celebrate the school's small size. Pupils say that everyone knows each other well.

They say that one of the best things about their school is that staff look after them.

Pupils behave well in class. All, including children in the Reception Year, listen carefully to teachers' instructions.

At playtimes, pupils play well together in the spacious and well-resourced grounds. They talk to visitors with confidence. Pupils say that bullying is rare.

However, if it does happen then they trust staff to sort it out. Parents agree.

Nevertheless, the quality of education is not good.

Leaders have not ...created a curriculum that fully identifies what pupils need to know and in what order this should be taught. Pupils do not learn all that they should.

Pupils enjoy a range of opportunities that foster their personal development.

Leaders ensure sport has a high profile. Pupils talked enthusiastically about success in a county netball competition. They develop their interests through clubs such as gardening, computer animation, lacrosse and drama.

Leaders organise trips that link closely to the curriculum. For example, pupils visit a zoo to learn more about animals and their habitats.

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

Leaders have steered the school through a tricky period.

There have been changes in staffing. In addition, leaders have had to make changes to the organisation of classes. They have had to adjust the curriculum to reflect the changing year groups that make up each class.

Leaders acknowledge that this work is not complete. The pandemic also slowed the progress of change. Leaders have not completed the work to clearly define the order in which pupils learn key concepts.

Furthermore, in some subjects, they have not identified the small-step knowledge that pupils need. This includes in the early years. Consequently, pupils' learning does not build on what they already know.

Where the curriculum is more clearly sequenced, pupils learn well. For example, in mathematics, younger pupils can use known number facts to help solve more-complex problems. Older pupils can solve problems involving area and perimeter.

Teachers deepen pupils' knowledge with effective questions. They adapt the curriculum well for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils learn the same broad and balanced curriculum as their peers.

However, in the past, some aspects of the curriculum were not taught in the way that leaders intended. While leaders have sought to address this, much of this work is in its infancy. In some of the wider curriculum, teachers do not implement the curriculum effectively.

They do not consider the mixed ages in the class well enough. As a result, pupils' depth of knowledge across the curriculum is inconsistent.

Leaders recognised that the phonics curriculum needed improvement.

In the early years and key stage 1 they have introduced a highly systematic approach to reading. This has had a positive impact. Children begin to learn to read straightaway in the Reception Year.

They participate enthusiastically in sessions.

Pupils read books closely matched to the sounds they know. Staff ensure that pupils revisit and practise these sounds.

This helps pupils to read with fluency. Leaders have ensured staff are well trained. As a result, staff swiftly identify pupils who fall behind.

As a result of effective catch-up sessions, they get back on track quickly.

However, pupils' reading stalls at key stage 2. Leaders have not established a cohesive curriculum for older pupils.

Pupils then do not learn to read as well as they should. Despite this, pupils have positive attitudes to reading. They enjoy choosing books from the school library.

Pupils have strong views on the importance of tolerance. They talk passionately about discrimination based on characteristics such as gender, race or sexuality. As one pupil described it, 'On the inside we're all the same.'

Pupils learn about the Cornish heritage as well as its language. This gives them a sense of place in the world. Pupils develop leadership roles through the school council.

They take responsibility by organising lunchtime activities on the playground. Leaders prepare pupils for the future through attending careers fairs.

Trustees acknowledge the issues around the curriculum.

They know that while leaders have addressed some issues, there is still much more to do. They draw upon external monitoring to check that their own views on the school are accurate. Staff feel well supported.

They feel leaders consider their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have established a secure safeguarding culture.

They know families well. Leaders ensure that staff receive regular training updates. Consequently, staff can identify pupils at risk of harm.

They record any concerns in a thorough manner. Leaders follow up on these promptly. Staff work with agencies to help families get the support they need.

Leaders make the necessary checks on staff, visitors and contractors. Through the curriculum, pupils know how to stay safe online and in the local area. The trust checks regularly that the school's actions help to keep pupils safe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some foundation subjects, leaders have not identified the small-step knowledge that pupils need and the order in which they will learn it in the mixed-age classes. As a result, pupils do not learn all that they should across much of the curriculum. Leaders need to identify the specific knowledge that pupils need to acquire, and ensure that it is well sequenced so that pupils know more and remember more across all subjects.

• In some subjects, teachers do not implement the curriculum in line with leaders' expectations. Consequently, the depth to which pupils learn across the curriculum is variable. Leaders need to support teachers to help them implement the curriculum in line with the agreed approach.

• The key stage 2 reading curriculum does not sequentially build on what pupils already know and can do. Consequently, pupils do not reach their full potential in reading. Leaders need to ensure the key stage 2 reading curriculum builds on pupils' prior learning and deepens their knowledge.