Troon Community Primary School

Troon Community Primary School New Road, Troon, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 9ED

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher and other leaders have created a culture of respect, care and tolerance in all aspects of the school’s work.  School leaders and governors have focused effectively on areas for development, ensuring steady improvement. However, leaders’ monitoring of pupils’ books and lessons is not sufficiently focused on the progress of different pupil groups.  Governors have a good understanding of the school, but their monitoring is hindered by a lack of clear milestones linked to specific groups of pupils in the school improvement plan.  Middle leaders do not currently have a sufficiently strong impact on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.  Leaders make sure that processes to keep pupils safe are strong and effective. Pupils say they feel safe in school and that teachers ensure that they are learning how to keep themselves safe.  Teachers provide interesting work and check pupils’ understanding regularly. Consequently,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

teaching meets pupils’ needs.  The majority of pupils are making good progress from their starting points, but some of the most able pupils are not making as much progress as they could.  Relationships between pupils, teachers and other adults are excellent. Pupils feel that their teachers support them well and help them to do their best.  Behaviour is excellent around the school, at break and lunchtimes as well as in lessons. Pupils of all ages are polite, courteous and readily help each other.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are excellent. They understand the importance of learning and have a personal investment in the school that keeps them motivated even in the face of challenging work.  The teaching of phonics is good and is contributing to good progress in reading and writing.  Children have a good start in school in the Nursery and Reception classes. They successfully develop good levels of independence and maturity.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to accelerate the progress of the most able pupils by ensuring that: - teachers consistently challenge pupils to work at greater depth - pupils avoid any unnecessary repetition of work which may slow their progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that: - leaders’ monitoring activities are more precise and focused on different groups of pupils and key aspects of the different subject areas - middle leaders are provided with professional development and support so that they can make a good contribution to improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes across the school - governors refine their monitoring of how well the school is doing.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The headteacher, supported by other leaders, has determinedly focused on promoting the importance of hard work and good achievement. As a result, pupils’ attitudes to learning are excellent, progress has improved and standards have risen.  Leaders’ self-evaluation correctly identifies areas for improvement, and staff have been provided with an effective range of professional development opportunities which have improved their skills. Since the previous inspection, the school has joined the Rainbow multi-academy trust and is regularly working with the other schools in the trust to improve teaching and outcomes for pupils.  Leaders check the quality of teaching regularly and use the information to ensure that any weaknesses are addressed. However, some of the checks on the quality of teaching are not sufficiently focused on the progress made by particular groups of pupils.  Senior leaders manage the performance of staff effectively. They meet with staff

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

regularly and so keep a clear focus on pupils’ progress. Staff feel valued and well- supported by school leaders.  The leadership of the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is good. Additional needs are identified and addressed promptly, ensuring that most pupils make good progress, both academically and in terms of their behaviour, and their social and personal development.  School leaders assess the needs of disadvantaged pupils accurately and ensure that the Pupil Premium is used well. The school provides additional staffing to support the academic achievement of disadvantaged pupils as well as their personal development. The progress of the pupils supported by the additional funding is monitored well. The headteacher and governors monitor the impact of the work to support disadvantaged pupils. School leaders recognise that this is an area of ongoing development, although

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

disadvantaged pupils in the current Year 6 cohort are on track to achieve as well as other pupils nationally.  Senior leaders use the primary sports premium well to encourage greater participation in a range of sports. For example, pupils’ confidence when swimming has increased, which is an important skill in the local context. Additionally, school staff have received training to develop their own skills in teaching sports and running extra-curricular sporting opportunities for pupils.  Pupils experience a broad and balanced curriculum that they enjoy and are keen to talk about. Reading, writing and mathematics are threaded through the whole curriculum. This provides a sense of purpose for pupils and allows them to hone the skills they have learned in literacy and mathematics lessons in other subjects.  The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The British values of respect and tolerance are a fundamental part of how the whole school

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

operates and they permeate all policies, procedures and interactions. Pupils have a good understanding that not everyone is the same and are interested in finding out about how other people may live. School leaders have fostered a link with an inner-city school to help pupils develop their understanding further.  Leaders and staff have made significant efforts to ensure that learning environments within classrooms and around the school help pupils to learn. The school is an inviting and interesting place and classrooms deliberately reflect the pupils’ current topics.  School leaders and staff are active and effective in building good relationships with parents and carers. They provide comprehensive and helpful information about the curriculum and each pupil’s progress. Parents and carers have indicated a very high level of satisfaction with the work of the school. All parents who responded to Parent

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

View would recommend the school to others.  As a result of recent staff changes, middle leadership is not currently well developed. Middle leaders are not yet monitoring teaching, learning and assessment with sufficient emphasis on identifying what different pupil groups know, understand and can do.

