St Newlyn East Learning Academy

School report St Newlyn East Learning Academy Station Road, St Newlyn East, Newquay, TR8 5ND

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 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

 St Newlyn East Learning Academy is a good, and rapidly improving, school that has regained a much respected place in the local community.  Leadership and management are outstanding. Since becoming an academy, the inspirational executive principal, has restored staff morale and empowered leaders to drive the school forward.  Staff leaders at all levels complete their duties very effectively. The learning advisory board and academy directors provide strong governance.  Staff and governors, operate as a highly effective team and have quickly re-established good teaching and pupils’ achievement across the school.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. Their enjoyment and parents’ restored confidence in the school are also reflected in pupils’ above average attendance.  Pupils are proud of their school. They show a great desire to please their teachers and to give of their best. Consequently, their highly positive

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

attitudes to learning are significantly quickening their progress.  The school’s work in keeping pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Without exception, pupils feel very safe and parents indicate that pupils are cared for extremely well at school.  Teaching is good. It is underpinned by the staff’s care in supporting pupils’ behaviour and interest in learning. Some teaching is outstanding, for example, in enabling many pupils to excel in phonics (knowing letter sounds) and in reading.  Standards have risen since the school became an academy. Pupils’ attainment was above average in Year 6 in 2014. Attainment continues to rise this academic year, especially in mathematics.  Currently, more Year 6 pupils are reaching higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics than those usually expected for their age. This represents good achievement by all the pupils in relation to their different needs and starting points.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The quality of early years provision is good. Children in the Reception class are taught well, enjoy school and make good progress.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Leaders are not yet fully using teachers’ best practice to secure more high quality teaching.  At times, teachers do not help pupils sufficiently to deepen their understanding when sharing ideas.  Pupils’ vocabulary is not extensive enough to fully enrich their ability to write expressively.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 12 lessons and saw the work of seven teachers. He was accompanied by senior staff during three visits to lessons.  A wide range of documents was scrutinised, including records relating to behaviour and attendance, safeguarding procedures and the school’s analysis of how well it is improving. The inspector examined the school’s systems for checking progress and records of checks on the quality of teaching. He also examined reports made to the local advisory board by the executive principal and the head of school.  The inspector talked to pupils about their work, and listened to individual pupils read. He also looked at samples of pupils’ work across a range of subjects and classes, especially writing.  The inspector held meetings with members of the local advisory board. Meetings were held with school staff, mainly senior and middle leaders. He also met with members of the school council. The inspector

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Information about this inspection

spoke to many individual pupils in lessons and around the school. The inspector met with the chair of the academy trust’s board of directors and the chair of the local advisory board.  The inspector took account of the views expressed in the 47 online responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire. He also took note of the school’s own survey of parental views completed earlier this year. The inspector gathered the views of some parents during informal meetings at the school during the inspection. Questionnaires completed by 14 members of staff were also analysed.  The inspector considered the school’s use of the primary physical education and sport funding and the pupil premium.

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Inspection team

Alexander Baxter, Lead Inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 St Newlyn East Learning Academy converted to become an academy school on 1 st September 2013. When its predecessor school, St Newlyn East Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted on 6 th March 2012 it was judged to require significant improvement and given a notice to improve.  The school is smaller 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 below average.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after) is well below average. Currently, and last year, there have been very few pupils in receipt of free school meals in Year 6.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for

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Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Children start the school’s early years provision in a Reception class on a full-time basis. Other pupils in the school are taught in six single-aged classes.  On 1 st September 2013, the school became a member of the Trenance Learning Academy Trust. This academy trust contains in total, four primary schools. A board of trust directors and an executive principal direct the work of the academy. The governance of each school is undertaken by its own local advisory board. The day-to-day running of this school is managed by a relatively newly appointed head of school.  Schools within the Trenance Learning Academy Trust also work in partnership with the Kernow Collaborative Trust, which is a Department of Education approved academy sponsor.  The school has experienced significant changes in teaching and leadership staff since becoming an

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Information about this school

academy.  A pre-school that also offers childcare to school pupils before and after school is located on the school site. This provision is not managed by the academy trust and so was not included in this inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to outstanding by:  sharing teachers’ best practice across the school  widening pupils’ vocabulary to enrich their ability to write expressively and descriptively  teachers helping pupils to deepen their own and each other’s understanding when sharing ideas.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The executive principal, closely assisted by the head of school, provide inspirational leadership. They are supported very effectively by the academy trust’s directors and by skilled and committed members of the school’s learning and advisory board.  The determined work of senior leaders has swiftly raised staff morale and secured a strong and united drive for improvement. They have accomplished this by uplifting the confidence and utilising and developing the skills of existing staff and those new to the school.  Leadership and governance at all levels have been significantly enriched through sharing expertise and by comprehensive training. Middle staff leaders as well as senior staff play a full and very effective role in checking the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning. Senior staff also work closely with academy directors and learning advisory board members so that they too have a detailed knowledge of how teaching impacts

