Flushing School

Flushing Church of England Primary School Coventry Road, Flushing, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 5TX

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 There are inconsistencies in the progress that pupils make as they move through the school. In particular, the development of pupils’ basic numeracy skills is not good enough and this weakens their achievement in mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Steps taken to improve teaching and subject leadership to develop more consistency in provision, particularly in mathematics, have not been operating long enough to secure pupils’ good achievement.  Teachers, particularly in mathematics in Years 1 to 4, do not always make full use of checks of pupils’ previous learning to make sure that teaching, other adult support and learning activities are matched closely enough to and build on pupils’ differing levels of ability.  At times, there is too little focus on developing pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding through solving problems and thereby enabling pupils to find things out for themselves.

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The school has the following strengths

 This very small village school creates a close community atmosphere where families, including those new to the area or with children having particular needs, are warmly welcomed and supported.  The headteacher has worked diligently to sustain high staff morale through a period of change. This has led to improvements to the Early Years Foundation Stage and in the teaching of English throughout the school, which have contributed to pupils’ accelerated progress in these areas.  The headteacher and governors also ensure that additional funds are used effectively to meet pupils’ differing needs.  All staff promote excellent relationships with pupils and their parents and carers and keep pupils very safe. As a result, pupils behave and attend well. Pupils also say that they feel safe and enjoy school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector visited 13 lessons and was accompanied by the headteacher during the majority of these observations.  The inspector observed morning playtime and lunch breaks and also attended an assembly.  Meetings were held with members of the school council and many other pupils were spoken to during lessons and break times. The inspector met with governors and had a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector held meetings with school staff, including senior leaders.  The inspector also took account of ten parents’ responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, in planning and undertaking the inspection and also received ten staff questionnaires and one letter from a parent or carer. The inspector also spoke informally with a number of parents and carers as they brought their children to school.  The inspector observed the school’s work, and looked at a number of documents, including the

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Information about this inspection

school’s own information on pupils’ progress, planning and leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Alex Baxter, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Flushing is a very small school. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in a mixed Reception and Years 1 and 2 class. The other two classes are also mixed-age classes.  Most pupils attending the school are of White British heritage.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action broadly matches the national average. The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care, children from service families and those known to be eligible for free school meals, is above average.  The proportion of pupils joining or leaving the school at other than the normal times is above average and is often higher than this in some year groups, for example, Year 6 in 2012.

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Information about this school

 The school has experienced significant instability in staffing since the previous inspection and staffing in all classes has been subject to change during the past year.  The school did not meet the government’s current floor standards in 2012, which set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of good and better teaching by:  giving teachers more opportunities to learn from the best teaching practices evident in parts of the school, such as in Years 5 and 6  making sure that checks of pupils’ understanding and skills are used more consistently, especially in mathematics, to match learning activities and adult support to pupils’ abilities and so quicken their progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ achievement in mathematics by:  ensuring that pupils’ understanding and skills are developed in a step-by-step way, which builds on their previous learning, as they move through the school  more specifically extending the pupils’ basic numeracy skills, especially their understanding of the place value of number, through practical calculations and solving real-life problems  enabling the leader of mathematics to play a more effective role across the school in improving teaching in this subject.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Observations of learning in lessons, the work seen in pupils’ books and discussions with pupils show that the rate of progress made in mathematics in Years 1 to 4 is slower than in Years 5 and 6. This is because pupils’ understanding of the place value of number is not developed and embedded earlier or well enough through practical problem solving activities.  This means that even though progress quickens in Years 5 and 6 because work is focused more sharply on rebuilding pupils’ understanding through solving real-life problems, too often it is filling gaps in previous learning rather than taking skills to an even higher level. As a result, standards in mathematics are still below average by the time pupils leave the school in Year 6.  Children’s skills on entry vary significantly from year to year. While most show broadly expected personal and social skills, children’s communication skills are often below the levels normally

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

expected. Following improved provision in recent years children now make good progress during their Reception Year, except in mathematics, where it is more variable.  In English, in response to consistently good teaching that builds on pupils’ differing levels of understanding in communicating, pupils make continued good progress through the school. For example, in the Reception and Years 1 and 2 class, pupils compared and discussed real books to enrich their understanding of non-fiction books. The current, broadly average level of attainment overall in English at the end of Year 6, includes an increased number of pupils developing better skills, particularly in reading and writing; this reflects a positive improvement in standards.  Pupils in all age groups make good progress in reading. The pupils’ initial recognition and subsequent understanding of letter sounds (phonics) are taught effectively in a step-by-step way

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

and reflect improvement in recent years. Regular reading at school, including close individual attention from staff and voluntary helpers, good support at home and lots of opportunities to share and enjoy books, typifies the good learning experienced by all pupils.  Over time, the rate of progress made by pupils of differing needs and abilities and those arriving later than usual, is broadly similar. Similarly, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs benefit from sensitive additional adult support and also make good progress in developing their self-confidence and communication skills.  Pupils who benefit from pupil premium support have quickened their progress and now achieve at least as well as other pupils in English. These pupils also receive effective extra support in mathematics, but their progress fluctuates, as does others’ in the school, because teaching is inconsistent in some classes. As a result, the gap between their attainment and other pupils’ is

