Lerryn CofE Primary School

School report Lerryn Church of England Primary School Lerryn, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0QA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders and governors are effective. They closely analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the performance of staff and pupils to ensure improved teaching and achievement. They are committed to further improvement.  The Saints Way Trust board of directors are actively involved in the life of the school and give its leaders strong support.  Pupils behave well and are keen to learn. The school values every individual highly.  Pupils are kept exceptionally safe. Pupils say they feel very safe throughout the school day and are confident to find help or support if needed.  The quality of teaching is consistently good, with some outstanding practice.  Teachers and assistants ensure pupils’ good academic progress and development of personal skills. From their different starting points, pupils progress and achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics.  Children settle quickly into the school and make good progress in the Early Years

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

Foundation Stage.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well and they are well prepared for life in modern British democratic society. The school’s moral and spiritual values underpin all that it does.  Parents are supportive. They are right to be pleased with the quality of education and care that their children receive.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not outstanding enough for pupils to make excellent progress.  Some pupils find it difficult to remain focused on their work and are occasionally distracted.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 10 lessons. Three of these were joint observations with the executive headteacher. The inspector examined pupils’ work in their books and heard individual pupils read.  The inspector held meetings with pupils, subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, the Chair of the Governing Body, two other governors, the Principal of the Saints Way Church of England Multi Academy Trust, the Chair of the Academy’s board of directors and the school improvement leader.  A range of documentation was looked at, including: the school’s development plan, data on pupils’ current progress, information relating to the allocation of the primary school sports funding and pupil premium funding, and records relating to attendance, behaviour, safeguarding and curriculum.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms, around the school and on the playground.  The inspector considered the 10 responses to the online survey, Parent View, and met parents

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Information about this inspection

at the beginning and end of the school day.  The views of staff were taken into account through the seven questionnaires that they returned, and in discussions during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Mark Anderson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are White British.  Pupils are taught in two mixed-year classes. All Reception children attend full time.  About one in 10 pupils in the school is disabled or has special educational needs. This proportion is below average.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium is approximately one in seven pupils, which is below average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or are in care. These pupils are referred to as ‘disadvantaged’ in the report.  There were too few pupils in Year 6 in 2014 to report reliably on whether the school meets the government’s current floor standards – the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment.  Lerryn Church of England Primary School converted to become an academy school on 1 December 2012. When its predecessor school of the same name was last inspected by Ofsted, it

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Information about this school

was judged to be good overall.  The school is a member of the Saints Way Church of England Multi Academy Trust. The Trust consists of five local primary schools.  The school is led by the executive headteacher and the head of school. The executive headteacher leads four of the five primary schools in the Saints Way Academy Trust.  Some pupils join different year groups at other than the usual times.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching, by:  making sure that teachers check progress frequently during lessons so they move pupils, especially the most able, on to more challenging work as quickly as possible.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve individual pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning where necessary, by:  ensuring that all pupils take full responsibility for their own behaviour in class  making sure that teachers accept only excellent behaviour for learning in the classroom.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders create a school ethos in which respect and support for the individual are paramount. They ensure that the quality of teaching, achievement and the curriculum constantly improve.  The school’s culture and values embrace equality of opportunity for all. Leaders make sure that all pupils can participate fully in all activities. Discrimination is not tolerated.  Membership of the Saints Way Academy Trust enables staff and pupils to share expertise and resources with other schools. It also provides opportunities to extend pupils’ learning experiences. Consequently, the Trust contributes to improving teaching and accelerating pupils’ progress.  The executive headteacher, head of school and the school improvement leader of the Trust form a strong team who provide clear and determined direction for the school. As a result, leaders use robust systems to track and monitor the progress of all individuals and groups of pupils so

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The leadership and management are good

that good progress is maintained.  Leaders’ thorough checks on teaching lead to the setting of challenging targets for teachers to reach based on the progress pupils make. Leaders’ action results in better teaching for pupils in all year groups.  The school’s self-evaluation is accurate and identifies the right priorities for improvement. Leaders evaluate school performance accurately and set the right priorities for improvement. The result is a determined drive by all staff and pupils to improve educational provision and pupils’ achievement.  Subject leaders are effective in developing and improving their specific curricular areas. Consequently, they help to maintain good teaching and achievement.  The curriculum provides a wide and varied range of opportunities and activities which extend pupils’ learning well. For example, recent additional activities include visits from Callington Space Centre staff, pantomime trips, dance performances at Restormel Castle and trips to Truro library.

