Parc Eglos School

111831 Unique Reference Number Cornwall Local Authority 325473 Inspection number 10–11 June 2009 Inspection dates Alex Baxter Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 2–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 469 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 13 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Neil Davidson Chair Brett Dye Headteacher 11 July 2006 Date of previous school inspection 3 March 2009 Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Church Hill School address Parc Eglos Helston TR13 8UP 01326 572998 Telephone number 01326 565941 Fax number

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2–11 Age group 10–11 June 2009 Inspection dates 325473 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Parc Eglos School, 10–11 June 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a large school. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage attend a nursery class within the 'Pathways Childcare Unit' and, with children from other pre-school settings, then transfer into designated Reception classes. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average overall, but is average in some year groups. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. The school supports varied forms of extended provision, which include a breakfast club, after-school care facilities, holiday care and pre-school education. The school also offers a number of community support and advice clinics. The school holds several awards and these include: Investors in People, Dyslexia Friendly, Healthy School, Activemark and Football Association Development awards.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Parc Eglos School, 10–11 June 2009

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Grade: 2

Parc Eglos is a good school. It continues to improve well and already has several significant strengths. These include excellent care, guidance and support and curricular provision, and exemplary links with parents. In combination, these factors strongly promote the pupils' outstanding personal development and well-being. Within the good leadership and management of the school, the headteacher gives an inspirational lead in sustaining the school's calm, inclusive ethos and in promoting a team approach to the running of the school. The good work of senior leaders and governors also ensures a baseline of effective teaching and learning, which develops the pupils' good academic achievement. Self-evaluation is strong and it has successfully guided the school's good improvement since the last inspection. Notable improvements include excellent accommodation for pupils in Years 5 and 6 and high quality facilities for children in the Pathways Nursery Unit. These developments

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Grade: 2

have also helped to extend exemplary curricular provision, which in turn has contributed to the raising of standards, especially in speaking and listening and in basic numeracy and literacy. Overall, these developments reflect the school's good capacity to improve in the future. The vast majority of parents are quick to praise the work of the school, and typical comments include: 'I have nothing but praise for the teaching, organisation and care at Parc Eglos' and 'My child really loves her school and teachers. I too have been extremely delighted by the way the teachers are very approachable to both myself and my daughter.' Whilst a few parents expressed concerns about continued changes in teaching staff, several others welcomed the recent improvements in the school's facilities and the learning opportunities offered to the pupils. Inspectors also welcome the improvements to the school's facilities and understand

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Grade: 2

parents' concerns about changes in teaching staff and judge that the leadership team is managing change effectively. Currently, within an able Year 6 group, more pupils than in recent years are attaining above average standards. Across the school as a whole, standards are above average. These outcomes represent good achievement from a broadly as expected attainment on entry to the school. Throughout the school, many pupils are confident speakers and the majority of pupils show good skills in using information and communication technology (ICT) and in the expressive arts and sports. Most pupils make good progress as they move from one year to the next, including in the Pathways Nursery and Reception classes, where children's welfare and personal needs are nurtured particularly sensitively. Teaching and learning are good overall, but are more consistently good or better in Years 5 and 6. This is because here pupils are challenged to take

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Grade: 2

more responsibility for their learning. All teachers give clear oral guidance to the pupils. There is inconsistency, however, in the teachers' marking of pupils' work and in the way teachers enable pupils to evaluate their own and each other's learning. As a result, pupils do not always have a clear enough picture of how to improve and consequently their learning has slowed down. The pupils' impressive personal qualities stem from high quality pastoral care, which includes the very secure safeguarding of pupils' welfare, and from an outstanding range of extra-curricular activities. Learning opportunities, available before, during and after school, also include an extensive range of residential and day trips. These practical activities motivate and interest the pupils, promote high levels of enjoyment and sustain the pupils' good attendance. Pupils' progress is tracked closely through termly teacher assessments, and a range of other assessments

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Grade: 2

are used to set suitably challenging targets that most pupils reach. The significant improvement 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Parc Eglos School, 10–11 June 2009 in pupils' speaking and listening skills, including those of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and the way boys' writing needs are increasingly identified and tackled, for example, show the school's exemplary focus on equal opportunity.

