Bere Alston Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an inadequate school Pupils have significant gaps in their knowledge. Too few are working at the expectations for their age or the higher standard. Over time, staff have not had suitable training to help them fulfil their roles.

Leaders do not deploy support staff effectively. It is not clear how they support pupils' progress. The approach to teaching phonics is too inconsistent.

The planning of sessions does not consider pupils' emerging needs and reading books do not consistently match pupils' capabilities. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is poor. Teachers do not consider closely enough pupils' prior knowledge.

Sequences of ...lessons do not promote pupils' progress well enough. Learning is often disjointed, which impedes pupils' progress. Disadvantaged pupils have made poor progress over time.

Few are working at the expectations for their age. Leaders have an accurate evaluation of the school's performance and have set out plans for improvements. However, it is too soon to see the impact of this work.

Teaching does not consistently inspire and engage pupils. Pupils often lose focus, and this leads to low-level disruption. Shortfalls in the early years provision have impeded children's learning.

Progress across the school, including the early years, is poor. Pupils do not apply spelling strategies accurately and pupils do not develop their writing across a range of genres. Pupils' mathematical progress is weak.

They do not develop their fluency, reasoning and problem-solving knowledge. The school has the following strengths Leaders have demonstrated the capacity to improve the school's performance. Leaders have overhauled almost every aspect of the school to bring about much-needed change.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are now receiving the necessary support. Leaders have swiftly identified pupils whose needs have previously been unmet.

Information about this school

Since April 2018, the school has been part of the Tamar Valley Federation.

The school's governing body works across the two schools that form the Federation: Bere Alston Primary School and Lifton Primary School. Since September 2017, the school has been led by the executive headteacher of both Bere Alston Primary School and Lifton Primary School. She has shared her time between both schools.

A head of school for Bere Alston has recently been appointed. The school was previously inspected in June 2009, when it was judged to be outstanding. In 2017, the results at the end of key stage 2 assessments were annulled.