St Levan Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at St Levan Primary School are rightly proud of their happy and inclusive school. They are polite and respectful.

Equality is important to pupils. They include each other and collaborate well. One pupil said, 'We are a welcoming school where everyone is kind.'

Older pupils take real pleasure in helping younger pupils.

The school is determined for all pupils to succeed. Staff have high aspirations for them to reach their full potential.

Pupils live up to these and learn well. Positive relationships with adults ensure that pupils learn in a nurturing environment.

Parents speak highly of the school.

They are overwhelmingly supp...ortive of the care and support in place for their children. One parent said, 'St Levan School is a unique and magical school that helps children to thrive in every way.'

The way the school promotes pupils' wider development is exceptional.

The school goes above and beyond to offer a diverse range of opportunities. Clubs, trips and visits are well considered to provide enriching experiences that all pupils benefit from. Pupils are involved in many activities they know will make a difference such as local beach cleans.

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum. It knows what is working well and what could be further developed. Across most subjects, the knowledge pupils need to know and remember has been identified.

For example, in mathematics, the precise knowledge the school wants pupils to learn is considered and sequenced progressively. This helps pupils to deepen their understanding based on what they have learned before. In a small minority of subjects, the identified knowledge pupils will learn based on prior learning lacks precision.

This makes it more difficult for some pupils to build their knowledge as securely as they do in other subjects.

Staff help pupils learn the curriculum successfully. Assessment is used carefully to identify and support misconceptions.

Regular retrieval practice supports pupils to know more and remember more. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities learn the curriculum successfully alongside their peers. This is because staff know and support these pupils' individual needs.

Targets set for these pupils are precise and help them to learn well.

Reading is a high priority for the school. Pupils read books that match the sounds they know.

This supports them to become confident and fluent readers. Staff have the expertise to teach the phonics programme well. A love of reading is promoted across the school.

Pupils have access to a range of genres, including those that develop their understanding of diversity. Pupils take ownership of promoting a culture of reading. For example, pupils run the reading shed 'Mini world of stories (MWOS)' every breaktime and lunchtime.

They create incentives to encourage reading with all pupils, including a 'readathon' to raise money to buy more books.Pupils show highly positive attitudes to their learning. They have a desire to improve their knowledge across the curriculum.

Staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils know and follow the school routines successfully. Most pupils attend regularly.

The school works with families to ensure pupils attend well.

The school puts personal development at the heart of the school. Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities that develop their talents and interests.

There are many clubs on offer, including reading, capoeira and ukulele. Participation is tracked to ensure all pupils benefit from this strong offer. The annual performance written by pupils is an event valued by the community.

This helps pupils develop confidence. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They have a lived experience of democracy through elections for pupil leadership roles.

These include school councillors and well-being ambassadors. Pupils know they are making a difference and value the chance to help others.

Staff appreciate the support for their workload and well-being.

This includes support from governors who have an accurate view of the school. Governors have the expertise to monitor and evaluate the school effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small minority of subjects, the precise knowledge pupils need to learn and revisit to prepare them for future learning is not fully identified. As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge as securely in some subjects. The school needs to identify the precise knowledge pupils need to know and revisit across all subjects, starting in the early years through to Year 6.