St Merryn School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 19 January 2023

St Merryn is a school where pupils value learning and staff enjoy working. Leaders keep their mission statement, 'bright futures built on firm foundations', at the centre of their actions to drive school improvement. They expect the best from every pupil. Pupils give their best effort to meet leaders' high expectations. Pupils value their friendships. They learn to resolve any minor fallouts quickly. Pupils could not recall a time when bullying happened. They say that staff listen to them and would help them if it did happen. Staff know pupils' needs very well. They support pupils to make the right choices and learn from their mistakes. As a result, learning is rarely disturbed by poor behaviour. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. Leaders provide a range of extra-curricular activities for pupils. They make adaptations to enable all pupils to attend. Clubs offer opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests, especially within the creative arts. Pupils perform in front of community audiences to showcase their talents. Parents and carers are proud of the school. They say that staff are approachable and deal with any concerns well. Parents are particularly pleased with how the school prepares pupils for the next step in their education.

What the school should improve

• The organisation of the curriculum in some foundation subjects is not as precise as it could be. Some teachers are unsure about the most important knowledge pupils need to learn. Consequently, pupils find it difficult to make links between their current and previous learning. Leaders need to make sure that the most important knowledge pupils need to learn is identified with precision in all subjects. This will help pupils to know and remember more.

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