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

closing more slowly in mathematics. For Year 6 pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2012, this gap represented less than half a term’s progress.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Staffing instability has led to inconsistent teaching over time and in different years, especially in mathematics, and has slowed pupils’ progress as they move through the school.  Teaching requires improvement because, particularly through Years 1 to 4, teachers have not used checks of pupils’ progress well enough to develop the pupils’ basic numeracy skills before expecting them to be able to calculate effectively.  As a result, the teaching of mathematics is noticeably weaker than in English, particularly in Years 3 and 4. This is also because of the stronger emphasis placed on improving pupils’ speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in recent years and developing them further in other subjects such as science.  Currently for example, in the Years 5 and 6 class, teachers promote the pupils’ understanding of number through practical, investigative activities, for example exploring number patterns and

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

the inverse relationships between number operations. Pupils’ work and models of their homes displayed around the class also show how their understanding, for instance, of scale has been deepened through working on practical problems.  This successful ‘finding out for themselves’ approach is less evident in other classes and opportunities are not always taken for other teachers to observe such good teaching and improve their own practice.  Following improvement, the additional adult assistance provided for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and those supported by the pupil premium is meeting pupils’ needs and ensuring at least expected progress and increasingly good progress in reading and writing.  Discussions in groups or during whole-class sessions illustrate the good impact of the adults’ questioning in developing pupils’ understanding and vocabulary skills. For example, in a lesson in

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

the Years 3 and 4 class the teacher successfully encouraged the pupils to improve their letters written to describe holiday activities, and in a science lesson in the Years 5 and 6 class the teacher explored pupils’ ideas about how deep sea creatures adapt to their environment.  Such approaches also contribute well to the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy school and get on well with each other. Older pupils are very considerate of younger pupils and overall their very good relationships reflect a welcoming, supportive school community.  Pupils work well together in lessons, particularly in English. For example, when discussing their ideas with their partners, pupils’ progress quickened.  Pupils show positive attitudes to learning and behave well in lessons. They need very few reminders of how to conduct themselves. On occasions though, a few pupils could apply themselves more diligently when working independently.  Play and lunchtimes are happy occasions and although adults provide good levels of supervision, theirs is a watching brief rather than having to deal with incidents, again reflecting the pupils’ good behaviour and considerate relationships.  Pupils and their parents and carers say that bullying is rare, and this is borne out by school

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

records. Pupils were able to talk about the different forms that bullying might take and say, ‘We feel safe because adults look after us well and are quick to deal with those children who get a bit silly.’  Pupils are also knowledgeable about how to keep themselves and each other safe. For example, they enjoy learning to swim and recognise its importance in their local maritime location. Pupils also enjoy sport, appreciate the need to keep fit and welcome the increased opportunities to compete against other schools.  Attendance has steadily improved in recent years showing that most pupils attend well and also reflecting the positive response of parents and carers to the diligent work of the headteacher in only sanctioning absences in term time for those pupils with a record of good attendance.

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The leadership and management are good

 The very positive views of staff, governors and parents and carers reflect the steadfast and effective way that the headteacher has steered the school through a period of staffing instability. With stability now restored, his strong commitment to continued improvement is driving the school forward again.  Teachers’ performance is checked, with governors ensuring that considerations of teachers’ salaries are linked with clear targets to improve teaching and pupils’ progress. Other checks on how well the school is doing are thorough and the school improvement plan accurately identifies where further improvements are needed.  This approach has strengthened Early Years Foundation Stage provision identified by the school as in need of improvement and has secured good teaching in English across the school. In addition, the headteacher’s diligent work with parents and carers to successfully raise pupils’

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The leadership and management are good

attendance further shows the school’s capacity to sustain improvement into the future.  Subject leaders plan conscientiously for progress in their subject areas and welcome opportunities both for their own professional development and to support colleagues. However, in this very small school there is limited opportunity, except for the headteacher, to check and support teaching across the school, especially in mathematics, and this has constrained improvement.  Although additional adult support for some pupils in mathematics is proving beneficial, the school has recognised that the development of pupils’ understanding evident in Years 5 and 6 is not yet as consistent in other years.  Governors assist staff in caring for pupils and safeguarding their welfare. Strengths in promoting the pupils’ good behaviour and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development enable the school to manage pupils joining from other schools. These strengths are also underpinned by

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The leadership and management are good

close links with local organisations, including the Church and the Royal National Lifeboat Institute and by frequent visits out and about in the community.  Staff are fully committed to equal opportunity and work diligently to eliminate discrimination, to meet the needs of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and to welcome and support pupils arriving from other backgrounds. Additional funding such as the pupil premium is also used well to promote pupils’ equal achievement.  The local authority provides effective assistance, particularly in providing specialist support to guide the school in strengthening provision for children in Reception.  The governance of the school:  Governors play a supportive role in keeping the school at the heart of the community and promoting good links with parents and carers. Governors make good use of training opportunities, for example in vetting staff and safeguarding pupils’ welfare, and complete their

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The leadership and management are good

statutory duties effectively.  Governors manage finances efficiently, more recently sustaining sufficient supply staff during a period of staffing instability. Governors visit the school frequently and their collaborative work with staff subject leaders keeps them informed about the quality of teaching and learning. Governors also ensure that additional funds, such as the pupil premium, are used carefully to help those pupils supported to take an effective part in all school activity, including residential trips, and to progress as well as other pupils, especially in reading. Governors hold the headteacher to account ensuring that checks of staff performance lead to improved teaching, including for the youngest children and in English. Governors understand the need for care in comparing the school’s data with other schools’, but although raising pertinent questions, have not yet been as successful in helping to raise standards in mathematics.

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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 111988 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 411873

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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 Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 47 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Robert Hurrell Headteacher Mark French Date of previous school inspection 6–7 October 2009 Telephone number 01326 374498 Fax number 01326 374498 Email address head@flushing.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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