Veryan CofE School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 March 2026

Pupils value this school because it is a kind place to be. They live out the vision ‘supporting one another in learning and life’ by looking after each other, including at social times. Pupils enjoy school and this is reflected in their high attendance. However, some pupils do not learn the curriculum well enough. Variation in teaching results in some pupils not gaining the depth of knowledge they need to be well prepared for future learning. This includes in the personal, social and health education curriculum. Sometimes, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not have the adaptations made to the curriculum that they need to help them succeed. The trust has an accurate view of the school and has taken steps to improve key aspects, such as curriculum design and expectations of pupils’ behaviour. However, it is too soon to see the full impact of this work. Pupils feel safe and know that staff will help them if they have any worries. They do not have concerns about bullying. Staff take time to build positive relationships with pupils. Most pupils have risen to the higher expectations of behaviour. However, there are occasions when poor behaviour prevents some pupils from learning well. In particular, this is when learning is not well matched to what pupils know and can do. The school is at the heart of the village. Pupils take part in community events to care for the local area, such as beach cleaning and planting trees. They are supported to keep themselves safe, both online and in the wider world. For example, pupils learn what to do in the case of an emergency. Pupils value trips that bring the curriculum to life, such as to the museum to enrich their learning about historical periods.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should strengthen how well the school supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and check that curriculum adaptations and targeted support closely match what pupils need to learn the curriculum securely.
• Leaders should strengthen staff’s knowledge of the curriculum so that learning tasks consistently reflect the ambition of the curriculum and build precisely on what pupils know and can do, enabling pupils to progress securely across subjects.
• Leaders should continue to strengthen the teaching of writing so that pupils develop fluency and accuracy in their written work, particularly in handwriting, spelling and punctuation. They should ensure misconceptions are addressed quickly so that pupils write well across the curriculum appropriate to their stage of learning.
• Leaders should ensure that the expectations set out in the behaviour and relationships policy are applied consistently, so that pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning.
• Leaders should ensure that the personal, social, health education curriculum, including relationships and health education, enables pupils to develop a deep and secure understanding of the important knowledge they need to be well prepared for life beyond the school.
• Leaders, including the trust and those responsible for governance, should continue to provide robust support and challenge, leading to rapid and sustained improvements in pupils’ learning and wider school experiences.

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