Calstock Community Primary School

Calstock Community Primary School Back Road, Calstock, Cornwall, PL18 9QL

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is a good school

 The quality of teaching is good. Teachers’ enthusiasm and confident knowledge of subjects capture pupils’ interests and ensure pupils understand what they are learning.  Pupils of all abilities make good progress. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are higher than in most schools.  The headteacher and other leaders work effectively together so that everyone knows what the school is trying to achieve. They take swift action so that teaching and learning continue to improve.  Pupils behave well. In lessons, they are attentive learners and apply themselves to tasks with sustained concentration.  Skilled teaching assistants ensure that pupils that need extra help get enough support in lessons. Pupils with medical needs are cared for particularly well.  The school provides a good range of artistic, sporting and cultural experiences that make a strong contribution to pupils’ personal development. Older pupils look after the

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This is a good school

younger ones and develop a mature outlook on life.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In a small number of lessons the quality of teaching is less than good. Some pupils find the work too difficult because it is not set at the right level. Pupils are not asked frequently to explain how much they have understood.  Pupils are not always involved enough in checking their own work and responding to teachers’ comments, particularly in mathematics.  Members of the governing body have had training but are only beginning to implement a programme of monitoring visits.  Middle leaders are not fully involved in checking the school’s work so they do not improve teaching and standards as much as they could.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector had meetings with staff, a group of pupils and representatives of the governing body. He also held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector looked at a range of evidence including: the school’s improvement plan; the school’s data for the tracking of pupils’ progress; monitoring reports; pupils’ past and present work in books; and the school’s documentation relating to safeguarding.  The inspector observed teaching and learning in nine lessons and parts of lessons and listened to a group of pupils read.  The headteacher conducted a joint observation with the inspector. The inspector observed the headteacher reporting back to the teacher on the quality of learning and pupils’ achievement in the lesson.  The inspector met some parents informally at the end of the school day and took into account 14 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and 11 responses to the staff

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Inspection team

Ian Hancock, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  A lower-than-average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, (additional funding for children in local authority care and for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or have parents who work in the armed services).  The proportion of pupils that need extra help with their learning or those with a statement of special educational needs is below the average.  Most pupils are White British and there are very few pupils whose first language is other than English.  In 2012, the school exceeded the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Share the good practice that already exists in the school to increase the amount of outstanding teaching and ensure that teaching is never less than good, by:  making sure that the learning objectives and tasks for the lesson are set consistently at the right level  carefully checking throughout the lesson how much pupils have understood  providing more guidance to help pupils check their own work  making sure that teachers’ marking in mathematics books identifies clearly what pupils need to do to improve and that all pupils have time to respond.  Implement the governing body’s planned programme of monitoring visits so that all members record their visits and take account of the school’s areas for development.  Further develop the roles of middle leaders so that they make a greater difference to teaching and learning, by:  increasing their involvement in observing lessons and checking pupils’ work in books and

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

reporting the findings to others  ensuring that monitoring records and feedback to staff comment clearly on how well different groups of pupils are learning and making progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the school with the knowledge and skills expected for their age. They make good progress, so they start Year 1 above the average. A broad range of play and learning activities builds children’s confidence and develops important skills such as sharing and taking turns.  Pupils make good progress throughout the school. At the end of Key Stage 1 standards are consistently high. Standards are equally high at the end of Year 6 where, for the last four years, every pupil has reached at least the expected level in English and mathematics.  In lessons, the more capable pupils have work that stretches them. In a mathematics lesson about organising data, such pupils worked conscientiously to set a question and then investigate it using a spreadsheet. More pupils reach the higher levels at the end of Year 2 and 6 than in most schools.  Early reading and writing skills are developed well. When reading to an adult, pupils know the

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The achievement of pupils is good