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The leadership and management are good

Pupils also participate in ‘forest school’ sessions, which give them confidence and broaden their learning.  There is a strong emphasis within the curriculum on valuing others and their cultures so that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. For example, the religion of Islam is a key topic. Pupils’ good behaviour, confidence and friendships show the result of the good provision made for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The school’s child-protection and safeguarding systems are highly effective and meet all statutory requirements. All statutory training for staff and governors is completed.  The pupil premium is used well to improve the education of disadvantaged pupils. The funding is allocated to provide teaching assistants who are well trained to give effective support to eligible pupils. Consequently, these pupils were seen to be making good progress during the inspection.

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The leadership and management are good

 The primary sports funding is used successfully to enhance pupils’ health and physical fitness. External sports coaching is helpful to pupils’ competence with sport. There are sports clubs available and opportunities to join academy Trust clubs. The funding also covers transport costs. Consequently, pupils take part in more tournaments and events.  Parents are right to think that the school is well led and managed. They are well informed and given many opportunities to be involved in their children’s education.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Governors know what the quality of teaching is and how teachers’ performance is monitored. They make sure that pay reflects teachers’ competence in enabling pupils to make progress. They oversee effective management of staff performance.  The governors are able to analyse and understand the data relating to pupils’ progress and

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The leadership and management are good

attainment. They observe lessons, look at pupils’ books and talk to them to form their own judgements on performance. They further reinforce their own judgements and those of the school’s leaders with external reviews.  Using their analysis of school performance, governors hold leaders to account for it and closely question the executive headteacher’s regular reports on the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Governors undergo regular training to improve their capacity to carry out their duties. They know how additional funding, including the pupil premium and sports grant, is allocated and make sure the funding is used effectively.  Governors ensure that safeguarding arrangements are fully effective and meet statutory requirements.  The Saints Way Trust board of governors provides good support and challenge to the school. The board has detailed knowledge of the school’s finances, which are managed centrally by

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. This contributes to their successful learning. However, a few individuals find it difficult to sustain their concentration in the classroom and do not take enough responsibility for their own behaviour.  Pupils are well mannered and happy. The school is a tight-knit ‘family’ community where all pupils mix well together and are supportive of each other. Older pupils look out for younger ones as a matter of course. Relationships throughout the school are strong, warm and supportive.  The school’s values are fundamental to its culture and ethos and are reinforced in whole-school assemblies. Pupils know the difference between right and wrong.  Pupils have confidence in the staff, who are all positive role models. There is minimal bullying. Pupils understand the concept of bullying and the different forms it can take. They are confident to trust the staff to deal with any issues or concerns fairly.

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Behaviour

 Pupils enjoy coming to school. Consequently, their attendance is well above the national average.  The school promotes pupils’ confidence and personal development very effectively. Pupils enjoy and respond well to having responsibility. They exercise this well, for example as house captains and playground monitors.  Pupils are proud of their school and speak highly of it. They willingly help teachers keep it tidy on a daily basis.  The school has an effective system of rewards and sanctions to which the pupils respond well.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  All parents who responded to Parent View or spoke to the inspector felt that their children were very well looked after and safe at school. Their views are fully confirmed by convincing evidence gathered during the inspection.  Procedures to ensure child protection are highly effective and are monitored regularly by the school’s leaders. Any vulnerable children are identified and supported with great care by leaders and staff.  Risk assessments for trips, on-site events and activities are very thorough, go into close detail and are kept up to date.  The school ensures that the premises and perimeter of the school are secure. All staff are rigorously checked prior to appointment. Arrangements for parents collecting and dropping off their children are carefully managed to ensure pupils’ safety.  Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe in a wide range of situations, including road

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Safety

safety awareness and using the internet safely.  The outstanding quality of the school’s diligence in all matters of safety is reflected in how rapidly new arrivals during term time are helped to feel very secure there. One new parent commenting on her child’s feeling of being secure at Lerryn summed it up with the words – ‘ So far, so very good’.