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The leadership and management are outstanding

on pupils’ achievement. As a result, governors have strengthened their ability and effectiveness in assisting staff in the drive for improvement.  The quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement are good and are rising rapidly, including for example, in developing pupils’ phonic understanding and reading skills. Attendance has also been improved and teaching is increasingly outstanding, especially in securing pupils’ excellent behaviour.  Parents hold the school in high regard. The responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire are very positive. The comments of those parents who spoke to the inspector were also highly appreciative of the work of the school. Most made particular reference to the vastly improved facilities and refreshed and supportive atmosphere now helping their children to enjoy their work and do better at school.  The academy trust provides excellent support. There is very effective liaison between school and academy

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The leadership and management are outstanding

leaders and staff across the partner schools. This enables the school to secure a culture where good and better teaching and outstanding behaviour can thrive into the future.  Senior leaders manage the development of staff very effectively sustaining a close link between movement along pay scales and raising pupils’ attainment. For example, they ensure that all levels of staff leadership are held to account for checking and improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress.  Leaders use information from these checks to provide high quality professional development, often from specialist colleagues across the academy. Teachers are challenged to account for their pupils’ progress and readily act on any recommendations. By these means the school is successfully using and improving staff skills. Currently though, opportunities for staff to observe each other and to share their outstanding practice, are not fully developed.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The schools’ safeguarding arrangements are comprehensive, fully meet statutory requirements and are very effective in keeping pupils safe at all times. Leaders ensure that procedures to check the suitability of staff and to assess possible risks to pupils are of the highest quality.  All staff work diligently and very effectively to get to know the pupils. They treat them with empathy and respect to secure equality of opportunity and prevent discrimination. This is clearly evident, for example, in the effective way disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are helped to sustain good progress.  The curriculum is broad and extremely well-planned in providing relevant opportunities for pupils’ to develop their reading, writing and mathematical skills in other subjects. The curriculum is enriched by memorable learning experiences for the pupils, such as residential trips, visits to places of interest and

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The leadership and management are outstanding

particular topics such as beach studies.  Pupils are provided with good opportunities to widen their understanding of democracy and to prepare them well for life in modern Britain. For example, they participate in elections to the school council and decide which charities to support. Pupils’ skills in working in the community and in obtaining the sponsorship needed to design and make a car made them this year’s local authority ‘Goblin Car Champions.’  Pupils also learn well about British values. For example, during topic work pupils’ learn that cultural practices seen in other parts of the world are now accepted customs in communities around modern Britain.  All staff work with conviction and empathy to sustain a very caring school community that strongly promotes the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The emphasis on the ‘6Ps’, which encourages everyone to persevere, do their very best and help each other, strongly underpins excellent

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The leadership and management are outstanding

relationships and behaviour. Pupils reflect about Christian festivals such as Easter and other religious celebrations such as the Hindu festival of Diwali.  The school uses the pupil premium funding effectively. This academic year, the school has carefully revised the way it uses the small amount of pupil premium funding that it receives. The funding is used well to ensure that disadvantaged pupils can participate in the full range of school activities, such as attending visits and sporting events. This year additional adult support and assistance in helping pupils to attend school more regularly is encouraging some of them to achieve even better than their classmates.  The school makes good use of its primary school sport funding. The school works co-operatively with schools in the academy and in the local community to purchase the services of skilled sports coaches. They provide additional training for staff and develop pupils’ skills across a wider variety of sports,

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The leadership and management are outstanding

including golf, cricket and ‘Zumba.’ This is raising standards and increasing pupils’ participation in sports. For example, for the first time ten pupils from this school are competing in golf and four pupils have been entered for swimming events in ‘The Cornwall Games.’  The governance of the school:  The structures of governance have been significantly changed and implemented very effectively since the school became an academy. The oversight of the school and full adherence with all statutory requirements, including safeguarding and finance, is secured very effectively by an academy board of directors.  Aspects concerning the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning, including staff and governors’ training and the curriculum, are governed equally effectively by a learning advisory board. Those involved in the governance of the school have sharply defined responsibilities and visit the school regularly to see the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

