Pennoweth Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Pennoweth Primary School Drump Road, Redruth, Cornwall TR15 1NA

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Outcome

Pennoweth Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Pennoweth School model the school’s ‘DNA’ in everything they do. They are respectful, kind and considerate towards others. When walking around the school, they greet each other and adults warmly, open doors for each other and display good manners. Staff know pupils well and nurture their interests and needs. Pupils say that bullying is rare and they trust adults to help them if they have a concern. One response to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, reflected those of many, by saying ‘Pennoweth is a family more than it is a school.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have very high expectations for pupils and, for the most part, these are achieved. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are carefully supported with their individual needs. Therefore, these pupils learn well with their peers and thrive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the range of extra-curricular opportunities the school provides and many attend at least one school club. The gardening club provides the school with vegetables the pupils have grown. From Year 2, pupils have the opportunity to take part in a school camp and some pupils recently ‘slept with sharks’.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

In recent years, there have been changes to the school leadership team. The new headteacher has developed effective relationships with staff, pupils and parents and carers. Staff share the headteacher’s vision for the school and, as a result, the school has been on a journey of successful improvement. Leaders ensure that all pupils experience an ambitious curriculum. Leaders identify the important knowledge for pupils to remember.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

In many subjects, pupils know and remember what they have learned. They love to learn. The support for pupils with SEND is precise and staff make skilful adaptations so that they learn a broad curriculum. Staff revisit learning with pupils and present new information clearly. However, in some subjects, leaders have not considered carefully enough what 4 and 5 May 2022

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pupils in mixed-age classes will learn. This means that sometimes, the learning is not broken down into small enough steps for all pupils to be successful. Furthermore, teaching does not consistently identify when a minority of pupils find learning more difficult. These pupils do not learn as much as they could in some subjects and can lose concentration.

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Children in Nursery and in Reception Year get off to a good start. They develop a wide range of vocabulary, modelled carefully by staff. Therefore, children become confident communicators who learn and play well with their peers. Children are excited to learn and are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Children learn to read as soon as they start school. Leaders have ensured that there is an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum in place. The teaching of phonics is consistent, and therefore pupils become fluent and successful readers. They read books that include the sounds they have learned. Leaders have introduced ‘111 books for pupils to read before 11 years old’, and pupils visit the school library regularly. Staff are quick to provide extra help for a small number of pupils who need this, including pupils with SEND. Pupils love to read and use their reading knowledge to learn effectively in other subjects.

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Leaders have high expectations for behaviour and they support pupils to take responsibility for the choices they make. There is no disruption to lessons because pupils make the right choices and are keen to learn. They play well with each other at breaktimes and lunchtimes.

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Leaders provide a personal, social, health and economic education curriculum that supports pupils’ wider development effectively. Pupils know how to keep physically and mentally well. Recently, some pupils have been elected as mental health champions. They understand what a healthy relationship is and demonstrate this in the support and encouragement they give to their peers. Pupils show respect in everything they do. Leaders use assemblies to teach pupils about gender, ethnicity and disability through picture books. Pupils remember what they have learned. Consequently, they are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Staff feel well supported by leaders, including local governors and the multi-academy trust. They have many opportunities to take part in appropriate professional development. Staff say that their well-being is important to leaders and they feel part of a strong community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have robust policies and procedures in place to identify pupils who need help or are at risk of harm. Staff understand and follow these procedures carefully. As a result, pupils get the help they need to stay safe. Leaders work closely with external agencies and make appropriate checks on staff who are new to the school. 4 and 5 May 2022

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Pupils understand how to keep safe, including when online. The school curriculum ensures that pupils understand issues such as consent. Pupils also learn about fire and road and water safety, and know how to stay safe in and around the sea.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not sequenced the curriculum carefully enough for mixed-age classes. This means that some pupils do not have the prior knowledge they need to learn something more difficult. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum is broken down into smaller steps of learning in all subjects.  In some subjects, the use of assessment in lessons is not consistent. This means that a small number of pupils do not get the help they need and so do not know as much as they could. Leaders should ensure that the use of assessment in lessons is implemented consistently, so that all pupils remember more over time.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Pennoweth Primary School, to be good in July 2014.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 4 and 5 May 2022

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 4 and 5 May 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10227693 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Crofty Multi Academy Trust.  The school has Nursery provision for three- and four-year-old children.  The school uses one registered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and religious education. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, curriculum leaders, teaching staff and support staff.  The inspector met with representatives from the local governing committee, the chief executive officer and three other members of the trust. 4 and 5 May 2022

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 The inspector spoke with the designated safeguarding lead to discuss the school’s procedures for keeping pupils safe. She considered the school’s recruitment procedures, staff induction and training, records of concern and engagement with external agencies. The inspector spoke with staff and pupils informally throughout the inspection.  The inspector considered 36 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. The inspector took into consideration responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Donna Briggs, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 4 and 5 May 2022

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regulates and inspects to 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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