The Pochin School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 March 2025

This is a warm and caring school where pupils are happy and safe. Pupils benefit from an ambitious curriculum and achieve well. They enjoy learning and find subjects interesting. Pupils value the special events that the school provides to enhance the curriculum. These events include, for instance, activities during science and technology week, visits to school by representatives of the emergency services, and cultural workshops. Pupils read widely and often. The 'Pochin values' are lived and acted upon by pupils. They are proud of their school and of how everyone is welcome. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to school and towards each other. They show kindness and are respectful and courteous to their peers, staff and visitors. Pupils know that the value of perseverance is important for success. Pupils flourish through the high-quality opportunities for personal development that the school provides. Pupils are proud of the many responsibilities and leadership roles that they have. They value helping others and making a difference as house captains, school councillors, play leaders and diversity ambassadors. Pupils enjoy clubs such as football and opportunities to learn instruments and sing at performances. Parents and carers value the care and support that the school provides for their children. Many would recommend the school to others.

What the school should improve

• Some subjects do not routinely provide sufficient opportunities to enable pupils and children in the early years to develop their understanding fully. As a result, pupils and children do not deepen their knowledge and understanding over time as well as they could. The school should ensure that, across all subjects, starting from the early years, pupils study curriculums that provide them with sufficient opportunity to deepen their understanding.
• The school does not ensure that close enough checks are completed about what pupils know and understand. This means that the best decisions about pupils' next steps for learning are not always made. On occasions, learning is moved on while misconceptions or gaps in pupils' understanding remain. Sometimes, opportunities to deepen pupils' understanding are not introduced. As a result, pupils do not always achieve as highly as they could. The school should ensure that effective strategies are embedded to check pupils' understanding so that gaps in knowledge are addressed and learning is moved on appropriately.

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