Nanstallon Community Primary School

Nanstallon Community Primary School Nanstallon, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL30 5JZ

p.1

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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The headteacher and the governors are very well focused on school priorities and are driving improvement well. As a result, the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement continue to improve.  Pupils currently in the school make good progress from their starting points because they are taught well. Their achievement in writing is particularly good.  Teachers know the pupils very well, giving them confidence and a keenness to do well. A thorough check on progress ensures that teachers know exactly how well pupils are doing and quickly give them some additional help if they need it.  The achievement of pupils in receipt of the pupil premium is equal to that of other pupils in the school.  Children settle very quickly into the Early Years Foundation Stage. They learn the class routines and are enthusiastic about all the exciting opportunities the school gives them. Their enjoyment in learning is very clear.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils behave well, they participate enthusiastically in lessons and they are well looked after. They feel safe and happy, as one pupil described it, ‘We all look after each other here.’  The very well respected headteacher provides effective leadership of a small, but strong, team, which is well supported by the governing body.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Progress in mathematics through the school is not as consistently good as it is in reading and writing.  Marking does not always help pupils to see what they need to do to improve.  Despite recent significant improvements, the quality of teaching in mathematics is not as consistently good over time as it is in reading and writing.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed seven lessons, four of which were joint observations with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, pupils from the school council, the Chair of the Governing Body and the staff member with a specific responsibility for the Early Years Foundation Stage and special educational needs.  A conversation was held with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector heard pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 read, observed morning playtime and lunch breaks, and attended an assembly.  Pupils’ work was scrutinised, including the ‘learning journey’ records of the youngest children. Displays around the school were also examined.  The inspection looked in detail at the quality of teaching and how much progress the pupils make in each year group in English and mathematics.  Note was taken of the nine responses to the staff questionnaire and the 17 responses made to

p.2

Information about this inspection

the online questionnaire (Parent View). The inspector met some parents informally at the start of the day.  A range of documents was looked at, including the school’s data on pupils’ progress, improvement planning, the school’s checks on how well it is doing, information on the quality of teaching and records relating to behaviour, attendance, performance management and safeguarding.

p.2

Inspection team

Anne Wesley, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Nanstallon is a much smaller than the average sized primary school. It has three classes, one for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Year 1, one for Years 2 and 3 and one for Years 4, 5 and 6.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and supported by the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after and children from service families) is just above average.  There are no pupils from ethnic minority groups or who speak English as an additional language.  There are fewer disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action than the national average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below average.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for

p.3

Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school is an active member of the recently formed Lanhydrock Partnership of five primary schools in the local area.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and raise achievement in mathematics to match that in reading and writing by:  providing more opportunities for pupils to practise their basic mental arithmetic skills  ensuring that pupils use their mathematical knowledge regularly to solve problems.  Improve the quality of marking in all subjects so that pupils know clearly how to improve their work and give them time to respond to the advice.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 There are a small number of pupils in each year group, so the results at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 vary from year to year but are consistently in line with national averages,and in some years better than that, especially in writing.  Pupils make good progress across the year groups from their individual starting points because of the consistently good teaching they experience.  Most children enter Reception with skills and understanding below what is expected for their age, particularly in their knowledge of numbers and counting. As a result of good teaching and activities closely matched to their needs, all children make good progress and they move into Year 1 with levels similar to those of pupils nationally.  Good progress continues through Key Stage 1, with particularly strong progress in writing. Achievement in writing is a real strength throughout the school. In the new grammar, punctuation and spelling test for Year 6 pupils, provisional results were well above national

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

averages.  The levels reached in mathematics are not as good as in reading and writing, but progress is accelerating.  Teachers work together to monitor the progress of all pupils, with the result that support is quickly targeted where it is needed. The support is delivered by skilled teaching assistants who work with pupils on individually tailored programmes. Therefore, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs mostly make good progress.  School leaders have identified correctly that the progress in mathematics of a few of the small number of disabled pupils or who have special educational needs is slower than it should be; however, effective targeted support is addressing this.  Pupils in receipt of pupil premium support also benefit from additional adult assistance. This grant is used effectively to include them fully in the range of school activities. As a result, these pupils make similarly good progress to other pupils in the school and nationally in English and

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

mathematics. However, there are too few pupils to be able to comment on their attainment compared to others.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good; teachers know their pupils well and so design tasks to meet their needs. Their expectations are high and they use questioning well to ensure each pupil’s full engagement and participation.  A strong feature of the best teaching is the close match of group tasks to pupils’ ability. For example, in a good mathematics lesson, when pupils were learning the early stages of multiplication, the match of task to ability ensured all the groups made good progress. The lesson was managed very well, so no time was wasted as each group only took part in the section relevant to them.  Pupils engage well with their lessons and the good pace of the teaching ensures high levels of interest and engagement. In class 1, children learnt very well how to write instructions, with the Year 1 writing an order for the class teacher and the younger children working outside playing soldiers and ‘ordering each other about’. This was modelled very well by the teaching assistant.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

The result at the end of the lesson was that all the class could pick out the instruction statements from a list.  Some of the best writing comes when teachers make good links across the curriculum, for example when older pupils were writing science fiction stories towards the end of their topic on space. Equally impressive writing was produced in Year 1 when pupils wrote about their impressions of The Fire of London. The class had been enthused by the topic, choosing to make the role play area the Pudding Lane Bakery.  However, fewer links have been made across the curriculum with mathematics, and the pupils do not regularly practise their numeracy skills in solving problems.  Pupils throughout the school enjoy reading and happily talk about their favourite authors and why they choose certain books. They are taught the early reading skills well and pupils in Year 2 have a range of effective strategies to use to tackle new words. However, the older pupils who

