Looe Community Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 February 2026

Pupils are personable, polite and generally demonstrate kindness towards one another. They typically display positive attitudes and describe the learning environment as increasingly more purposeful. Pupils develop a palpable sense of belonging through the school’s celebration of its Cornish heritage, which contributes positively to their personal development. Many pupils are positive about the recent changes that leaders have made to the curriculum and to the quality of teaching. While the direction of travel is positive, it is the case that pupils' learning does not yet benefit fully from the actions that leaders have taken. Consequently, many pupils have gaps in their knowledge, including weaknesses in reading and writing. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they should in many subjects. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not consistently receive the support they need to enable them to learn with confidence and success. Some pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, do not attend regularly. Their absence leads to gaps in knowledge, which limits their progress and means they do not achieve as well as they should. Pupils have a sense of physical and emotional safety in school. They know that there are trusted adults they can speak to and they feel confident that concerns will be taken seriously. Bullying is not a widespread issue. When it does occur, leaders act swiftly and effectively to resolve it. Pupils benefit from a school environment that is safe, supportive and increasingly responsive to their needs. Overall, leaders’ intentions are clear and well judged. However, as much of their work is at an early stage, the impact that leaders intend is not being realised in all aspects of school life.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should embed their curriculum and teaching expectations consistently across the school so that all staff implement agreed approaches to literacy, assessment and the teaching of the curriculum with fidelity.
• Leaders should strengthen staff expertise to better adapt teaching for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to ensure that adjustments are well matched to pupils’ needs and support them to follow the curriculum successfully.
• Leaders should improve the consistency and quality of teaching so that gaps in pupils’ knowledge are accurately identified and addressed, enabling pupils to build secure foundations for future learning.
• Leaders should ensure that early reading remains a sustained priority and that all staff have the knowledge and confidence to deliver the school’s chosen approach effectively.
• Leaders should improve the attendance of all pupils, particularly pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, so that they are regularly present at school and able to benefit from the full curriculum.

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