St Winnow CofE School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils highly enjoy their education at St Winnow.

This is reflected in their strong attendance. They feel well cared for and in the words of one pupil, 'We're one big family.' Pupils in Year 6 say they are well prepared for secondary school but are sad to leave St Winnow.

The school's Christian ethos lies at the heart of its work. This helps to promote pupils' positive attitudes to learning. For example, in the early years children show sustained concentration on tasks.

Pupils are kind and courteous to one another. They display impeccable manners to visitors. At playtimes, pupils show consideration for others by ensuring their games do not spill over into oth...er spaces.

Pupils say that bullying does not happen.

Pupils attend residential trips to promote their independence and resilience. They enjoy different clubs to pursue their interests, such as art, choir and football.

Pupils attend trips to deepen their knowledge of the curriculum. For example, children in the early years visit a heritage railway to learn how transport has changed.

The vast majority of parents would recommend the school.

They feel pupils are safe and well cared for. Parents say the school deals well with concerns they raise.

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

The school has been through a period of rapid change.

In the process of joining the trust, executive leaders, alongside external support, identified weaknesses in the school's curriculum. They recognised that they needed to raise expectations of what pupils should learn, and in what order, from early years to Year 6. As a result, the trust has overhauled much of the curriculum this academic year.

Leaders have provided intense support and guidance for staff, so that they understand the curriculum changes. Staff have worked hard to implement them. However, they feel that leaders have taken workload into account throughout.

Staff feel proud to work at St Winnow. They are supportive of the changes.

Pupils learn a well-sequenced, knowledge-rich curriculum.

Staff make appropriate adaptations to the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps them to learn the same broad and balanced curriculum as their peers. Teachers use agreed approaches to ensure pupils learn key facts and vocabulary.

They question them well to explain their thinking. Teachers address misconceptions as they arise. As a result, pupils recall their learning well.

Pupils' outcomes in national tests reflect this. Children in the early years proudly discuss how they have composed a piece of writing. Older pupils can recall their times tables.

Teachers regularly check what pupils have learned. However, although assessment systems are consistently used across the school, teachers do not then use the information gathered well enough. They sometimes do not provide pupils with tasks that build on pupils' prior learning.

When this occurs, pupils do not learn as much as they could do.

Despite the many changes, leaders have ensured that reading has remained the top priority. Leaders train staff to teach reading effectively.

Children in the early years learn to read straightaway. Pupils read books closely matched to the sounds they know. Staff ensure that pupils regularly revisit words which are not phonetically decodable.

Teachers have clear systems for spotting pupils' gaps in knowledge. They swiftly put in extra help as needed. As a result, the small number of pupils who fall behind catch up quickly.

Pupils enjoy reading. One pupil said, 'It takes you on an adventure in your head.' They talk in depth about the books they are currently reading in class.

Pupils value the weekly shared reading sessions with younger pupils.

Leaders have established a sound personal development offer. They have made outdoor education central to this.

Pupils know about protected characteristics and different relationships, for example same sex relationships. They have strong views on equality. They feel everyone at St Winnow is treated equally.

As one pupil said, 'We're all people. There's no judgement.'

While pupils have a school council, they do not meet frequently.

Pupils say they would like to have more roles and responsibilities in the school and to help make more decisions about school life. Leaders know that this is an area that is underdeveloped.

Governors and the trust know the school well.

Governors value the support from the trust. They ensure they make checks on staff's well-being. Governors are not afraid to challenge leaders' decisions as appropriate.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have established a vigilant safeguarding culture. They know the contextual safeguarding risks in the community.

Leaders have trained staff in a range of areas. Consequently, they can spot signs of harm. Staff diligently note any low-level concerns about pupils.

Leaders act upon these swiftly and ensure they clearly record next steps. Staff work closely with other agencies, such as family support workers and social workers, to help support families.

Pupils know how to stay safe online, such as keeping personal information secure and sharing concerns with a trusted adult.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teachers make regular checks on what pupils know and can do. However, they sometimes do not use this information well enough to adapt their future plans and plan tasks that build on what pupils can already do. Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment information to help plan tasks that deepen pupils' knowledge fully.

• The systems for listening to pupils' opinions in the school are underdeveloped. Pupils do not have a rich range of roles and responsibilities for them to contribute towards school life and become responsible citizens. Leaders should develop roles and responsibilities, so that pupils can contribute to, and influence, school life fully.

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