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Governance of the school

 Since the school joined the Rainbow multi-academy trust, governance has operated at two levels, with a local governing body and a board of directors at a more strategic level, so governance structures and systems are relatively new and evolving.  Local governors visit the school regularly and know the school well. They bring a range of expertise to their role of monitoring the work of the school. They fully support the headteacher’s vision for the school as a positive and influential part of the local community. They are aware of their role in asking challenging questions of school leaders and are developing this aspect of their work based upon increasingly focused monitoring visits.  Governors make sure that additional funding, for disadvantaged pupils and primary sports premium, is spent effectively and makes a difference to the achievement and participation of pupils. They receive regular information about teaching, learning and

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Governance of the school

assessment from school leaders and use this to discuss the next steps that they need to take.  Governors have a good overview of the progress the school is making against the priorities in the school improvement plan and link their monitoring work to planned developments. However, governors are not yet monitoring the plan with sufficient rigour, and this is limiting the degree to which they can challenge and hold leaders to account.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  School leaders have created a strong and committed culture of safeguarding. All staff are well trained and vigilant – safeguarding is ‘lived and breathed’ across the school.  Staff are knowledgeable about child protection and other aspects of safeguarding and ensure that school records are reliable, secure and useful.  School leaders and staff are sensitive and knowledgeable about individual vulnerabilities that affect particular pupils and families within the local community. They are vigorous in identifying potential risks and work well with other organisations and agencies to keep pupils safe.  The pupils themselves are involved in developing safeguarding practice. For example, the e-safety cadets have been trained and are teaching other pupils about how to stay safe online.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers are effective in ensuring that pupils are captivated and motivated by the learning activities they plan.  Teachers routinely use assessments from previous lessons as a starting point for current learning so that work is mostly well matched to pupils’ needs. During lessons, most teachers check for understanding regularly so that they can respond if pupils have a problem. Teachers identify when the most able pupils can already understand a task, but do not consistently respond by moving these pupils’ learning on swiftly enough. Sometimes the most able pupils undertake work that is too easy for them.  Pupils are challenged to take risks and try out different ways of working. The positive culture within all classrooms has helped pupils to understand that it is acceptable to make mistakes and that mistakes can help them learn.  Teachers set high expectations for pupils’ attitudes to learning which the pupils

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

consistently meet. Pupils demonstrate very positive attitudes to their learning and take personal responsibility for their own progress. For example, pupils will challenge themselves to succeed with work that makes them think hard. They will persist with tasks even when they struggle.  Teachers give precise feedback in the majority of lessons, which helps pupils know how well they are doing and how to improve their work. Written feedback in pupils’ books is consistent across the school and in line with the school’s assessment policy. Pupils respond well to teachers’ comments and say that they find them useful in knowing how to improve their work.  Lessons are planned carefully, often providing the pupils with a range of resources so that they can make choices for themselves about how to tackle a task. Nevertheless, a few of the most able pupils are not provided with sufficient challenge to help them

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

work at greater depth.  Across all year groups, pupils are able to sustain their concentration very well when working independently. They are also very good at working collaboratively with each other and provide good support to their classmates when it is needed.  Phonics is taught well. Teaching is structured and precise, resulting in good progress for the majority of pupils.  Pupils understand the steps that they need to take in order to improve their mathematics. They are able to speak articulately about what they are learning and how they will develop their skills.  Pupils’ books indicate that they are using their mathematics and English skills well across the wider curriculum.  Teaching assistants are often skilled in supporting pupils’ learning and are deployed effectively across the school so that they make a good contribution to the learning of the pupils with whom they work.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Leaders promote a culture where the relationships between staff and pupils are consistently positive. Pupils say that teachers encourage them to work hard and help them to understand how to improve their work and behaviour.  Pupils are confident, with good attitudes to learning. They are able to discuss things in a mature and considered way. They listen carefully to each other and provide support and encouragement during lessons and at other times, resulting in harmonious and purposeful classroom environments.  Leaders have created the role of pupil learning ambassadors to ensure that pupils have a strong voice in developing learning across the school. Pupils were eager to talk about how the library has been improved and the learning ambassadors have designed strategies to promote reading further.  Pupils demonstrate strong respect for each other and for people with different

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Personal development and welfare

backgrounds and lifestyles. Respect is clearly a core value of the school and can be seen through many activities and interactions.  Bullying is rare. Pupils say that they feel safe and they have good understanding about bullying. They have great confidence in the headteacher, teachers and other adults to help them if they have a problem.  Pupils are taught to identify potential hazards and, as a result, they are able to keep themselves safe in a range of situations.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils have a very good understanding of why it is important to behave well, and the vast majority have taken responsibility for managing their own behaviour. They set high expectations for themselves and each other, sometimes reminding each other of the need to focus on their work.  Senior leaders have ensured that there is an orderly environment throughout the school. Pupils walk around calmly, line up and wait appropriately, hold doors open and give visitors a warm welcome. Lunchtimes are calm, pleasant social opportunities and the playground is a friendly place.  Pupils’ behaviour in classrooms is excellent; pupils are able to sustain concentration for long periods of time. They readily ask questions of themselves, each other and adults in the school and then use what they have learned to improve their work.  Some pupils do not consistently take sufficient pride in the presentation of their work.

