Cambois Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Cambois Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Cambois is a highly inclusive school. Pupils are happy and feel safe here. Pupils are friendly, kind and respectful.

Members of staff model this well. The words that they use, and the way in which they speak, show that they care for pupils. Pupils learn about the school values, including fairness and resilience.

They demonstrate these in how they conduct themselves.

The school has high expectations for all of its pupils. The curriculum is well organised and pupils achieve well.

A high proportion of pupil...s have an education, health and care plan and many pupils have autism. Some of these pupils are taught in specialist classrooms; others are in mainstream classrooms. These pupils also do well.

Pupils behave well in classrooms and around the school. Classrooms are inviting and homely, and contain furniture that helps pupils to focus on learning. The school works well with parents and carers to help them to support their children.

The school has thought deeply about the needs of its pupils and the local context. Because the school is on the coast, swimming and surfing lessons are a part of the curriculum for all pupils. Cycling is also covered, to develop pupils' independence, given the lack of transport links.

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

Communication is at the heart of the curriculum here. The school prioritises reading. Teachers and teaching assistants deliver the school's chosen phonics programme effectively.

They have been well trained. Children in the early years start to learn to read from the very beginning of their time at Cambois. As pupils develop their phonics, teachers use regular checks to spot gaps in pupils' knowledge.

During their time at school, most pupils become strong readers. Some pupils need additional support to help them to communicate. Sound buttons, sign language and pictures help these pupils to make choices and to express themselves.

The school is developing different learning habits that will help pupils in their studies. Staff encourage pupils to be inquisitive and imaginative and to work collaboratively together.

The curriculum in most other subjects is well designed.

For example, the mathematics curriculum is logical and well delivered. Pupils develop their understanding of mathematical concepts well over time, step by step. In some subjects, however, there is a slight mismatch between the difficulty of the task given to pupils and the content being covered.

Sometimes, the learning activities do not enable pupils in mixed-age classes to acquire the depth of knowledge of which they are capable. Nonetheless, in lessons, teachers check what pupils know and can do effectively. They then use this information to shape lessons and to help pupils make progress.

Teachers ensure that lessons are well adapted for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers break down tasks well to help pupils to focus and complete them effectively. For pupils who need additional support with physical development, the school ensures that a variety of strategies are in place to develop their fine and gross motor skills.

This includes children in early years. The school ensures that the routines and support in place help pupils to remain calm, even if they are finding things difficult. Pupils behave well in classrooms and around school.

The school offers a variety of trips and clubs to pupils. They ensure that all pupils are included in any extra-curricular events. Pupils have a strong sense of right and wrong.

They learn about the importance of tolerance. Pupils learn about other religions and different cultures. They are positive about the leadership opportunities on offer to them.

Pupils develop their leadership skills through their work as school councillors and peer mentors. During the inspection, pupils performed parts of 'The Lion King' to parents. Pupils know how to stay healthy and safe, including when online.

Pupils now attend school regularly and often. Where this is not the case, the school helps pupils and parents understand the importance of coming to school regularly. Many pupils improve their attendance during their time at school.

The school helps pupils who have regular medical appointments to catch up on missed learning.

School leaders are ambitious for the school and are 'deliberately inclusive'. Staff are proud to work at Cambois and say that leaders ensure their workload is not too high.

Governors understand the context of the school and provide effective leadership. This is the case for academic standards and the financial stewardship of the school. Many parents who responded to the survey were effusive about the quality of education their child receives at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority).

• Sometimes, the school is not clear about what different year groups are expected to learn in mixed-age classes.

As a result, on occasion, pupils do not deepen their knowledge as much as they could. The school should ensure that subject knowledge builds clearly over time and that older pupils in mixed-age classes are enabled to build on previous learning effectively. ? Sometimes, the activities given to pupils in class do not closely match what pupils are expected to learn.

There is sometimes a mismatch between the difficulty of the task and the content being covered. As a result, some pupils do not grasp key concepts as well as they could. The school should ensure that learning tasks align with the aims of the curriculum that is being delivered.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in July 2019.