Penpol School

2 St George's Road, Hayle, Cornwall, TR27 4AH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Early years provision Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ outstanding achievements in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6 have been sustained .  Leadership and management are outstanding at all levels. Allleaders have sustained a focused drive for improvement.  The headteacher successfully communicates a shared understanding amongst staff that ‘At Penpol everyone achieves the best they can!’ This is reflected in the excellent relationships the school has withparents  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  The governors know the school very well and fulfil their duties effectively.  The behaviour of pupils is outstanding and this significantly supports their achievement. Pupils are confident learners who enjoy school and show a strong desire to do well.  The quality of teaching is outstanding across the school. Teachers’ consistently high expectations raise pupils’ aspirations and underpin their excellent progress.  Children make an excellent start to school in the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

Early Years Foundation Stage.  The school provides stimulating learning activities that strongly promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Staff place a passionate emphasis on creativity to ensure expressive arts and sporting opportunities enrich pupils’ skills and promote their love of learning.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors visited 28 lessons and learning activities.The lead inspector was accompanied by the headteacher for some of these sessions.  The inspectors observed morning and lunch breaks, attended an assembly and visited the breakfast club and other before-school activities.  A meeting was held with a representative group of pupils. Groups of pupils read to an inspector and many other pupils were spoken to during the inspection.  Inspectors met with a group of governors. The lead inspector met with a representative of the local authority and held a telephone conversation with a member of the local authority.  An inspector spoke with parents as they brought and collected their children from school. The inspectors also took account of the 48 parental responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning and undertaking the inspection.  The inspection team met with school staff, including senior leaders. The 28 questionnaires received from

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Information about this inspection

staff were considered.  The inspectors examined the school’s work and scrutinised documents. These included the school’s own checks on pupils’ progress, teachers’ planning and the quality of teaching and learning.  Inspectors consulted records relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance. They examined the school’s safeguarding policy, procedures and practice.  The inspectors also considered the school’s primary sport funding action plan.  The inspection team examined the school’s work in updating procedures for checking pupils’ progress within the new National Curriculum.

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Inspection team

Alex Baxter, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The majority of pupils attending the school are of White British heritage.  The proportion of disabled pupils or those who have special educational needs is above average.  A slightly below average proportion of pupils is supported by the pupil premium. This is additional government funding provided to give extra support to those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and to children who are looked after.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are admitted on a full-time basis and are accommodated in two Reception classes.  The school is currently led by an acting headteacher.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop more opportunities for pupils to engage in meaningful pastimes, including physical activity, during morning break and lunch times, to further enrich their health and well-being.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The acting headteacher is committed to building on the work of his predecessor. With continuing support from other senior managers, including governors, his encouraging leadership is successfully driving the school forward. For example, work in embedding the new National Curriculum and developments in checking pupils’ attainment are well advanced and having a postive impact on further strengthening their progress.  Senior and middle leaders are a united team. They set high expectations of every pupil and share a strong determination to help pupils achieve as successfully as possible.  Staff throughout the school provide an environment in which pupils excel in their personal development. This includes a strong focus on promoting pupils’ excellent behaviour to support their learning.  Leaders develop excellent links with parents and enjoy their full support. By setting high expectations and rewarding pupils’ they have secured above average attendance for pupils.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Staff treat pupils equally and do not tolerate discrimination. This is evident in all classes, where disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs have their contributions valued and are helped to progress as well as all other pupils.  Leaders ensure all staff rigorously implement well-established procedures to fully safeguard pupils.  Leaders at all levels complete rigorous checks of the quality of teaching. This enables leaders to focus on the right areas for development and so secure further improvement. Leaders make sure that teachers’ pay and performance are closely linked with raising pupils’ attainment. As a result, pupils’ achievement continues to rise and show a strong capacity to improve further.  Leaders ensure that pupils enjoy school and learn successfully across an exciting range of subjects. Staff encourage creativity through the expressive arts and use thought-provoking topics such as ‘Finding lost

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The leadership and management are outstanding

children in Hayle Sands’ to develop pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills.  Staff promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very successfully. Teachers ensure they follow up assembly themes such as those on tolerance and respect. As a result, pupils show empathy for others and are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Leaders ensure that additional government funding is used very effectively to provide additional teaching or additional adult assistance so that disadvantaged pupils learn and achieve as well as their classmates.  The leaders use the primary sport funding to further enrich the school’s extensive provision for physical education. The school employs skilled sports coaches to work with teachers and improve teaching and pupils’ skills in sports such as soccer, fencing and dance. The school also provides extra sports, such as swimming, rugby and hockey, and enables pupils to enter competitions in these events. As a result, over