school in action for themselves. They share their skills and have developed them further though regular training.  Directors and learning board members receive detailed reports about the work of the school from staff leaders and question them closely. They hold staff leaders to account for teachers’ performance and by checking data of pupils’ progress, know about the quality of teaching and how it affects pupils’ achievements. They understand well the process for setting targets for teachers and make sure good performance is appropriately rewarded. Equally, they ensure that any underperformance by staff that affects pupils’ underachievement, is quickly corrected. On becoming an academy the directors’ and learning board members’ commitment to secure as stable a staff as possible has strongly contributed to pupils’ better progress.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  The school’s promotion of the ‘Six Golden Rules’ successfully encourages pupils to think about and develop their personal and social skills. All adults who work in the school are particularly successful in modelling and emphasising the virtues of hard work, being a good listener and being ready to learn. As a result, pupils behave exceptionally well in and out of lessons and demonstrate excellent attitudes to learning.  Pupils say, ‘We like our teachers because they are very kind, caring and fair.’  Parents agree that teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well. Parents also acknowledge that their children love coming to school and appreciate the way all staff treat pupils with the same equally high level of respect and care.  The pupils’ enjoyment of school and the staff’s mutually supportive links with parents also help to sustain above average levels of attendance.

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Behaviour

 School records show that the very few pupils who have needed extra support for their behavioural and emotional needs have responded particularly well. Consequently, there have been no exclusions in recent years.  Pupils show great respect and are very polite towards adults in assemblies and to visitors. All pupils try hard to please their teachers and to help each other to learn, for example, by sharing ideas with their ‘Talk Partners’.  Pupils show great consideration of each other’s needs as they move around the building. They play and mix very amicably at break times, with older pupils being very mindful and sensitive to the needs of younger children.  Pupils enjoy the responsibilities they are given and learn important lessons about democracy when electing school councillors and making choices about which charities to support. Discussions during assemblies and in class teach pupils to respect each other’s views, but to be mindful about the danger of

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  All staff consistently implement the school’s comprehensive health and safety procedures. They adhere very carefully to agreed policies. They ensure, for example, that guidance in the form of risk assessments keep pupils safe when using climbing equipment and during visits out of school.  Pupils told the inspector that they feel very safe in school. Pupils on the school council agreed, ‘Adults keep us very safe and check that gates and doors are locked properly.’ Pupils readily explained that should they have any concerns then they would have no hesitation in telling a teacher, ‘Because they would act quickly to keep us safe.’ Parents spoken to during the inspection confirmed this view and have every confidence in the diligent way that all staff care for their children at school and during visits.  Pupils demonstrated that they know how to stay safe, both in and out of school. They are very mindful of

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Safety

the need for road safety and to be cautious of strangers. They talk about cyber bullying with equal awareness and show a good understanding of how to use computers safely. Pupils know about other types of bullying including racial and physical abuse. They say incidents of bullying are very rare at school and that staff are, ‘Very quick to sort it out.’

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good. School and academy checks of teaching indicate that the additional training given to existing and new staff has continued the rapid improvement in teaching over the past year.  Pupils’ learning in class and of their work in books, also show the improved and sometimes outstanding quality of the teaching. For example, all teachers manage pupils’ behaviour extremely supportively. In response, pupils’ enthusiastic and sustained commitment to their work makes a significant contribution to them making increasingly rapid progress.  The teaching of phonics and more recently spelling are highly organised across the school, with pupils stimulated by daily challenges. For example, teachers use frequent checks of pupils’ developing skills to make sure that work is presented at the right level to build on their skills and extend their understanding. As a result, all pupils, including disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and the most able,

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The quality of teaching is good

make equally successful progress in relation to their starting points.  Pupils’ rapid progress in reading has a powerful impact in enriching their learning across the curriculum. For example, pupils read and make effective use of the informative provided in good quality displays in all classrooms. Pupils readily glean information from the books and work sheets given to them by teachers. Consequently, they know what is expected of them and lose no time in beginning their productive work and learning.  The teaching of writing and mathematics is good and improving across the school. For example, the teachers’ raised expectations and good questioning to extend pupils’ understanding are reflected in their eager responses during lessons. Similarly, teachers give pupils’ detailed written and oral guidance about what they need to do next to improve and this is clearly evident in the very neatly presented work in

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The quality of teaching is good

pupils’ books.  Teachers are increasingly using technical terms effectively to extend pupils’ understanding, as for example in Year 3, where pupils discussed the meaning of words such as ‘brusquely’ and ‘tentatively’. This is positively raising pupils’ understanding and quickening their progress, including in mathematics.  Teachers and teaching assistants are also placing a stronger emphasis on extending pupils’ wider vocabulary than in the past. Currently, this has not been implemented long enough across the school to provide all pupils with the breadth of vocabulary needed to fully support their expressive writing.  Pupils wholeheartedly share their ideas and discuss their opinions. This generally has a positive impact on their learning, especially in stimulating their interest and social development. Occasionally, teachers do not always help pupils sufficiently to deepen their own and each other’s understanding when sharing ideas, in

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The quality of teaching is good

order to make more rapid progress. This is why teaching is not outstanding.

