Upton Cross Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

Leadership and management are good. The executive headteacher has provided decisive action to bring the school through a difficult period of change. The sharing of expertise within the federation and the cooperative trust of schools has raised staff morale and skills.

It has also secured the school's strongly shared drive for further improvement. The determined teamwork of the executive headteacher, assistant headteacher, leaders and managers, and the governing body has rapidly improved the quality of teaching and pupils' achievement over the past year. Teaching is now good.

Occasionally, it is outstanding. Consequently, all gro...ups of pupils make at least good progress and standards have risen rapidly in all classes. A substantially larger and increasing proportion of pupils in all classes are now making more than the nationally expected progress.

All pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics from their differing starting points. Pupils' behaviour is good. Their much improved attitudes to learning are a key factor in their progress being faster than in the past.

The school's work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils say they feel very safe in school. This view is fully supported by parents who also appreciate the high quality of care provided by the staff.

Early years provision for children in the pre-school unit and in the Reception class is good. Many early years children excel in developing their self-confidence, language and mathematical skills because of the highly effective way in which they are both challenged and enthused to learn. It is not yet an outstanding school because : At times, pupils' weaker handwriting and spelling reduce their ability to write fluently and to express their ideas confidently.

The less-developed ability of some pupils to quickly recall number facts limits their ability to solve mathematical problems. There are not enough opportunities for pupils to learn about of the diverse religious beliefs and customs that exist in modern Britain and the wider world.

Information about this school

Upton Cross Primary School is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.

The majority of pupils attending the school are of White British heritage. The proportion of disabled pupils or those who have special educational needs is broadly average. The proportion of pupils with such needs varies considerably from year to year and is very small in some year groups across the school.

The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after children) is below average. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals varies significantly from year to year. There were very few pupils in receipt of free school meals in Year 6 in 2014.

Currently, there are no pupils supported by the pupil premium in Year 6. An above average proportion of pupils either joins or leaves the school other than at the normal times. The number of pupils in each year group across the school varies and fluctuates significantly.

Last year, the school did not meet the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Children start the school's early years provision in a pre-school unit, which they attend for part of the week, before moving into the Reception and Year 1 class on a full-time basis. Pupils in Years 2, 3 and 4 are taught together and the third class contains Years 5 and 6 pupils.

The school provides breakfast and after-school clubs. The school is a member of the Caradon Cooperative Educational Trust set up in January 2013 with four other local primary schools. Since September 2013, Upton Cross has been in a federation with St Kew Community Primary School.

The federation shares the same governing body and is led by one executive headteacher who shares his duties equally across both schools. Each school also has its own assistant headteacher. The school has experienced a significant amount of staff changes since the previous inspection.