Tregony Community Primary School

Tregony Community Primary School Back Lane, Tregony, Truro, Cornwall TR2 5RP

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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

 Trustees and school leaders have taken swift action to rectify a recent dip in achievement. As a result, most of the current pupils are making strong progress.  The most able pupils and girls continue to make rapid progress. New curriculum topics are better engaging boys in their learning. Consequently, boys are catching up with girls.  The pupil premium is being used more effectively. Disadvantaged pupils are, therefore, rapidly catching up with others in the school and nationally.  Improvements in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment are having a more positive impact on the progress made by pupils who have low prior attainment and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).  However, leaders have accurately identified that some of these pupils, and some who have average prior attainment, are not yet making the progress they should.  Children get off to a good start in the early

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

years, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. They go on to achieve well in the Year 1 national phonics screening check.  The headteacher has established a positive culture for learning. Pupils are eager to learn and they work productively together. They are considerate towards others and behave well. They attend school regularly.  Procedures for safeguarding are robust. Pupils feel safe in school and they learn how to stay safe.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Leaders and managers should ensure that all pupils, including those who have low or average prior attainment and pupils with SEND, make consistently strong progress across the school by: – making sure that teachers consistently match the level of challenge closely to the pupils’ different starting points – addressing any gaps in pupils’ prior learning of basic number skills – extending pupils use of language, particularly their vocabulary and sentence structure.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The headteacher, other leaders and trustees are committed to developing pupils’ love of learning through a broad and balanced curriculum. They have successfully raised teachers’ aspirations for the pupils through reviewing the curriculum and ensuring that it challenges and deepens pupils’ thinking and learning.  This has resulted in a greater proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard than seen nationally. However, leaders identified that some pupils with lower prior attainment were being left behind. They have taken effective action to address this.  Training provided for subject leaders by the Roseland Multi-Academy Trust (the MAT) has led to these leaders having greater subject knowledge and carrying out a more rigorous evaluation of pupils’ progress over time. Through regularly checking progress information and pupils’ work in their books and in lessons, the leaders are identifying accurately areas in need of improvement.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 To address the identified areas, subject leaders provide effective training and support for teaching and support staff. The staff are motivated by the high quality of professional development. It has improved the quality of teaching and learning.  Trustees have improved the impact of the pupil premium by using it to provide additional adults to support disadvantaged pupils in lessons. Effective training for teachers and the support staff has enabled them to challenge the pupils and extend their verbal responses and thinking. Current pupils are making rapid progress.  Funding for pupils with SEND has been used effectively to improve the pupils’ reading and comprehension skills. Trustees have also ensured that the PE and sport premium is used well to engage more pupils in a wider range of sport, for example cycling and surfing, and to develop the quality of teaching and learning.  Curricular topics are now motivating boys as well as girls to learn and to develop a

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

wide range of knowledge and skills. Good emphasis is given to developing pupils’ resilience in learning and to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, pupils developed empathy in writing as if they were a soldier in the First World War.  The wide range of clubs and extra-curricular activities are very popular. Together with enrichment activities and trips, they make a positive contribution to pupils’ progress and personal development.  Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. For example, they learn about democracy through voting for the school council. In assemblies and religious education, they learn to value diversity and to respect others who have different faiths and views. Staff set a good example through their positive relationships with each other, the pupils, parents and carers.  Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school and almost all would recommend