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The achievement of pupils

 Achievement is good and has improved strongly since the school became an academy. Pupils make good progress overall and achieve well. An increasing number of pupils are doing even better in response to a raised proportion of outstanding teaching. This is seen, for example, in pupils’ continuing above average performance in Years 1 and 2 phonic screening checks.  In 2014, pupils’ attainment in national assessments at the end of Years 2 and 6, was above average in reading and writing, but average in mathematics. This academic year new and established teachers, aided by training and the support of specialist colleagues across the academy, have improved their practice. As a result, and especially now in mathematics, pupils make good and sometimes faster progress.  In all classes a higher than expected proportion of pupils display levels of skill that are above those normally seen for their age. For example, pupils in Year 3 used their good knowledge of equivalent

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The achievement of pupils

fractions to develop their understanding of decimals.  Pupils’ listening and reading skills are developed very effectively. The pupils’ much improved and very impressive attitudes to learning also support their faster progress. For example, pupils in Year 6 listened very carefully to the teachers’ oral guidance. Next they read the teacher’s written guidance in their books and because they knew what to do they confidently set about improving their writing.  Pupils’ very good reading skills greatly aid their ability to learn and undertake research for themselves, reading from texts, books and computers.  Pupils are developing their writing and mathematical skills more quickly now than in the past. However, some pupils have still not acquired the breadth of vocabulary needed to deepen the quality of their expressive writing, in order to make more rapid progress. This is why achievement is not outstanding.

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The achievement of pupils

 The specialist co-ordinator works effectively with teachers to make sure that disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are identified at an early stage. Consequently, they make good progress because the teaching and additional support they receive successfully tackles their specific learning difficulties.  Similarly, the few disadvantaged pupils receiving additional adult help or other provision funded by the pupil premium also progress equally well in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because their learning needs are sharply addressed.  Currently, there are too few pupils in receipt of free school meals in Year 6 to make relevant comparisons between their attainment and that of other pupils in the school and nationally. Even so, because they have extra support as well as beneficial guidance from their class teachers, most disadvantaged pupils now make better progress than other pupils nationally.

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The achievement of pupils

 The most able pupils also progress at a faster rate than in the past in response to the teachers’ raised expectations and their own more determined efforts. The frequent challenges now presented to these pupils, including when they learn with their peers across the academy, also promote at least good and increasingly better progress.

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The early years provision

 The leadership and management of early years provision are good. The new teacher is supported very effectively by the academy’s early years co-ordinator. The executive principal and head of school also ensure that early years provision is given strong emphasis.  Leaders and mangers have promoted continued improvement. For example, boys’ curiosity and achievement have both been raised this year by developing their learning and work through activities based on interesting topics such as ‘Super Heroes.’  Children’s skills on entry to the school typically reflect those seen for their age. Children settle very quickly and make a good start in the Reception class. They make good progress across all areas of learning because they are warmly welcomed and taught well.  The teacher and teaching assistant develop very supportive relationships with the children and encourage them to show the same empathy to each other. Adults also promote joy in finding things out together to

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The early years provision

enthuse and sustain the children’s interest and perseverance in learning. As a result, children behave extremely well and make excellent progress in developing self-confidence and social skills.  The supportive atmosphere enables children to engage and achieve well in a rich variety of activities provided both indoors and outside. There was real joy in discovery and a very beneficial exchange of ideas during the inspection, for example, when children noticed the first time a tadpole grew legs and became a frog.  Adults make every effort to get to know the pupils and use praise well to value their efforts, raise their confidence and help them achieve well.  Children of all abilities, including the few disabled pupils and those with special needs and some with most ability, benefit from close adult support. For example, adults join them in the Indian’s Tent or for a picnic in the popular outdoor area.

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The early years provision

 Adults ensure that safeguarding arrangements are implemented highly effectively to keep pupils very safe.  Typically in Reception, children joyfully count numbers displayed on an inter-active whiteboard and excitedly acknowledge how far they can go, some counting up to one hundred.  The teacher and teaching assistant observe and check the children’s developing skills frequently. They take digital photographs and make notes of the way children participate in their learning.  The teacher stores these records electronically using a hand held computer and shares them with other staff and parents to accurately plan and develop the next steps of learning for each individual child.  As a result, by the end of the Reception year the percentage of children reaching a good level of development is above national. This shows that children achieve well and are well prepared for Year 1.

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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 139955 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 450249

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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 sponsor-led Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 127 Appropriate authority Academy Trust Board of Directors Chair of the local advisory board Steven Dunn Executive principal Lisa Mannall Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01872510407 Fax number 01872510921 Email address secretary@st-newlyn-east.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

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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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