sounds that letters make (called phonics) and use this knowledge to sound out new words. Last year’s national phonics assessment showed that most Year 1 pupils who took the test reached the standard required.  Pupils enjoy reading. The youngest children were enthralled by the story of Elmer, and older pupils were able to name several different authors they have read.  Pupils that need extra help achieve well, including those with special educational needs and those that receive the pupil premium. Teaching assistants provide good support in lessons and ensure the work is suitable for every pupil’s needs. Additional help for some Year 1 pupils enabled them to catch up in their reading and writing last year.  All parents that spoke with the inspector were happy with the progress their child was making.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good teaching ensures that pupils achieve well. In the best lessons, the learning objectives are set carefully so that all pupils work at the right level; teachers remind pupils frequently what they are learning and ask probing questions to check their understanding. Pupils are interested, productive and make good progress.  Practical resources support pupils’ learning and enable pupils to learn by doing. In a mathematics lesson, Year 1 pupils filled containers with water, sand and rice to investigate how much each container held. By the end of the lesson, pupils could explain which container held more than or less than the others.  Teachers make learning interesting. They use visitors and the local area so that pupils learn from first-hand experience and get to share their work with others. Older pupils practised jazz rhythms enthusiastically with local musicians in preparation for a performance.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading skills are given a high priority. Teachers have a good understanding of pupils’ reading abilities and ensure that younger pupils select books with the right level of difficulty. Reading is taught well and contributes to pupils’ above average attainment.  Pupils know their learning targets and can explain the important next step they need take towards reaching a higher standard in their learning. Targets are displayed prominently in pupils’ books and are used frequently by pupils in lessons.  Teachers’ marking gives pupils detailed feedback on their work. Pupils know what they have done well and additional questions extend their learning. Occasionally, pupils are not given time to respond and the teachers’ comments do not guide pupils to how they can improve their work, particularly in mathematics.  Pupils do not make good progress in every lesson. Occasionally, the tasks are too difficult for

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The quality of teaching is good

the pupils, they are not guided to check their work and teachers do not check closely enough how much they have understood. Consequently, their progress slows and they do not achieve as well as they should.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy learning and are very proud of their school. ‘You always learn something new every lesson,’ one pupil told the inspector. In lessons, pupils listen carefully to adults and work with sustained concentration on tasks.  Adults have high expectations and expect good behaviour. Pupils know the ‘rules for life’ that are displayed in each classroom and can explain the consequences of poor behaviour.  Most pupils behave well in all situations around the school. Older pupils are considerate of others when playing with younger pupils at break times. Pupils think that behaviour is usually good and that they are looked after well.  Pupils feel secure in school and know how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations such as when on the beach or using the internet. They have a good understanding of different types of bullying and report that incidents of bullying are rare. However, incidents are not recorded in

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

enough detail.  School leaders have monitored pupils’ attendance closely. Attendance rates have improved because fewer pupils are absent persistently from school. Current attendance rates are above the national average.  Parents expressed positive views about how safe their child feels and how well the school promotes positive behaviour.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is well regarded by parents. She has a good staff team and they work well together. Staff responses show that everyone knows what the school is trying to achieve.  Leaders know what the school does well and what still needs to be improved. Well-structured plans for improvement are supported by a clear monitoring and evaluation cycle. However, not all monitoring reports comment clearly on how well different groups of pupils are learning and making progress.  Teachers’ performance is managed effectively. The Teachers’ Standards are used to identify strengths and set objectives to improve performance that reflect the school’s areas for development. Staff have received regular training to support them in achieving their objectives.  The pupil premium has been used to provide individual support to the small number of pupils who need extra help. It has also funded a programme to develop the language skills of pupils

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The leadership and management are good

who are at risk of falling behind. These programmes have enabled those pupils to make better than expected progress in their reading and expected progress in writing and mathematics.  Middle leaders look at teachers’ plans, individual programmes of support and attend meetings to review the progress that pupils are making. However, they do not regularly use their subject knowledge to observe pupils in lessons and advise how things could be improved.  The local authority has provided light touch support for this good school. The school commissions the additional support it requires to good effect. For example, training for the Reception teacher has improved children’s literacy development and enabled several Year 1 pupils to catch up.  The subjects taught promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well. Topics and themed events provide interesting and exciting opportunities for learning, particularly

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The leadership and management are good

those involving sport and the arts. Pupils have a well-developed understanding of other faiths and cultures gained through interactions with visitors and pupils from cultures different from their own.  The governance of the school:  The governing body knows the school’s strengths very well and where further improvement is needed. Members contribute to the school’s plans for improvement by attending an annual ‘self-evaluation’ evening with the staff. The governing body ensures that statutory responsibilities are met; such as by checking that the school’s single central record meets current requirements. Members carefully monitor how the school budget is spent. They know what the pupil premium is being spent on and have begun to monitor the difference it makes. The Chair of the Governing Body and Vice-Chair have a good understanding of how staff performance is managed and the links between pay and performance. All eligible teachers

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The leadership and management are good

have advanced to the higher pay spine. The governing body has recognised that members do not visit the school regularly enough to gain a first-hand view of actions taken to address the areas for development. Training has taken place and a new cycle of visits is now planned.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 111951 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 403164

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 75 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paul Dingle Headteacher Jan Gould Date of previous school inspection 9 October 2007 Telephone number 01822 832646 Fax number 01822 832646 Email address head@calstock.cornwall.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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