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Governance of the school

 Trustees have an in-depth knowledge of the school. They make good use of their visits to check pupils’ progress and to maintain an overview of the school’s progress tracking information during the year. They also monitor closely leaders’ progress on the actions in the school improvement plan, and published performance reports, to identify any further areas for improvement.  The trustees challenge leaders effectively to make the necessary improvements. They make sure that leaders have the support they need and that the school’s funding is spent well to improve outcomes for the pupils.  The trustees ensure that staff performance is managed well and has a positive impact on pupils’ learning and progress.  They regularly review school policies and keep their training up to date, especially in safeguarding and safer recruitment of staff.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Trustees and school leaders have created a culture of vigilance where pupils’ welfare is of paramount importance. Regular training for staff ensures that they are confident in identifying when a pupil may be at risk of neglect, abuse or exploitation and in reporting their concerns. Leaders and staff work effectively with external agencies to support the pupils.  The school leaders protect pupils from radicalisation and extremism. Staff value the high-quality training provided by the trustees. It has ensured that they are vigilant, confident and competent in identifying signs of risk and in challenging pupils’ views.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Improvements in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment are leading to pupils making more consistently strong progress throughout the school.  Training and support over the past few years have been effective in increasing teachers’ subject knowledge and raising their expectations of what the pupils can achieve. Time in lessons is used productively because teachers plan work that challenges and engages the pupils.  Recent improvements in the use of assessment include matching the level of challenge more closely to the pupils’ different starting points. Most of the pupils who start to fall behind are identified quickly and supported effectively to improve their learning. However, this is not yet the case for all pupils who fall behind. School leaders are aware of this and are taking effective action to eliminate this weakness.  Improvements in the teaching and learning of reading are having a positive impact on

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

pupils’ comprehension skills. Books are selected that provide a high level of comprehension challenge, based on pupils’ prior knowledge. Teaching and support staff ask probing questions that motivate the pupils to interrogate the texts and deepen their understanding.  The teaching and learning of writing are improving. Most pupils’ use of vocabulary and range of sentences are increasing due to the wide variety of texts they now read. In addition, their increased knowledge of phonics is supporting pupils’ spelling skills.  Improvements in the teaching and learning of mathematics have increased pupils’ fluency in number work. Pupils respond well to the higher level of challenge in applying their calculations to problem solving. Most pupils are developing good reasoning skills.  Teachers give pupils feedback in line with the school’s assessment policy. Pupils use this effectively to improve their work. They also complete homework and read regularly

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

and widely at home.  School reports provide accurate information for parents about how well their child is doing in relation to the standards expected and what the child needs to do to improve.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are confident and, through positive relationships with each other and with the staff, they develop self-esteem. They are eager to learn and take pride in their work and their school.  Pupils work and play together well. They show respect for others’ ideas and views.  Pupils say they feel safe in school and parents agree. Pupils learn how to stay safe, including when using the internet or social media. They are confident that staff would deal well with any concerns they may have, including any incidents of bullying.  Pupils enjoy learning about how to stay healthy, for example through physical exercise and eating well. They develop positive attitudes to learning and this supports their emotional and mental health.  Pupils learn to be good citizens. For example, the school council takes its responsibility seriously and has helped to improve lunchtime arrangements.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are polite and conduct themselves well throughout the day, including at lunchtimes. The school is an orderly environment. Pupils focus attentively on their work and low-level disruption of lessons is rare.  Case studies demonstrate marked improvements in behaviour for individual pupils who have particular behavioural needs.  Staff and parents agree that the school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.  Pupils value their education and attend school regularly.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Most of the current pupils are making strong progress across almost all year groups and in a wide range of subjects, including in English and mathematics.  This is an improvement on last year when progress in reading, writing and mathematics was broadly average and achievement dipped below national figures at the end of key stage 2. However, a greater proportion of pupils than seen nationally attained the higher standard. The achievement of pupils at the end of key stage 1 was above average in reading and writing, and average in mathematics.  Progress continues to be especially strong across subjects for the most able pupils and girls currently in the school. Due to the higher levels of challenge in their learning and more engaging curriculum, boys are making better progress than previously and they are catching up with the girls.  The more effective use of the pupil premium is addressing the specific barriers to

