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The new leadership has high aspirations for pupils to succeed academically as well as socially and emotionally.
However, the school acknowledges that some pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not learn as effectively as they could. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge.
Pupils enjoy coming to school.
They have many opportunities at break and lunchtime to participate in the many sports organised in the playground. They relish playing in teams with their friends and reading books in the 'book shed'. As a result, pupils' attendance has increased.
Pupils are kind, helpful and friendly towa...rds each other. They have strong, trusting relationships with staff in the school. Pupils are safe and well cared for.
They learn how to keep safe when using the internet.
Pupils are knowledgeable about democracy and mutual respect. They value the opportunities to hold important roles within the school such as school councillor, house captain and librarian.
Pupils are well informed about citizenship in modern Britain.
Children in Reception class thrive through a well-structured curriculum. Children learn the routines of school well.
Pupils behave well both in the classroom and around the school.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
In 2023 and 2024, outcomes were lower than the national average in some areas, particularly in mathematics. Trust leaders have revised the curriculum and the leadership and staffing structure of the school.
The curriculum is clearly designed to build on pupils' prior learning. The school's drive to improve the quality of education for pupils is shared by all staff. However, the curriculum is not yet well established.
Leaders and staff do not check what pupils know and do not know with sufficient precision. Consequently, they do not adapt the teaching of the curriculum to ensure that pupils, including pupils with SEND, build securely on their prior knowledge. For example, some pupils have a weak knowledge of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in mathematics.
This means that they are not able to learn more complex mathematical concepts such as fractions.
The school has worked hard to encourage pupils to come to school regularly and to provide the pastoral support they need to be able to learn. This has resulted in increased attendance.
The school has established effective approaches to the management of pupils' behaviour. Consequently, pupils' behaviour both in lessons and around the school is strong.
The school has prioritised reading.
The early reading programme is well designed and ensures that children in Reception Year and pupils in key stage 1 learn to read well. Pupils who struggle with reading are provided with strong support enabling them to become confident, fluent readers. Pupils enjoy listening to stories read by their teachers and talk knowledgeably about them.
In Reception, children are enthused by the characters in the texts they study. The English curriculum provides pupils with a breadth of genres to support their reading development. However, some pupils in key stage 2, are not supported well to develop their writing skills.
For instance, some pupils, struggle with sentence structure and punctuation.
Children in Reception Year flourish due to the well-structured curriculum. Children develop a strong curiosity to learn about the world around them.
The school has prioritised children's language development. Children practise their speaking, listening, reading and writing knowledge through a range of activities. For example, children talk imaginatively about the nests they made for the owls in their story.
Children with English as an additional language learn to communicate their thinking well.
Despite the weaknesses in some areas of the curriculum, pupils are eager to learn. All pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are enthused by the trips and visitors that enrich their knowledge of the world.
The school's focus on strengthening pupils' knowledge of their local area is well developed. Pupils visit the local theatre, Dartmoor and a farm. Through the curriculum, pupils' curiosity about religious beliefs is supported well.
Pupils' characters are developed effectively. The school is highly inclusive of pupils with different religious and cultural backgrounds. Pupils are reflective about the impact of the school's behaviour policy and how it helps them to regulate their own behaviour.
Governance is well structured, but trustees recognise that the leadership of the school is not yet having impact in some areas of the curriculum. They provide support and challenge in equal measure. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support provided for their well-being and workload.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
What does the school need to do to improve?
(Information for the school and appropriate authority)
• Assessment is not used with sufficient precision in some subjects. Systems for checking what pupils know and do not know are not routinely applied.
This means that the gaps in some pupils' knowledge are not addressed effectively. The trust must ensure that changes to the curriculum are supported by the effective use of assessment so that pupils build effectively on their prior knowledge. ? Some pupils, including pupils with SEND, do not learn the curriculum effectively.
Staff do not routinely use what they know about these pupils' learning needs to adapt their teaching of the curriculum. Consequently, some pupils with SEND do not have secure knowledge with which to access more complex learning. The trust must ensure that staff have the expertise to provide suitable support so that pupils with SEND achieve successfully and confidently.
