St Tudy CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite, respectful and courteous. They are proud of their school and they want to do well.

Pupils care about each other. They believe that everyone should be treated fairly. The school motto 'Bring it' is well understood by pupils.

Through bringing 'courage, friendship and creativity', they know how to be successful. All achievements are celebrated.

The school, with support from the trust, has improved the quality of education since the previous inspection.

As a result, there are now high expectations for all pupils to learn well across the curriculum. This starts in the early years where children get off to a strong start. Here, children ...explore the world around them with curiosity.

Pupils' personal development is a strength. The school promotes character development as well as a sense of responsibility. Pupils know their voice matters.

For example, leadership roles enable pupils to make a difference, such as the promotion of fund-raising events. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. Visits from the local police helps them learn about road safety.

This supports pupils, with the help of staff, when crossing the road carefully to access the playground.

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

The trust has provided effective support to improve the curriculum. The knowledge pupils need to know and remember has been identified and sequenced across subjects.

This supports pupils from Reception to Year 6 to learn an ambitious curriculum that prepares them well for future learning.

Subject experts across the trust have supported the effective implementation of the new curriculum. Staff receive regular support to develop their expertise.

Some subjects are further embedded than others. For those that are well established, staff subject knowledge is secure, and this helps pupils learn the curriculum well. In some other subjects, some staff do not yet have the expertise they need to help pupils build their knowledge and deepen their understanding.

As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge.

Important knowledge is revisited to help pupils remember the curriculum. Assessment is used to check how well pupils are learning the curriculum.

For example, a colour coded system of retrieval helps pupils to remember what they have been taught. Gaps in knowledge are identified and the curriculum is adjusted to support pupils. However, some pupils make repeated errors in their writing that go unaddressed.

As a result, these pupils embed misconceptions. This stalls pupils' progress through the curriculum.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported to learn the curriculum successfully.

Early identification of need is prioritised. This ensures that these pupils get the help they need. Precise targeted support helps pupils with SEND to learn well alongside their peers.

Teaching children to learn to read is a priority for the school. This starts when children arrive in Reception. Assessment is used to check how well pupils are grasping the phonetic code.

Support is in place for those pupils that are not keeping up. Pupils read books that are well-matched to the sounds they know. This helps pupils to develop their fluency in reading.

The school promotes a love of reading. Pupils take pleasure in sharing their favourite books with each other.

Pupils show positive attitudes to their learning.

Staff have high expectations of behaviour and pupils live up to these. Routines are well established both in school and during social times. This starts in the early years where children know the routines well.

They are kind to each other and manage any conflicts well.

The school is working hard to improve attendance. Regular monitoring and support for families is starting to make a difference.

This helps to ensure that pupils attend regularly to be able to learn the curriculum well.

The school provides a variety of experiences to promote pupils' wider development. Pupils talk positively about trips they attend that enhance the curriculum.

For example, pupils visited the Royal Cornwall Museum linked to their learning in history.A variety of residentials with other schools in the trust help to expand pupils' social groups beyond their own school. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain through their understanding of British values.

For example, they have a lived experience of democracy through voting for the name of the new calm area 'dreamland'.

Staff, including those that are new to the profession, feel well supported by the school. They value guidance from the trust and the opportunity to learn from subject experts.

Those responsible for governance know the school well. Alongside the school and trust, they are determined for all pupils to be successful.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some staff have not developed the depth of subject knowledge needed to deliver the curriculum in all subjects effectively. As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge in these subjects as well as they do in others. The trust must ensure they continue to develop staff expertise to teach all aspects of the curriculum well.

• Within a minority of subjects, some pupils make repeated errors in their writing that go unaddressed. As a result, some pupils embed misconceptions. The trust must ensure that expectations of writing are consistently high across the curriculum.

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