Goonhavern Primary School

Inspection of Goonhavern Primary School Newquay Road, Goonhavern, Truro, Cornwall TR4 9QD

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 October 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 11 and 12 October 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Goonhavern Primary School are happy, considerate and well mannered. A response to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, reflected that of many by commenting, ‘You will have to work hard to find a child not smiling.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure the school rules to be ‘ready, respectful and safe’ are commonly understood and applied fairly. Pupils value the rewards they receive, particularly through the ‘house’ system. Older pupils have a sophisticated understanding of bullying. They say that incidents are uncommon. All pupils agree that staff sort out any concerns well. This, alongside the pastoral support they receive, helps pupils to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, both academically and more widely. The vast majority of pupils have positive attitudes to learning, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Most pupils attend school regularly and on time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Wider opportunities are well considered and frequent. Parents and carers, alongside pupils, value these. Pupils enjoy attending a range of extra-curricular clubs, including netball, choir, a rock and pop band and a well-being club. All pupils have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. The choir have performed at local and national events.

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better?

Children in the early years get off to a good start. Leaders place personal, social and emotional development at the heart of their learning. Staff use interactions with children to develop communication and language skills effectively. Pupils learn happily with their peers and adults. Leaders consider carefully how the outdoor area can support children’s physical development. Children are supported to manage risks, for example from climbing low hanging branches and knowing how to be safe around the class fire.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. They have developed a curriculum based around the school vision to ‘nurture the seed and together we will grow’. Leaders, including governors, identify the right key priorities to improve the curriculum further. In most subjects, they have sequenced the curriculum so that pupils build on what they have learned. For example, in music, pupils progress from playing simple notes on the glockenspiel to chords on the guitar. Pupils use the ambitious vocabulary that has been identified by leaders. Staff check what pupils know and remember. They remedy gaps in learning and misconceptions that arise.

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better?

In some subjects, leaders have not considered some important knowledge and concepts carefully enough. This means that, although pupils remember what they have learned, they do not always make connections to what they know already to 11 and 12 October 2022

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deepen their learning further. In addition, some subject leaders do not evaluate their subject sufficiently to check that pupils have learned what was intended.

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Leaders have a sharp focus on reading. Children learn to read as soon as they start school. Leaders have identified high-quality texts for pupils to read and know well. These support pupils to understand some key themes linked to diversity and difference. Pupils in the early stages of reading follow a carefully sequenced phonics curriculum. They use the sounds that they know to read well-matched books. Staff routinely check the sounds that pupils remember. They provide timely support for some pupils who need help catching up. As a result, pupils become confident readers.

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Staff identify and meet the needs of pupils with SEND effectively. Parents agree with this. The special educational needs coordinators (SENCos) guide staff to provide tailored resources and support. This means that these pupils learn well. Leaders carefully consider the talents and interests of pupils with SEND. They have the same opportunities available to them. For example, by attending competitive sporting events and visiting local businesses to consider future aspirations.

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Leaders plan a personal, social, health and economic curriculum which strongly supports pupils’ personal development. Rich extra-curricular opportunities and thoughtfully planned visits are at the heart of this curriculum. One pupil commented, ‘Every day there is something new to learn and enjoy.’ Pupils celebrate differences and treat others with respect. They use what they learn about healthy lifestyles. For example, older pupils say breathing exercises and Tai Chi have supported their well- being. However, leaders’ monitoring of the personal development curriculum is in its early stages. This means that they do not fully understand how well pupils learn the curriculum.

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Leaders use what they know about the school to provide targeted professional development and coaching for staff. They are considerate of workload and well- being. All staff value this. They say that leaders are approachable and supportive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders communicate the importance of safeguarding effectively. Staff receive regular training. They identify concerns and pupils who may need help swiftly. Leaders work closely with families and other agencies to secure any support pupils need to be safe. They make careful checks when new staff start at the school.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide a curriculum that enables pupils to learn how to be safe. Pupils recognise the importance of healthy relationships. They understand how to be safe when using technology, as well as safety in their local area. For example, pupils attend ‘beach school’ to develop sea safety awareness. 11 and 12 October 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the intended curriculum does not consider some important knowledge and concepts carefully enough. This means that pupils do not make links with what they know already. Leaders should ensure that the intended curriculum supports pupils to make connections between the knowledge and concepts taught so that they deepen their understanding.  In some subjects, leaders do not evaluate their subject sufficiently. As a result, they do not fully understand how well pupils learn the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that all subject leaders gauge accurately what pupils know and can do over time.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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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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. 11 and 12 October 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 29 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provisions.  The school has a breakfast club and after-school club provision for children in the Reception Year and above.  The school has a pre-school provision for three- and four-year-old children.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, both SENCos, the early years leader and the parent support adviser. The lead inspector also met with the chair of governors, four additional governors, a local authority representative and the school improvement partner. 11 and 12 October 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and music. For each deep dive, inspectors 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. Inspectors also spoke to pupils about their learning in some other subjects.  The lead inspector spoke with the designated safeguarding lead and the deputy 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 inspectors spoke with staff and pupils throughout the inspection.  The inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. An inspector spoke with parents on the school

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playground. They also took into consideration responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Donna Briggs, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kevin Butlin Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 October 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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