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Behaviour

 Although overall attendance is in line with all schools nationally, the headteacher, governors and other leaders have taken steps to improve attendance, and the latest attendance information indicates that the situation is improving.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 The proportion of children in the early years achieving a good level of development has improved over the last three years and in 2016 was in line with the national average.  As a result of focused and structured work in the early years and key stage 1, pupils in Year 1 have consistently achieved well in the phonics screening check over the last three years.  At the end of key stage 1 the proportion of pupils at the school who have attained the expected standard for their age is above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The percentage of pupils working at greater depth in reading and writing is also above the national average. However, fewer pupils reached the higher standard in mathematics.  In 2016, disadvantaged pupils reached levels of attainment in line with national levels by the end of key stage 1. However, boys in key stage 1 did not achieve as well as girls in reading and writing.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 There has been a trend of improvement over the last three years in all subjects at the end of key stage 2. In 2016, attainment was above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics which was also the case with progress in writing and mathematics. Progress in reading was in line with the national average. However, pupils did not do as well in the national tests of spelling, punctuation and grammar in 2016 as other pupils nationally. Boys’ spelling was an area of weakness.  The progress of disadvantaged pupils, including the most able disadvantaged, in key stage 2 was in line with the average for other pupils nationally in 2016.  School assessment information and work in pupils’ books indicate that the progress of current learners in the school across almost all year groups is good, and pupils are developing secure skills in both English and mathematics. They are able to apply these skills well in other subjects because of the interesting and varied topic work on offer.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making good progress against their own specific learning targets as a result of well-targeted learning interventions.  Leaders and teachers ensure that pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education as a result of good academic achievement and strong personal development.

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Early years provision Good

 Leaders have ensured that the standards reached by children in the early years has improved over the last three years.  Adults working in the early years are skilled and know the children and their needs very well. They make opportunities for children to develop a wide range of skills through an exciting environment and carefully planned learning. Children in the Nursery learn how to keep healthy through lessons about how to clean their teeth carefully.  Teaching in the early years is good and there is an appropriate focus on developing children’s speaking and listening skills. As a result, children are making good progress in this area and are confident when talking to adults about their learning. However, there are fewer opportunities within the environment to arouse children’s curiosity about numbers and not enough opportunities for children to write outside of the structured phonics and handwriting work.

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Early years provision Good

 Phonics is taught well, and children are encouraged to use their phonics knowledge as they tackle other tasks.  The environment is supportive and caring. Adults have ensured that children’s welfare and safety are a high priority and the children’s confidence within the early years environment indicates that they feel secure.  When children start in the Nursery or Reception they quickly become confident learners who can make well-informed choices and decisions. They are able to sustain their concentration well and will often stick with a task even when it is difficult for them. This prepares them well for Year 1.  Behaviour in the early years is good. Children are happy and cooperative. Where some individual children struggle occasionally to manage their own feelings and behaviour, they are guided and supported by the adults very effectively.  Children who need extra support are cared for well. As a consequence, they are

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Early years provision Good

thriving within the class and making good progress. Adults are attentive to their care and use the time when they are caring closely for them to help them with their learning.  Home visits ensure that parents are involved with their children’s learning from the earliest days and electronic learning journey records are used effectively to share information about children’s progress.

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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

Appropriate authority The academy trust board

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School details

Email address secretary@troon.cornwall.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 In April 2014, the school converted to the Rainbow multi-academy trust. When its predecessor school of the same name was last inspected, it required improvement.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment.  Troon is a smaller-than-average school with a low proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups.  The proportion of pupils supported through Pupil Premium funding is above the national average.  The percentage of pupils at the school who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is just above the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors carried out 18 observations, including many that were carried out jointly with the headteacher.  Pupils’ behaviour was observed during lessons and at more informal times, such as breaktime and lunchtime.  Inspectors looked carefully at pupils’ books from all year groups and across a range of subjects.  Discussions were held with pupils from different year groups about how they felt about school and how the school keeps them safe.  Inspectors also reviewed the pupils’ online responses to the children’s questionnaire. There were 19 responses from pupils.  Pupils read to the inspectors and spoke to them about their reading.  Inspectors spoke to the headteacher, other school leaders, teachers and teaching assistants as well as governors, the chief executive officer of the Rainbow multi- academy trust and an external school improvement partner.  Inspectors spoke with a number of parents/carers as they brought their children to

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Information about this inspection

school, as well as looking at the online parent questionnaire results (Parent View) where there were 32 responses. The individual comments left on Parent View by parents were also considered by inspectors.  Inspectors took into account the 20 responses to the staff online questionnaire.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of school documentation, including assessment information, school policies, the school’s self-evaluation and school development plan as well as information relating to safeguarding processes and attendance.

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Inspection team

Janet Ross, lead inspector Ofsted inspector

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Inspection team

Simon Mower 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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 .

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Inspection team

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, 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.gov.uk/ofsted

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