Weeth Community Primary School

Weeth Community Primary School Holman Avenue, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 7GA

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The inspirational headteacher, with good support from leadership at all levels, has worked relentlessly to improve this school.  Governors implement very effective procedures to check the work of the school. They are rigorous in holding senior staff to account and have supported them well to secure good teaching.  The school’s very caring sense of community strongly promotes the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Staff ensure that pupils are equally valued. They follow the headteacher’s exemplary lead and provide unwavering support for those considered most vulnerable.  Pupils make good progress from their differing starting points. Standards continue to rise, especially, for example, in mathematics, as pupils apply themselves with increasing confidence to their learning. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education when they leave the school.  Leaders use additional government funding

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This is a good school

effectively to support disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs or disability. As a result, these pupils make good progress and sometimes better progress than their classmates.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has been systematically improved since the previous inspection and is now good.  Teachers work effectively with teaching assistants to ensure that learning is suitably challenging and motivates the pupils to ‘have a go.’  Pupils enjoy school, behave well and share excellent relationships with each other and with adults in the school. Pupils are especially appreciative of the way caring staff keep them safe and are particularly knowledgeable about how to stay safe and keep each other safe.  Children experience a successful start to early years schooling in the Reception class. They enjoy learning in the much improved outdoor areas.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils are sometimes not given enough information about what they have to do to improve their work. This can restrict their progress.  Pupils’ handwriting and spelling skills are not always emphasised and developed well enough.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the quality of information provided by teachers to the pupils about how to improve their work, both written and verbal, so that pupils can make their work as good as it can be.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Place greater emphasis on developing the pupils’ handwriting and spelling skills as they move through the school.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher has steadfastly sustained very effective leadership since the previous inspection. With full support from committed governors, the headteacher has built and empowered an effective team of leaders at all levels. Together they have established a culture where equal opportunity, good teaching and pupils’ positive attitudes to learning thrive.  The school lies at the heart of the community that it serves. Leaders communicate well with parents and work supportively with them. Parents appreciate the way that staff encourage them to play their part in raising aspirations of what children can and should achieve.  Team leadership and a strongly shared vision for improvement have secured good teaching and have improved pupils’ progress. The leaders’ willingness to share expertise with partner schools in The Crofty Learning Trust and the impact of that work further illustrate the school’s secure capacity to bring further

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

improvement.  Senior leaders and middle leaders collaborate well. They have embedded new and effective systems for checking the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress. They note though that they have not yet secured best practice in developing pupils’ spelling and handwriting skills and are now working to ensure these aspects are tackled more consistently.  Leaders at all levels use the information gathered to identify the right areas for improvement. They are diligent in enlisting, wherever necessary, skilled support from outside agencies, especially the local authority, to drive the school forward.  Leaders of the early years stage, and of the support for pupils who have special educational needs or disability, work effectively to help individual pupils to achieve well. Leaders are similarly determined in securing the welfare of pupils considered vulnerable and in combating discrimination.  Senior leaders manage teachers’ performance effectively. They ensure a close link between teachers’ pay,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

targeting school improvement priorities and quickening pupils’ progress.  Leaders are equally rigorous in making best use of additional government funding to ensure that disadvantaged pupils are not only included in the full range of school activity, but also achieve as well as other pupils.  School leaders make effective use of the physical education (PE) and sports premium funding for primary schools. In partnership with other schools, specialist coaches are deployed well to enrich teachers’ and pupils’ skills. Funds are also used to provide a widened range of sports including, for example, surfing, fencing and dodgeball. Pupils say they enjoy these new sports and school records show much increased participation rates and joy in learning, especially by disadvantaged pupils.  The curriculum is broad and balanced, includes all the required subjects, and is focused well on the key skills of reading, writing and mathematics. The curriculum is enriched by stimulating topics and extra-curricular

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

clubs. In particular, the development of a wider range of learning opportunities outdoors, including for children in Reception, has played a key role in motivating pupils to learn.  Teachers make strong use of assemblies, theme days and displays to promote the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, displays of world faiths including Hinduism and Sikhism and of modern Britain and British values, such as being helpful young citizens, reflect the strong emphasis given to these aspects in all classes.  The school’s values, which include determination and respect for others, permeate school rules and class routines. They also underpin the responsibilities offered to the pupils. For example, school councillors are very mindful of the needs of others when they plan charitable events and prefects show empathy when assisting other pupils.  The local authority has contributed well to school improvement. Their specialist advice has helped to raise