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Safety

 Teaching is typically good in both classes. It results in consistently good learning, progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teachers plan learning which engages and challenges the pupils, captures their interest and encourages the participation of all. For example, Years 1 and 2 pupils wrote their own version of a journey to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus, while pupils in Key Stage 2 were equally absorbed by a variety of sound experiments in science.  The quality of teaching is not outstanding because teachers’ expectations are not always high enough. In some lessons, work does not fully challenge the most-able pupils. Teachers do not always check pupils’ progress carefully enough in lessons so they can move them on to more challenging work directly. Very occasionally, teachers’ expectations of pupils’ concentration and attitudes to learning are not high enough.  Teachers have competent knowledge of the subjects taught. They usually question pupils well to

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Safety

check and reinforce their learning and understanding.  Pupils’ work is marked regularly, consistently and in accordance with the Trust’s marking policy. Staff celebrate pupils’ achievements and provide helpful guidance about how to improve their work.  Teachers and teaching assistants work extremely well together to help pupils who find learning more difficult. These include disadvantaged pupils and those who are disabled or have special educational needs. Consequently, these pupils achieve well and make good progress.  The school has recently introduced a new reading scheme across the school. This enables all pupils to develop a genuine interest in, and enjoyment of, reading across a wide range of subjects and writing styles. Pupils’ secure knowledge of phonics (sounds and the letters they represent) enables them to read widely and with confidence.  Pupils’ homework helps to support and extend their learning and includes a clear focus on

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Safety

reading, number and spelling skills each week. Homework provides good opportunities for pupils to reinforce their learning at home.  Children in the Reception Year are fully integrated into class 1 with Years 1 and 2 pupils. They are well taught and make good progress in their first year at school.

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Safety

 In such a small school, there are fluctuations in children’s standards on entry from year to year. However, pupils make consistently good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6 in recent years, results in all subjects are at least in line with, and often above, those seen nationally.  In 2014, pupils reached levels of attainment well above the national average in reading and writing, although standards reached in mathematics were lower.  Currently, pupils are making good progress in all subjects. Scrutiny of work in their books and lesson observations confirm their continuing good progress and achievement.  A significant proportion of pupils join the school late, often in Key Stage 2. These pupils settle quickly and make mostly good progress because their attainment on entry is rapidly assessed and they are given challenging work at the right level.  Disadvantaged pupils across the school make progress in line with their peers because of the

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Safety

additional support they receive. There were too few eligible pupils in Year 6 in 2014 to comment on their levels of attainment without identifying individuals. During the inspection, individual disadvantaged pupils were seen to be achieving well.  Most-able pupils across the school achieve well, but do not always make excellent progress. Occasionally, they are not challenged or stretched enough in some lessons and, therefore, some do not attain the highest levels of which they are capable.  The school attains standards in the phonics screening check in Year 1 that are consistently higher than the national average. Pupils quickly learn to read. They have many opportunities to read for a variety of purposes in lessons and their reading skills advance through the school.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar progress to that of their classmates. They receive targeted support that helps them keep up with learning and

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Safety

achieve well.  A number of children start school with limited personal, social and emotional understanding. The school concentrates on building pupils’ confidence and self-esteem, which helps them learn in later years.

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is good

 Children’s standards on entry vary considerably, but are broadly typical. Some enter with few personal and social skills, but all settle quickly and make good progress from their different starting points.  The Early Years Foundation Stage is well led and managed. Leaders make sure that the mixed- year class combining Reception children with Years 1 and 2 pupils does not restrict teaching or learning.  Teaching and learning are good. Teachers and teaching assistants know the children well and are able to meet the individual needs of every child. The staff monitor the progress of the children accurately and respond rapidly if progress slows. Consequently, most children reach a good level of development across all areas of learning by the end of their Reception Year.  Children behave well and quickly learn to get on with each other, and with the older pupils. Children who enter with few social skills acquire these quickly and benefit from the example of

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is good

the older pupils.  The informative learning diaries provide a detailed record of each child’s progress and achievements, and identify where any points for development are needed. Consequently, children’s development is confirmed as secure and any difficulties are addressed.  Children have varied learning opportunities. They enjoy using the well-equipped indoor classroom area and find it a stimulating environment for learning. The outdoor area has limited resources and space but these are used well. Effective opportunities are taken for learning in the wider community and support their progress.  The staff establish good relationships with parents through regular contact before each child starts school to encourage reinforcement of learning at home. Parents are kept well informed regarding their children’s welfare and learning.  Staff are exceptionally vigilant in ensuring the children are very safe at all times during the

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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 139089 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 449256

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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 Academy converter Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 39 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Des Monks Headteacher Karen Holmes (Executive Headteacher) Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01208 872620 Fax number 01208 872620 Email address head@lerryn.org 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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