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Grade: 2

Good leadership and management and excellent links between the now adjacent 'Pathways Nursery Unit' and Reception classes, and with parents, help the children to settle very happily into the school. Such close communication, including with other pre-school settings, also enhances the confidence of parents and their children, and promotes the children's excellent attitudes to learning and enjoyment in playing together. The skills of children on entry into Reception classes are mostly typical for their age, but vary quite significantly at times, with an increasing number of boys entering with lower levels of communication, language and emotional development. Well-organised and extremely caring staff, in 'Pathways' and Reception classes, safeguard the children's welfare exceptionally well. This reflects, for example, the success of staff in the 'Pathways Unit' in fully implementing the recommendations made in its previous

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Grade: 2

inspection. As a result, children make excellent progress in their social development and apply themselves purposefully to their learning activities. All staff are careful to make sure that new learning is drawn just as effectively from children's learning choices as it is from tasks set and led by adults. Examples of the children's good learning were seen as children interacted supportively in small groups in the 'Hotel' and 'Travel Agents' role-play areas. Children's confidence and speaking and listening skills are developed well through 'Talking Partners' or within larger groups when singing popular rhymes accompanied by hand gestures. There is a good balance of indoor and outdoor activity. The children in the 'Pathways Unit' now enjoy excellent new facilities which allow them to freely choose when to play outdoors. However, children in Reception classes can only access outdoor learning with adult supervision and this constrains their independence and personal development on some

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Grade: 2

occasions. By the time they leave the Reception class, most children reach the goals normally expected of them and do particularly well in their social development. An increasing number of children develop a good understanding and use of words. However, several children, often boys who had lower levels of skill on entry, do not develop the reading and writing skills normally expected by the time they enter Year 1.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Develop more consistency in teachers' marking and in the way pupils are involved in evaluating their own and each other's learning.

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Grade: 2

Standards are above average in English, mathematics, science and ICT. These standards show that most pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and a few with complex learning needs, make good progress in relation to their capabilities. Progress is most rapid in Years 5 and 6, where a rising number of pupils are applying their maturing attitudes and skills to attain well above average standards. Although improving well, progress is not yet so consistent through the whole school. This variation particularly affects the pupils' independent learning and writing skills and means that a few pupils are not yet reaching the skills of which they are capable. Standards are rising, however, and this reflects an increasing amount of good 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Parc Eglos School, 10–11 June 2009 and better teaching. Progress is being accelerated by earlier identification of pupils' slowed

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Grade: 2

learning and well-timed interventions to tackle pupils' problem solving and literacy skills. In particular, a consistent emphasis on promoting pupils' speaking and listening skills is having a beneficial effect. Across the school a significant number of pupils also show good talent in the expressive arts, sport and ICT.

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Grade: 1

The school provides a secure environment where pupils feel very safe and very well cared for. As a result, pupils are very proud of their school, have excellent attitudes to learning and are very aware of how to keep themselves safe from harm. Pupils clearly respect the beliefs and customs of others. The excellent relationships and empathy between pupils and staff and the pupils' exemplary behaviour also reflect their outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The pupils' clear enjoyment of school and their full participation in the wide range of extra-curricular clubs are also evident in their good attendance. The pupils take responsibilities seriously, for example, the older pupils as 'Playground Pals' conscientiously support younger children at playtime. Members of the school council really know that it is there so they can 'make a difference'. Consequently, they enjoy school and work hard. Pupils are

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Grade: 1

very knowledgeable about healthy lifestyles. They contribute extremely well to the community by supporting fund raising activities and say with conviction, 'We all dance through the town on Flora day.' Pupils take part in a variety of activities, which develop their enterprise skills, including for example, designing, making and racing a 'kit car'. In addition, their good literacy, numeracy and ICT skills prepare them well for their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

The way teachers and their assistants encourage and value the pupils' contributions and promote high standards of behaviour and relationships are often outstanding features. Other typical strengths include the way staff set clear learning objectives and use skilful questioning to develop new learning from the pupils' ideas. Teachers also model good vocabulary and encourage paired discussion consistently through 'Talking Partners' to enhance the pupils' speaking and listening skills. The pupils really enjoy this way of learning and participate very enthusiastically. At its best, teaching ensures that pupils are empowered as self-enquiring learners, as for example, when investigating in science through practical experiments or when reflecting about computer animations. On occasion, teaching is satisfactory rather than good. This happens when pupils have to sit for too long in whole-class discussions and begin to lose interest. More