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The leadership and management are outstanding

100 pupils, about a third of the school roll, now regularly attend at least one school sports club.  The school does not always make the best use of morning and lunchtime breaks to further improve pupils’ health and well-being.  The local authority recognises this is an outstanding school and provides it with appropriate ‘light-touch’ support.  The governance of the school: The governing body is extremely well organised and effective because governors keep their skills up to date through regular training. They fully meet all their statutory duties, including those for safeguarding pupils. Governors visit the school frequently. They challenge and question leaders about the work of the school and meet with staff, parents and pupils regularly in order to secure a very good understanding of the school’s strengths and where improvements are needed. Governors securely understand why the performance of

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The leadership and management are outstanding

pupils at Penpol compares very favourably with pupils in other schools nationally and how to sustain this positive situation. The detailed reports from the headteacher allows governors to keep a close check on the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning. This enables governors to understand how the performance of teachers is being managed and how this is aligned to their pay progression. Governors ensure that additional government funding is used wisely to support disadvantaged pupils to achieve as well as other pupils.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  School records and parents’ very positive responses to the questionnaire confirm the inspection evidence that pupils’ outstanding behaviour continues to be a strength of the school.  Pupils of all ages play and learn happily together, clearly showing their excellent moral and social development. As one pupil stated, typically representing the views of others, ‘When everyone is so nice, how can you not be nice back?’  Adults present caring role models and set high expectations of behaviour by giving lots of praise and encouragement. Pupils know what is expected of them, grow in self-confidence and share excellent relationships with each other and with adults.  Pupils respond well to the range of rewards offered for good behaviour and work. For example, the school has developed supportive links with parents and successfully motivates pupils using the ‘100% Attendance

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Behaviour

Badge’ reward scheme to secure above average attendance.  The pupils’ excellent behaviour in lessons greatly aids their learning. All of the Year 6 pupils interviewed by the lead inspector agreed when their friend commented, ‘I think the teachers are wonderful, so supportive and kind they help me to feel confident in my work.’  Pupils give of their best and show a high level of determination when undertaking numerous responsibilities, which include helping in the school office and in the library.  The pupils demonstrate excellent spiritual and cultural awareness. They talk with understanding about helping other people and with pride about how they value reading about each other’s views in their school newspaper, ‘The Penpol Times’.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  Staff place a strong emphasis on helping pupils to understand why respecting other people, as well as oneself, is so important. As a result, a warm and supportive atmosphere flows throughout the school.  Pupils, parents and staff agree that pupils are kept very safe and are looked after extremely well.  Parents express great appreciation of the care taken by staff in lifting pupils’ self-confidence, especially when pupils are new to the school or when in circumstances that may make them vulnerable.  Pupils know how to stay safe. They talk very knowledgeably about cyber-bullying and the helpful guidance provided by staff and displayed around the school.  Pupils understand that bullying can take many forms, but state firmly, ‘Not at this school.’ Parents who spoke to an inspector also agreed that bullying is not an issue in the school and that should it occur then

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The quality of teaching has gone from strength to strength since the previous inspection and is outstanding across the school. Morale amongst all staff is high.  Teachers and teaching assistants work very effectively together and set consistently high expectations to sustain pupils’ outstanding behaviour and commitment to learning.  Teachers and teaching assistants in all classes rigorously encourage pupils to give of their best. They gain the pupils’ respect by appreciating their efforts and ensuring that pupils enjoy their work. Consequently, pupils grow in confidence, concentrate on their work and learn exceptionally well.  Pupils respond eagerly to teachers’ questions in lessons and enrich each other’s learning experience by willingly sharing their ideas. For example, pupils in Year 6 demonstrated a deep level of thinking when reflecting about terms such as betrayal and perseverance in the story they were studying called,

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

Goodnight Mr Tom.  Teachers have also reviewed and refined the way they check pupils’ progress and set further targets for pupils. All pupils, including those who have special educational needs take careful note of what they are expected to achieve. They respond diligently to the clear guidance from their teachers on how to check their own work. As a result, pupils across the range of abilities, including the most able, progress and learn very well.  Teachers mark pupils’ work carefully and ensure they make excellent progress by setting further challenges that make sure pupils learn well.  Teachers have improved their teaching of phonics (linking sounds and letters) and reading, and this has improved pupils’ confidence in learning and is quickening the progress they make.  Teachers plan work carefully and provide a rich variety of activities relevant to pupils’ abilities to further develop their literacy and numeracy skills. Teachers plan topics that stimulate pupils’ interest in learning.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

