Camborne Science and International Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 23 January 2024

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), know this is a school where staff have the highest expectations. There are clear and consistent rules and routines, which ensures that pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons. Most pupils also conduct themselves well around the school. Many aspire to achieve and take pride in their work. As a result, lessons are purposeful, and pupils learn increasingly well. Most pupils appreciate the high expectations. They recognise that the expectations have helped to stop disruption in lessons. Pupils say most staff resolve issues, including bullying, quickly. However, some still find it difficult to rise to what is expected and do not agree that it is necessary. Like some parents, they also believe the new expectations on them are unrealistic. Coupled with a period of instability and a high amount of change, some parts of the community are unsettled and do not have confidence in the school. As a result, although most say they feel safe, some unnecessarily harbour concerns. The curriculum supports pupils' wider development well. There are plentiful opportunities for pupils to explore their interests and talents. Pupils with SEND learn alongside their peers. Many rightly believe they are supported effectively.

What the school should improve

• The school's curriculum is still developing and embedding. This means that, sometimes, the use of assessment is not as helpful as it could be. While teachers use assessment well to check how well pupils remember knowledge in lessons and at the end of a programme of study, the overall use of assessment to check how well pupils remember key knowledge in the long term is not as effective. The school should continue to refine the use of assessment to better identify where pupils have gaps in their learning and where the curriculum can be further improved so that pupils make even better progress.
• The school has tackled with good effect several historic weaknesses in a short amount of time. However, it has not successfully secured the confidence of some members of the community about why these changes were needed or what difference they will make. This means that some members of the school's community, including pupils and parents, lack confidence in what the school is trying to do. The school should improve how it engages and communicates with all members of the community so that they pull together in the same direction.
• The school's strategies for improving attendance, although robust, are new. This means, although attendance is improving, there are still too many pupils who do not attend as well as they should. The school should embed and refine its strategies to ensure that more pupils attend well.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)