'Happy' Plymouth primary school with 'polite' and 'eager' children

A “happy, enthusiastic” primary school in Devon has been praised by Ofsted for maintaining high standards and offering a nurturing environment where children “love reading stories and creating their own versions”.

Plympton St Maurice Primary School in Plymouth impressed inspectors with its joyful learning culture, ambitious curriculum, and effective support for pupils with special educational needs.

The school, which has 187 pupils aged five to eleven, was visited on Tuesday, April 1 and Wednesday, April 2. Inspectors concluded that it “has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection”.

“Pupils at Plympton St Maurice are happy, enthusiastic learners,” the report stated. “Pupils, including children in the Reception Year, love reading stories and creating their own versions. They relish learning a range of subjects and strive to do their best. There are high expectations for pupils to achieve well.”

Children were found to be polite, cooperative and eager to engage with their learning. “From Reception Year to Year 6, pupils follow the routines of school well. They engage with their lessons and learn effectively. They speak confidently to each other. Children in Reception Year learn to take turns and to share well. At break and lunchtime, pupils play together cooperatively.”

Inspectors also observed how the school’s outdoor space was used creatively to support learning and play. “The large field enables pupils to develop their physical health through running and gymnastics. It also supports their imaginative interpretations of the world around them. For example, pupils were observed conducting a funeral for a bumble bee.”

Leadership opportunities were also a strength. “Pupils are very proud of their school. They value the leadership opportunities that they are given. For example, pupils experience democracy through voting for the school parliament. Other pupils hold the roles of eco-warrior and play leader with great pride. For instance, eco-warriors have implemented reusable glue sticks to eradicate plastic waste.”

The report praised the school’s curriculum for being ambitious and well thought-out, particularly in core areas such as English and mathematics.

“Staff unanimously share the vision of leaders to develop pupils’ academic, social, emotional and physical well-being. The curriculum is well structured. It ensures that pupils learn progressively more complex concepts as they move through the school. Pupils are enthused by learning and aspire to do well. In mathematics, for example, pupils develop increasingly fluent knowledge of multiplication and division, which helps them to solve complex problems. In English, pupils learn a range of new words to enhance their writing.”

While noting the strong overall structure of the curriculum, inspectors did identify some inconsistency across subjects: “However, in a minority of subject areas, pupils’ knowledge is not developed and strengthened as well as in others. Consequently, in some subject areas, pupils do not learn as well as they could.”

Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) was described as particularly effective. “Staff are astute at identifying pupils with SEND. Through well-considered adaptations to the teaching of the curriculum, pupils receive effective support. This ensures that pupils with SEND learn with confidence and success. Teachers routinely check pupils’ understanding and address any misconceptions swiftly.”

Reading was singled out as a major strength across all year groups. “Reading is a high priority across the school. Pupils and children in Reception Year learn to read extremely well. Staff ensure that pupils make strong links between the sounds they hear and the letters and words they read and write. Through continual checks, staff identify pupils who may struggle and provide additional, effective support. As a result, for the past two years, every Year 1 pupil has met the expectations of the phonics screening assessments. Pupils love reading and listening to stories. They are eager visitors to the school library and the after-school reading club is popular.”

Younger pupils were described as kind, focused and ready to learn: “Children in Reception Year learn to be kind, polite and friendly towards each other. They are focused on learning and develop strong skills and knowledge in preparation for Year 1. They learn to extend their talk into written sentences well.”

Pupils’ personal development was another area of strength. “They learn about the importance of keeping themselves safe when online. Through caring, nurturing relationships with staff, pupils learn how to interact socially very well. Pupils who struggle with their emotional reactions to the world around them are provided with personalised support which is effective. Consequently, these pupils thrive at the school.”

Governance and parental satisfaction were also highlighted. “Governance is effective. The school is suitably held to account and supported in equal measure. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support for their workload and well-being. Parents and carers are similarly very positive about the provision at the school.”

The report made one recommendation for improvement: “In a minority of subjects, the school has not ensured that the curriculum builds sequentially on pupils’ prior knowledge. It does not develop and strengthen pupils’ knowledge. As a result, pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that the curriculum is as well sequenced as in other subjects.”

The inspection was led by His Majesty’s Inspector Susan Aykin. Plympton St Maurice Primary School is part of the Westcountry Schools Trust and is led by headteacher Christopher Rickard.