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

the skills of school leaders in ensuring that teaching impacts well on pupils’ progress. Recent local authority reviews rightly identify that the school now possesses the expertise needed to sustain its own momentum of improvement.  The governance of the school Governors fulfil their duties effectively. They have taken full advantage of the skilled support and training provided by the local authority since the previous inspection. This has helped them to strengthen the way they check the work of the school, including their ability to analyse information about the impact of teaching on pupils’ attainment and progress. Governors receive detailed reports from leaders at all levels and visit the school regularly to see the quality of pupils’ learning for themselves. As a result, governors hold leaders to account effectively. Governors check that staff performance is managed well and that teachers’ pay rewards good teaching.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Governors ensure productive use of additional government funds, such as the pupil premium and PE and sports premium funding for primary schools. Governors play a very supportive role in developing close links with the parents and fully support the headteacher in driving improvement and securing a culture where pupils’ efforts and good behaviour can thrive.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The staff of the school work diligently to keep pupils safe. Statutory safeguarding requirements are fully met. Leaders ensure that staff training is kept up to date so that agreed procedures are implemented effectively. The headteacher plays a strong, additional role in ensuring the safety of pupils considered to be vulnerable.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Leaders and teachers work well in teams and collaborate to similarly good effect with teaching assistants. Together, they are united in their efforts in using their good subject knowledge and expertise to help all pupils achieve well.  In recent years, teachers have improved the way they gather information about pupils’ progress. There is good consistency now in the way teachers use assessment information to set work that is suitably challenging and manageable for different groups of pupils. This is effective in supporting pupils’ good progress and has raised pupils’ attitudes and their interest in their work.  Adults promote excellent relationships and encourage and value pupils’ efforts. Pupils express appreciation of the way teachers listen to their points of view. They also welcome and respond well to the clear routines and high expectations of behaviour sustained by teachers in all the classes.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Pupils of all abilities follow instructions cheerfully and a calm, respectful atmosphere underpins effective learning across the school.  Pupils respond well to the guidance offered by staff and are keen to improve their work. However, the quality of information provided to the pupils, both verbally and written varies across the classes. Consequently, some pupils are right when they say that they don’t always fully understand or know what they need to do in order to improve their work. On these occasions, this impedes their progress.  Teachers plan work that is interesting for the pupils. As a result, pupils say that they learn well and often say that this is because work is fun. For example, pupils in Year 5 enjoyed constructively challenging each other’s views about how to make full use of punctuation during their expressive reading. Consequently, they learned well.  Pupils are also learning more effectively in mathematics now. This is because teachers are motivating pupils

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

by challenging them to tackle real-life problems. Pupils see the relevance of such work and learn well, as for example in Year 3, advancing their understanding of how the term ‘altogether’ can indicate the need to add numbers when solving problems.  Teachers make sure that the work set for pupils across the range of abilities meets their needs. Teachers have also increased their expectations. For example, teachers constantly question pupils to widen their vocabulary and encourage them to use a variety of descriptive terms to enrich their writing.  Teachers are effective in making sure that pupils make good progress in using grammar and punctuation correctly to support their expressive writing. However, pupils’ spelling and handwriting skills are not always developed well enough. Consequently, improving these skills remains a priority for the school.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils demonstrate a strong sense of community and during lessons, in assembly and at breaktimes, clearly respect each other’s points of view.  Pupils in all parts of the school now show good attitudes to their learning, in and out of class. This is a major improvement since the previous inspection that is underpinning their good progress.  Pupils respect their teachers, value each other and their ideas, and are keen to learn.  Pupils have a very good knowledge about how to stay safe and are particularly mindful and appreciative of the way staff work hard to keep them safe at school. They confidently state that they feel very safe at school. All the parents and pupils who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaires expressed the view that children are safe and happy in school.  Pupils follow school rules carefully and show consideration of each other at breaktimes. Pupils are keen to