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

are fluent readers do not always show the more advanced skills, for example empathising with the characters or understanding the nuances in the story.  Pupils’ learning is enhanced effectively through the use of well targeted and stimulating computer programs.  Teachers mark pupils’ work carefully and regularly. In Class 2, pupils are told how to improve each piece of written work, which is very effective; however, this is not done consistently in all subjects throughout the school and pupils do not always get time to reflect on comments.  The mixed age classes often mean that there is a wide range of ability within the class. However, teaching assistants are used very effectively to ensure the progress of each group is good. For example, in Class 3 in a mathematics lesson, Year 4 pupils worked on simple fractions with a teaching assistant whilst Years 5 and 6 moved on to decimal and percentage fractions.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 There is a warm, welcoming atmosphere throughout the school. Pupils are friendly and polite. They get on very well with each other and with adults. All ages mix together well, both around school and in the playground.  Behaviour in lessons is good . Pupils have a positive attitude to their learning; they show an enthusiasm for all that is on offer to them.  Pupils are keen to make improvements to their work. This is particularly effective when they are writing.  Children in Reception learn the rules of good behaviour quickly. The strong links with the pre- school on site ensure the children settle in quickly to the class routines. The youngest children show maturity as they concentrate and persevere with activities, choose resources and make decisions together about their learning. They enjoy working together, collaborating well on wrapping large parcels for Father Christmas’ grotto, quickly realising that the task was much

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

easier when they did it together.  Teachers manage behaviour well. There is a consistent approach to managing behaviour throughout the school. Pupils understand it and could explain clearly how it works. ‘There are three steps but it hardly ever gets to number three.’  Pupils have a good understanding of the different kinds of bullying, including emotional, physical and cyber bullying. A very small number of parents have concerns about bullying at the school. However, the school records indicate that there is not a problem. The pupils, when asked, said there was not a problem with bullying and were adamant should anyone feel unhappy about something there would always be an adult to help them. They feel safe and happy.  Pupils enjoy taking responsibility and contributing to the life of the school. They are very proud of being part of the school council, especially in explaining how they think up lots of ideas to

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

help the charities they have chosen. Their responsibilities have grown as they join with the councils from the other schools in the trust, where they discuss the kind of activities the five schools could do together.  Teachers have high expectations that all pupils will participate fully in class discussions and so are effective in promoting equality of opportunity, fostering good relations and ensuring there is no discrimination.  The pupils’ improved attendance reflects their enjoyment of school and the good partnership with parents.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The school knows its strengths and weaknesses well through very systematic and rigorous checking of pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching. The headteacher has a very clear picture of what must be done next. This information is shared fully with the governors.  The school provides high quality care and guidance for all pupils, including pupils whose circumstances may make them vulnerable, demonstrating effective links with parents and ensuring that all pupils can benefit from the learning experiences that the school provides.  Effective performance management provides support, constructive criticism and appropriate training for the teachers’ work in the classroom. Actions to bring about improvement are always followed through to see if they are successful. As a result, the quality of teaching continues to improve.  Targets are set for teachers that are linked well with the progress pupils make and with staff

p.6

The leadership and management are good

training. The opportunities for staff training are greatly enhanced by working closely within the partnership of schools, as teachers can share their expertise and take part in shared training.  Pupils’ learning is enriched by a wide-ranging and interesting variety of subjects and activities, including opportunities to take part in day trips relating to their lessons as well as residential trips to camp for older pupils.  Leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage are good. The learning in the Reception class is firmly based on the children's needs and interest, so the children are enthused and motivated by all that is on offer for them.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well, including ensuring the strong links with parents and the village community are maintained, as well as strong links with a school in Uganda. The school’s ethos of care and support, valuing and including all pupils and

p.6

The leadership and management are good

promoting their self-esteem and aspirations, ensures that there are equal opportunities for all.  Leaders plan to make good use of the primary school sports funding. The plan includes the employment of coaches in a wider range of sports to encourage pupils to adopt a healthier lifestyle, and to train teachers to deliver these sports in the future. An audit showed that the teachers were less confident in delivering gymnastics and dance, so the grant is allowing additional support to this area of physical education.  The local authority provides light touch support to the school, as requested.  The governance of the school:  The governors are fully supportive of the school, but also consistently challenge its performance. The school’s robust system for checking pupils’ progress is fully shared with governors and they have a good understanding of how the school is performing compared to other schools both locally and nationally. They monitor carefully the use of pupil premium

p.6

The leadership and management are good

funding. The governors are well aware that the pupils entitled to this funding make at least as much progress as the other pupils. They are the driving force in ensuring that the school benefits fully from belonging to the Lanhydrock Partnership of schools, particularly in strengthening the position of the school for the future. They are fully engaged in the headteacher’s performance management and share his drive for continuous improvement. They are aware of the quality of teaching and how good teachers are rewarded for their performance and where underperformance was addressed in the past. Governors take part in various training courses to ensure they are fully up to date with all their areas of responsibility. The governors ensure that all their statutory obligations, including those related to safeguarding, are met.

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 111914 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 426851

p.8

School details

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

p.8

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 79 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jacquie Gammon Headteacher Peter Dingle Date of previous school inspection 14–15 June 2013 Telephone number 01208 831418 Fax number 01208 831418 Email address head@nanstallon.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 .

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

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’.

p.9

School details

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

p.9