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Grade: 2

generally, teachers usually give good oral feedback to pupils, but the quality of their written marking of pupils' work is inconsistent. At times, the pupils are not involved to best effect in evaluating their own and each other's work. These variations, at times in Years 1 to 4, and in different subjects, mean that pupils do not always have a clear enough picture of how to improve and this constrains their progress. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Parc Eglos School, 10–11 June 2009

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is highly enriched by an excellent range of extra-curricular, practical opportunities for learning. These include residential visits for pupils in Years 3 to 6 and, for example visits from international athletes and lifeguards of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute. Such experiences contribute very effectively to the pupils' enjoyment of school and promote their excellent attitudes to learning. Teachers plan and develop carefully chosen topics, for example, 'World War Two', enterprise projects and themed weeks such as 'Diabetes Week'. This approach, by linking subjects in a meaningful, relevant way, promotes the pupils' interest and healthy living and also extends their cultural awareness successfully. Pupils have excellent opportunities to take responsibility in the day-to-day life of the school, for example, as team leaders in a variety of sports, such as 'Tag Rugby', in raising funds for their own charities and as members

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Grade: 1

as the school council. These opportunities make significant contributions to the pupils' personal development, especially their extremely considerate, mannerly relationships and behaviour.

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Grade: 1

Inclusion is a concept that is central to the ethos of the school. It is underpinned by a highly effective 'package of care' provided by all the staff of the school and is evident in the real sense of belonging for all pupils and staff. The caring way that all staff value the pupils' contributions, involve them in the life of the school and tackle their personal needs, are exemplary features. These actions, in combination with excellent procedures for safeguarding pupils' welfare, typify the high quality of the pastoral care that children receive from the moment they enter the 'Pathways Unit' until they leave the Year 6 classes. The needs of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are met effectively. Academic guidance is good. Pupils receive consistently good oral guidance and develop and check their ideas very supportively as 'talking and thinking partners'. Written targets are increasingly successful in developing

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Grade: 2

The headteacher has successfully empowered senior colleagues and governors as an effective team. There is a very strongly shared sense of direction despite the challenge of several staff and governor changes in recent years. Senior staff leaders give good support and have a played a full part in extending the school's facilities and in creating an excellent curriculum. Activities such as participating in the famous Helston Flora Day and close links with the local Shelter Box Charity also promote community cohesion effectively. Governors work closely with staff, are well organised and challenging. They greatly value the leadership of the headteacher and acknowledge his exemplary leadership qualities in promoting the pupils' excellent personal development. Monitoring and self-evaluation are effective. Areas for development are efficiently identified and tackled, and for example, extended school opportunities such as the 'breakfast

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Grade: 2

club' already make beneficial contributions to the pupils' enjoyment and achievements. However, some strategies to bring about improvement, for example, to develop pupils as fully independent learners, have not yet been applied long enough to establish consistently high quality practice and skills across the school. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Parc Eglos School, 10–11 June 2009 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Parc Eglos School, 10–11 June 2009

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Parc Eglos School, 10–11 June 2009

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Parc Eglos School, 10–11 June 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

11 June 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Parc Eglos School, Helston, TR13 8UP Thank you for welcoming us when we visited your school and particular thanks to those of you who shared your views with us. We think you have a good school that continues to improve and you are right to be proud of it. We especially liked the way you all get on so well together and behave so exceptionally well. These are the other main things we found.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You make good progress in your work because your teachers provide you with good lessons and make sure you really enjoy your learning. ■ You show excellent attitudes in lessons and to the outstanding range of learning activities provided for you. ■ You contribute enthusiastically to the life of the school and are extremely good at living healthily. ■ The staff take excellent care of you and keep you safe.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Staff and governors work well as a team and create extremely strong links with your parents and the local community. In order to help you to learn better we have asked the teachers to:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ give you more information about how to improve when they mark your work and provide more opportunities for you to check your own and each other's work to see for yourselves how you can improve. The headteacher, staff and governors know how to improve the school and plans are underway to achieve this. We believe that if you continue to work together so supportively then you too will have played your part in helping to make your school even better. On behalf of the inspection team, thank you again for your very kind assistance and best wishes for the future. Yours faithfully Alex Baxter Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Parc Eglos School, 10–11 June 2009

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