Letter to parents from Mr Hall

Dear Parents and Carers,

I am absolutely delighted to confirm that following our Ofsted inspection on 17th and 18th January,  Cape Cornwall School has been judged to be a ‘Good’ school across the entire inspection framework, in all 5 areas: Behaviour and Attitudes, Quality of Education, Personal Development, Leadership and Overall Effectiveness.

It has been a privilege for me to work in partnership with staff, parents, students, Governors, the Trust and the local community to continue to drive forward standards in the school. During the inspection, all of our school community (staff, students, parents and Governors) were extremely proud to be able to show inspectors what a great school we are.

Inspectors have described our school as ‘a warm, friendly community where everyone feels valued’ and that ‘Relationships between pupils and staff are a strength of the school’, adding that ‘Pupils say they are part of a large family and value the time and support that staff provide’. I hope all our parents will know how important our community is to us so it is fantastic to see that recognised in their report. It was particularly heartening to see that our Kites is singled out for praise and that inspectors could see that ‘All pupils with SEND play a full part in the wider life of the school’.

Here is a summary of some of key feedback from the report:

Quality of Education: The report says that ‘Leaders have designed an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum that meets pupils’ needs, including those with SEND. They have carefully considered what pupils need to know and when they need to know it’. Inspectors also recognised our focus on reading, saying that ‘Leaders prioritise reading. Pupils in all year groups read regularly. This helps them to become more confident readers.’ They add that, ‘Staff use the training they have received to support pupils’ reading effectively.’

There is just one area to work on here: as a school, we need to make sure that we are consistently checking that students have understood their learning and this will be a focus for development.

Behaviour and Attitudes

Inspectors were very positive about the behaviour of our students and this is reflected in the report, Inspectors say that ‘Pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning. They work hard. In lessons, they focus on and take pride in their work. Disruptions are rare. Pupils move around the school site calmly and sensibly’. They also highlight that ‘Bullying is rare. If it happens, adults deal with it quickly’.  This is really important to us – their judgements are based on what they saw, through discussions with students and feedback from parents.

Personal Development

Inspectors identified real strength in our PSHE programme saying that students are prepared ‘well for their future, giving them opportunities to have important discussions about healthy relationships.’ They single out the ‘Be Inspired’ programme and community events such as the Christmas hampers and work on the school grounds as an important way that we help students to ‘develop a sense of character’.

Leadership and Management

Across the report, leadership and management is judged to be ‘Good’. This includes our senior leaders, curriculum leaders, governors, pastoral leaders and team, and importantly our safeguarding team. I know you will join me in thanking our staff for working so hard on behalf of all members of our school community.

The inspection report confirms what we already know about Cape Cornwall School: that we go the extra mile for our students and that standards are strong across all areas. We know we can also continue to improve, with your support and we are proud that student numbers are increasing as more parents (and children) recognise and get to hear about our positive school community and want to join us.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of our community for their continued support. On a personal note, it is a privilege to lead such a vibrant and thriving school.

Yours faithfully

Mr J Hall

Head of School