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Outcomes for pupils Good

learning for disadvantaged pupils, especially in their language development. Consequently, these pupils are making rapid progress and catching up with others in the school and nationally. This is an improvement on the progress of disadvantaged pupils last year which dipped below the national average, especially for those pupils who also had special educational needs.  Many of the current pupils with SEND, or who have low or mid prior attainment, are making strong progress across subjects. However, some of these pupils are not yet making the progress they should. Leaders have identified these pupils and are taking effective action to improve their learning, including ensuring that their work is at the right level of challenge for their starting points.  The main barriers to learning for these pupils are gaps in their prior learning of basic number skills and limited knowledge of words and sentence structure. While leaders’

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Outcomes for pupils Good

actions to eliminate these issues are having a positive outcome, these barriers to learning are not yet being addressed consistently well in all year groups.  Due to the improvements in the teaching and learning of reading, pupils throughout the school read widely and often. They are developing a good level of comprehension. They apply their knowledge of phonics fluently when tackling unfamiliar words. For the past three years, an above average number of pupils in Year 1 achieved the expected standard in the national phonics screening check.  Given their strong progress in reading, writing and mathematics, most current pupils are well prepared for secondary school.

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Early years provision Good

 Leaders have an accurate picture of the early years provision which is gained through continuous assessment of children’s progress. This informs relevant areas for improvement and staff training.  The early years leader works well with staff in the on-site pre-school. The partnership promotes children’s effective transition into school. Pre-school staff and parents make a positive contribution to children’s initial assessments. This, together with home visits, provides good support for the early identification of the children’s needs.  Safeguarding is effective and staff training is up to date. Child protection policies and procedures are implemented consistently.  The curriculum provides a broad range of challenging experiences which interest and motivate the children to learn, including through continuous provision outside.  Teaching is effective. Staff have high expectations. Regular assessments are used to

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Early years provision Good

plan activities that are suitably challenging for most children. Over time, most children achieve well in the early learning goals for reading, writing and mathematics. This has enabled them to make a positive start in Year 1, especially in phonics.  A few children with particularly low prior attainment and special educational needs did not achieve a good level of development in 2018. Leaders have made suitable provision for these children to continue with the early years curriculum until they are secure in the basic skills necessary for the Year 1 curriculum. The children are catching up quickly.  Leaders accurately identified that the main barrier to learning for disadvantaged children was their limited language skills. Additional funding is now being used more effectively to extend their knowledge of vocabulary and sentences.  Children’s behaviour is good and shows that they feel safe. They learn to respect each

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Early years provision Good

other’s differences and engage with interest in a range of activities that teach them about people in the wider world.

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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

Email address head@tregony.cornwall.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school converted to academy status on 1 March 2016 when it joined the Roseland Multi-Academy Trust. The trust comprises two primary schools and a secondary school, The Roseland School.  The school shares a site with the secondary school and also with a pre-school for children aged two to four years. The pre-school is under separate management.  The headteacher of the secondary school is the executive headteacher of all three schools in the trust and he is also the chief executive officer (CEO).  The trust is governed by a board of trustees.  The school provides childcare before and after school. It is managed by the trust.  The school is much smaller than most primary schools.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average.  Very few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils who receive support for special educational needs is above

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Information about this school

average.  The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is above average.

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Information about this inspection

 Together with the headteacher, the inspector observed pupils learning in all classes. She carried out an in-depth scrutiny of a sample of books in all year groups, jointly with the English and mathematics subject leaders. They compared the work scrutiny with the school’s tracking of pupils’ progress.  The inspector heard a small group of pupils reading and observed pupils around the school at breaktime and lunchtime.  The inspector held meetings with trustees, the CEO of the multi-academy trust, the headteacher, subject leaders and pupils. She also met informally with some parents.  The inspector examined a range of documents, including those relating to the school’s evaluation of its performance, improvement planning and the safeguarding of pupils. She also examined information on pupils’ progress, attendance and behaviour.  The inspector took account of the 48 responses to Ofsted’s online Parent View survey

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Information about this inspection

and several written responses. She also took account of questionnaires completed by 14 members of staff and two pupils.

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Inspection team

Sue Frater, lead inspector 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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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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