Alverton Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 April 2024

Alverton Primary School is nurturing and aspirational. The school provides an ambitious curriculum and several opportunities for pupils to broaden their horizons. The school has high expectations for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have developed a curriculum that is ambitious and prepares pupils for their next stage of learning. Most pupils achieve well. The school has a higher-than-average proportion of pupils with SEND. This is an important and celebrated characteristic of the school. The targeted mainstream provision, The Hive, provides carefully tailored education and support for the pupils who attend. Pupils are safe in school. They confidently discuss the many ways they are taught to stay safe online. The curriculum helps pupils identify risks and harmful behaviours. There is a breadth of extra-curricular activities to extend pupils' experiences. The school provides a range of leadership opportunities for pupils, such as digital leaders and reading warriors. The school's recent efforts to improve attendance are beginning to have an impact. This is an inclusive school. Pupils' individuality is celebrated. Relationships between staff and pupils are highly positive throughout school, particularly in The Hive. Pupils' behaviour varies during different times of the day. While pupils meet the expectations of good conduct in lessons, this is not as well embedded during playtimes.

What the school should improve

• In some foundation subjects, some of the assessment systems are not closely matched to the important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember. As a result, sometimes, the school does not recognise where pupils have gaps in their knowledge. The school should review how they check what pupils know and can remember.
• Too many pupils do not attend school regularly enough. These pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable. The school must continue to develop their processes to improve pupils' attendance.
• The new systems to manage behaviour are not embedded during unstructured times of the day. Sometimes, behaviour is less than good during outdoor playtimes. The school should ensure that there is consistency in behaviour expectations throughout the day and that pupils, staff and parents understand the new systems in place.

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