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Personal development and welfare

take part in training, for example ‘Bikeability’ to help them in riding bicycles safely on the roads.  Pupils undertake a range of responsibilities in a mature manner. For example, school councillors plan charitable events and prefects, healthy tuck shop monitors and playground leaders help other pupils at break times. Pupils are proud of these roles and take them seriously.  Pupils have a good understanding of different forms of bullying, such as verbal and cyber-bullying. They say that while it can happen in school it is greatly reduced compared to the past. Their responses to the Ofsted and school’s questionnaires reflect their full confidence in the way that adults deal with any instances swiftly.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils behave well in and out of lessons. At times, for example during the World Book Day Assembly, and during breakfast club, pupils’ behaviour is exemplary and typified by their respect for adults and each other’s efforts.  Pupils say that behaviour is much better now than at times in the past and this is borne out by the school’s records.  The vast majority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s questionnaire, Parent View, felt that pupils were well behaved in school.  Pupils listen attentively to their teachers and respond well to questioning in class. They are keen to succeed, but at times, the quality of their work in books, especially handwriting, shows that some could take greater pride in their work.  Pupils are proud of their school. They move around the school sensibly and use resources, such as computers and, when dry, the new multi-sports facility, respectfully and appreciatively.

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Behaviour

 The headteacher leads a rigorous drive to improve attendance and works very supportively with families. As a result, pupils’ attendance rates have improved and now broadly match other schools nationally.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils’ achievements at the end of Year 6 have risen well since the previous inspection. Over time and currently, in Year 6, standards in reading, writing and mathematics have mostly matched the standards expected for their age. These reflect good progress from the pupils’ lower than typical staring points.  Leaders have supported teachers effectively to sustain children’s mostly good progress and outcomes in Reception and through Key Stage 1.  In recent years, rigorous action by leaders and the appointment of new staff have quickened pupils’ progress through Key Stage 2. This is now apparent in the quality of the pupils’ responses in class, in school checks of their progress and in pupils’ recorded work.  This is especially evident in mathematics, for example, where raised teachers’ expectations and a more effective approach to developing the pupils’ basic numeracy and reasoning skills has lifted the pupils’

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Outcomes for pupils are good

confidence and ability to solve problems.  The pupils’ performance in the Year 1 phonics (sounds that letters make) screening checks has varied in recent years, but has been mostly close to or above average. The school is addressing this issue well by identifying pupils’ needs at an earlier age and this is lifting pupils’ skills.  Pupils’ performance in phonics screening re-checks and in teacher assessments of reading at the end of Year 2 continue to be above average in response to good teaching.  Teachers in Key Stage 2 classes are increasingly building on this positive start by emphasising reading skills more often in literacy lessons. Pupils are encouraged to share and enjoy books as seen, for example, during World Book Day activities. This has rapidly improved the rates of progress across the year groups so that all groups of pupils now make good progress in reading.  Pupils make good progress in writing, especially in developing their punctuation and grammar and their

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Outcomes for pupils are good

ability to write expressively in meaningful sentences. At times though, the inaccuracy of pupils’ spellings and the untidy quality of their handwriting, especially when using worksheets, detracts from their ability to express their ideas fluently and imaginatively.  Disadvantaged pupils and those pupils who have special educational needs or disability make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Activities are planned accurately to meet pupils’ needs. Pupils receive effective support to sustain good progress and ensure that any gaps in attainment with other pupils in school and other pupils nationally are either closed or narrowing rapidly.  Pupils entering the school other than at the normal times are warmly welcomed and well-supported. They settle quickly and make good progress through having their needs identified and tackled at an early stage.  Teachers and teaching assistants liaise well with outside specialists to ensure that pupils who have special

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Outcomes for pupils are good

educational needs or disability receive carefully-planned and effective support. As a result, these pupils make at least good and sometimes even better progress in relation to their needs and starting points.  The headteacher has given a strong lead in raising aspirations for all pupils, including the most able. Teachers routinely provide more challenging work that deepens and extends their understanding. Specific initiatives, such as small-group tuition from the headteacher in mathematics and, for example, particularly challenging questioning during the science club, are helping pupils to reach higher standards. As a result, the most-able pupils make the same good progress as their peers in other subjects across the curriculum.