For example, the teacher in Year 5 successfully used images of animals to improve pupils’ skills in using computers to transform images.  Parents are very pleased with the quality of teaching in the school. They work well with teachers in helping their children with homework, especially to practise basic handwriting, spelling and number skills.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Continuing high levels of attainment reached by pupils in national assessments at the end of Year 6 over the past three years represent outstanding achievement. Given the limited skills level demonstrated by children when they begin school in literacy and numeracy, these standards reflect exceptional progress.  As they move through the school, pupils’ rapid progress in reading, writing and mathematics is maintained in response to the rich learning opportunities and consistently strong teaching pupils receive. Many pupils excel in expressive arts, such as singing, dance and music. By the time they leave the school, pupils are extremely well prepared for the next stage of their education.  A scrutiny of pupils’ work in all classes showed the highly expressive quality of their writing. For example, in the imaginative Viking poems produced by pupils in Year 3. The pupils’ very neat handwriting and

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

carefully presented work in their books and in displays across the school reflect their strong commitment to high standards.  Observations of pupils during lessons also showed their well developed literacy and numeracy skills. For example, in a mathematics lesson in Year 5, pupils confidently converted improper fractions into mixed numbers.  Throughout the school, the high level of challenge set by teachers encourages the most-able pupils to make excellent progress. This is seen in the well-above-average proportion of pupils attaining the higher than expected standards, in national tests at the end of Year 6. The richness of pupils’ spoken responses in lessons and work in books supports this very positive picture.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make excellent progress in relation to their starting points. The caring approach taken by all adults makes sure there is sufficient challenge and

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

support for them to progress as well as other pupils.  The school uses additional government funding very effectively to support disadvantaged pupils. Consequently, by the end of Year 6, their levels of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics exceed those of other pupils in the school and all schools nationally.  In recent years, pupils in receipt of additional government funding have narrowed the gap in their attainment, when compared with other pupils in the school. They are about a term behind in reading and writing. In mathematics, although the gap was about three terms behind earlier this year, recent checks on pupils’ progress show that the gap is reducing rapidly. This is as a result of the outstanding teaching pupils receive which enables pupils to work at levels significantly above those expected for their age.  In recent years, pupils’ scores in Year 1 national checks on phonics were just below average. However

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

pupils have made significant progress from their low starting points. In 2014, phonics scores in Year 2 exceeded the national average and showed accelerated progress in response to consistently good teaching.  Pupils’ outstanding progress in reading continues throughout the school. By the time they leave the school, pupils’ reading skills are well above those found nationally, enabling pupils to learn extremely well across the range of subjects.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Leadership and management in the Early Years Foundation Stage are outstanding.  Leaders ensure that the classrooms and outdoor areas are very well equipped and that staff use resources creatively to support topic work which captivates the children’s interest very well.  The quality of teaching is outstanding and there is a ‘busy feel’ to the learning atmosphere as children ‘throw themselves’ eagerly into their activities.  Staff establish and maintain consistent routines and procedures to keep pupils safe. They work diligently to sustain warm working relationships with the children. Staff manage children’s behaviour and promote their social skills extremely well.  Children grow in confidence and make rapid progress in understanding how to learn and play happily together. Consequently their behaviour is outstanding and this underpins their excellent learning.  Children’s achievement during their time in the Early Years Foundation Stage is outstanding.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Many children enter school with very limited skills, especially in speaking, writing and mathematics. Staff in Reception classes work closely together and respond swiftly to the learning needs of children in order to keep them productively engaged in learning.  Teachers and teaching assistants are highly competent in developing children’s speaking skills. This enables them to extend children’s understanding of the world around them very effectively.  Staff carefully use information about children’s progress to keep their learning moving forward as rapidly as possible. They plan activities linked to topics that not only fascinate children but also develop their language and number skills. For example, children enjoyed learning to count using sets of Arctic animals and by building igloos made from milk cartons.  All children, including disabled children and those who have special educational needs, make outstanding

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The early years provision is outstanding

progress across all six areas of learning. Although children’s writing and mathematics skills are below expected levels on entry to Year 1, this represent outstanding achievement in relation to their low starting points.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 111849 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 449361

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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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 321 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jane Whitehouse Acting Headteacher Aidan Doyle Date of previous school inspection 26 September 2007 Telephone number 01736 753472 Fax number 01736 753472 Email address admin@penpol.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 and 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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