Madron Daniel CofE (VA) School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Madron Daniel. They want to do well. Leaders have placed an emphasis on building strong relationships with their pupils and families.

As a result, parents' confidence in the school has increased.

Nevertheless, the quality of some subjects is not good, including in the early years. Teachers are not always clear about the knowledge pupils need to know.

Therefore, the depth of pupils' understanding varies. Pupils do not deepen their knowledge over time as much as they could do.

Leaders have clear behaviour systems in place.

Staff have high expectations. They ensure that lessons and social times have a calm feel. Pupils sa...y that behaviour is better now than in the past.

They say that bullying is rare but when it does occur, staff treat it seriously and deal with it quickly.

Staff know the school's context well. They enrich the curriculum beyond the academic to give pupils experiences they may not otherwise have.

Music and the arts have a high profile. Pupils perform at the Minack theatre to build their self-confidence. Leaders plan trips designed to give pupils a better understanding of the world beyond Madron.

For example, they visit London to help prepare them for life in modern Britain.

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

Leaders' improvements in the curriculum have stalled. There has been significant staff turnover.

Some staff are new to their posts. They have had a positive impact in bringing stability to the school. Despite this unsettling period, staff morale is high.

They feel supported by leaders.

Leaders have created a curriculum which outlines the broad knowledge pupils should know for all subjects. They have placed a focus on pupils' learning the Cornish heritage.

Leaders have carefully considered how subjects are adapted for those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, their needs are well met. Leaders have prioritised oracy to help pupils talk about their learning and feelings more effectively.

Pupils can explain their ideas better than in the past.

Leaders have not identified the specific knowledge that pupils should know and remember in all subjects. This, coupled with the changes in staffing, means there are inconsistencies in the quality of the curriculum across the school.

For example, in mathematics, teachers do not expect enough of younger pupils. Older pupils struggle to recall their times tables.

Leaders have prioritised reading.

They have made recent changes to the teaching of phonics. Leaders have ensured the sequencing of phonics is now highly structured and builds on pupils' previous learning. Pupils learn to read quickly.

Teachers check pupils' understanding of the sounds they know regularly. This means those pupils who struggle are identified swiftly. Well-trained staff help them catch up quickly through short, purposeful catch-up sessions.

Older pupils speak positively about reading. They enjoy times when teachers read to them. Staff consider which books pupils will study carefully.

Pupils learn to read increasingly challenging texts. Staff use questioning effectively in order to deepen pupils' understanding of what they have read.

Staff in the early years have worked hard to steady the ship during a difficult period.

They model the correct use of language to children to develop their speaking and listening skills. Children, including two-year-olds, have positive relationships with staff and interact well with one another. They have settled into school well.

Children speak confidently to visitors.

However, staff do not provide activities that are well-matched to the intended curriculum or match children's stage of development, particularly in the Nursery. This means that children do not engage well with tasks or acquire the skills to prepare them for key stage 1.

The environment in Nursery has suffered from a lack of oversight and is not used to enhance children's learning.

Leaders have created a well-constructed personal development programme. This aligns with the school's four core values of courage, perseverance, generosity and hope.

Staff celebrate pupils' achievements in assemblies. They develop pupils' moral character by donating to local foodbanks. Pupils develop a sense of ownership in the school by creating their own Christmas play.

Governors work hard to support the school. They visit the school regularly to check aspects of the school's work. However, along with leaders, governors do not check the impact of the whole curriculum precisely enough.

Consequently, they are not aware of the strengths and weaknesses of subjects.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that staff receive regular safeguarding training, including changes to national guidance.

Staff can spot pupils at risk of harm. They record detailed concerns in a timely way. Leaders follow up on issues and take action quickly.

They work with multi-agencies to ensure families get the support they need.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in the locality, for example at the beach. They know the potential dangers of the online world and to report anything that concerns them.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some curriculum subjects, leaders have not identified the small-step knowledge the pupils need to learn. This means teachers are not always clear about the precise knowledge they wish pupils to learn and so pupils do not learn as much as they could. Leaders need to identify the knowledge that pupils must learn, and when.

• In the early years, staff do not consistently provide children with activities that match their needs or the intended curriculum. As a result, children do not develop their learning across the curriculum as well as they should do. Leaders need to ensure that activities closely match children's stage of learning and the intended curriculum.

• Leaders, including governors, do not check the curriculum precisely enough. Consequently, they do not know how well the curriculum is being implemented, including in the early years. Leaders need to ensure that curriculum checks are precise so that they know the strengths and weakness of subjects.