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Early years provision is good

 The majority of children begin Reception with skills that are below those typical for their age. Children benefit from effective teaching that promotes their good progress. As a result, an above average proportion of children reach a good level of development by the end of their year in Reception and are well prepared for future learning in Year 1.  Leadership of the provision for children in Reception is good. It has been further strengthened by determined support from senior leaders, including governors. For example, leaders have significantly improved the outdoor facilities to enrich the children’s learning experiences since the previous inspection.  Staff work well as a team. Their skilled and knowledgeable collaboration ensures that the needs of individual children are met effectively. For example, they ensure that additional government funding is used well to help disadvantaged children achieve as well as their classmates.

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Early years provision is good

 Staff share the task of checking the children’s progress. They carefully record their observations of the children’s developing skills in ‘Learning Journeys’. The staff discuss the information gathered and consult closely with parents so that children are enthused by the work planned for them.  Staff have identified that the children’s vocabulary and speaking skills are often the least well-developed on entry to school. They provide a range of opportunities for children to extend these skills by writing and talking about their freely chosen activities. On occasion, children are not encouraged well enough to participate in these activities and this restricts their progress in developing these skills. Even so, staff provide a good balance of adult-led experiences and those chosen by the children themselves. The stimulating range of activities provided both indoors and outside sustains the children’s good progress across all areas of

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Early years provision is good

learning, including their speaking skills.  The leader cultivates extensive links with pre-school providers and with other agencies to provide the children with a smooth start to their full-time schooling. All staff establish strong and supportive links with parents to make sure that children’s emotional and learning needs are identified and tackled at an early stage. As a result, all children, including the most able, those considered vulnerable and others who have special educational needs or disability are supported equally effectively.  Teaching, learning and assessment are good. Staff support and question the children well during their learning activities. For example, during the inspection children responded well to the teacher’s questioning. They fruitfully shared their ideas and extended their understanding about the different ways they could come to school safely.  Staff implement day-to-day routines consistently and effectively. They ensure that all the statutorily required

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Early years provision is good

welfare requirements are fully met. Staff are diligent in keeping children safe and set a good example for the children. They sustain high expectations of behaviour and encourage warm relationships.  Children enjoy their time at school and behave well and support each other happily in their work. During the inspection, for example, the way the children confidently concentrated on their work and joyfully shared their ideas clearly showed that they feel safe at school.

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School details

Unique reference number 111852 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 10005791

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Foundation Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 171 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Beare Headteacher Nicola Furnish Telephone number 01209 713934 Website www.weeth.cornwall.sch.uk Email address head@weeth.cornwall.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 1–2 October 2013

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Information about this school

 This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The majority of pupils attending the school are from White British backgrounds.  An above-average proportion of pupils join or leave the school other than at the normal times.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is above average. It varies significantly across the different cohorts and is currently well above average in Year 6.  The proportion of disadvantaged 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 by the local authority) is well-above average. It also varies significantly across the year groups and at times over half of the disadvantaged pupils also have special educational needs.  Children experience early years provision on a full-time basis in a Reception class. Pupils in other year

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Information about this school

groups are taught in mixed-age classes during the afternoon sessions.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The school provides its own breakfast club.  The school is a member of The Crofty Learning Trust, which is a shared co-operative trust with six other schools.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 21 lessons and saw the work of eight teachers. They were accompanied by the headteacher and deputy headteacher during several of these visits to lessons.  A wide range of documents was scrutinised, including records relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance, safeguarding procedures and the school’s analysis of how well it is improving. The inspectors examined the school’s systems for checking progress and records of checks on the quality of teaching.  The inspectors talked to individual pupils and a representative group of pupils about the school and their work. They listened to individual pupils read and attended an assembly and the breakfast club. The inspectors also looked at samples of pupils’ work across a range of subjects and classes.  The lead inspector held a meeting with members of the governing body. Inspectors also held meetings with school staff, mainly senior and middle leaders. The lead inspector held a telephone conversation

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Information about this inspection

with a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors took account of the views expressed in the 23 online responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire and in seven staff and 14 pupils’ questionnaires. They gathered the views of several parents during informal meetings at the school during the inspection. The inspectors also took account of the school’s own survey of parents’ and pupils’ views conducted in February 2016.  The inspectors considered the school’s use of the primary physical education and sport funding and the pupil premium.

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Inspection team

Alex Baxter, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Janet Ross Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Inspection team

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

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