Penponds School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 February 2024

Staff at Penponds are united in their vision for pupils to 'Aim high and achieve our best'. They know pupils as individuals and what makes them tick. Staff work tirelessly to check pupils' welfare and happiness. For example, they ensure that all pupils can name a trusted adult to go to if they are very worried. The school explictly teaches its pupils about what good behaviour looks like. As a result, pupils behave well with positive attitudes to learning. In the dining hall, pupils demonstrate patience, manners, cooperation while they hold conversations at the lunch table. Bullying is rare. The school's relentless focus on the curriculum has been intertwined with an impressive personal development programme. It knows the importance of pupils learning understanding life beyond the locality. For example, pupils visit Bristol to learn more about multicultural societies. This helps prepare them for life in modern Britain. Like staff and pupils, parents and carers feel positive about their relationship with the school. One comment, typical of many, said, 'Our children love their teachers and look forward to going to school. If we ever want to chat about anything with the staff, they always make themselves available.'

What the school should improve

• On some occasions, teachers do not plan activities that match the high ambition of the curriculum. When this occurs, tasks do not take into account what pupils can already do and so they do not deepen their knowledge fully. The trust needs to ensure that tasks given to pupils match the curriculum intent.

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