St Levan Primary School

ST LEVAN COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 23 rd – 24 th April 2002

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ST LEVAN COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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ST LEVAN COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary 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. St Levan Community Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: The Bottoms St Buryan Penzance Cornwall

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr P Jackson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 3 rd November 1997 St Levan Community Primary School - 4

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Team members

4343 Ms S Billington Registered inspector 11096 Ms M Davie Lay inspector

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Team members

2 Riverside Athelhampton Dorchester Dorset DT2 7LG

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Team members

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Levan Community Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a very small primary school with 51 pupils on roll. They are taught in three classes, each with at least two year groups. Around 50 per cent of the pupils come from the parish of St Levan; the remainder are from villages further afield. The number of boys and girls on roll is roughly equal, but there are considerable variations in the numbers of boys and girls in different year groups. There are very few pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds; none speaks English as an additional language. Eighteen per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, a broadly average proportion. When children start school, their levels of attainment are varied, but overall are broadly average.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Around eighteen per cent of pupils have special educational needs including three with statements of special need. This is an above average proportion. Their difficulties are varied and include hearing impairment, other medical problems and a range of learning difficulties.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Since the last inspection there has been some improvement to the accommodation but this has been limited by the nature of the site and the fact that the school is a listed building. Staffing has remained fairly stable; one new part-time teacher has been appointed. There are fewer pupils on roll because the number of families moving into the area has decreased.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school. Pupils achieve well overall and attain good standards in English and mathematics at the age of eleven. Teaching is generally good. There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development and they benefit from the warm and caring environment. The school is well led and managed and all staff work well as a team to overcome the difficulties created by the inadequate accommodation. Expenditure is high, but, in view of the good quality of the educational provision, the school provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Eleven year olds achieve good standards in English and mathematics • Good teaching ensures that pupils make good progress as they move through the school • There is very good provision for pupils with special needs • There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development • Partnership with parents is strong and they have a high degree of confidence in the school

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What could be improved

• Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and the use of ICT to support work in other subjects • The range of opportunities for the older pupils to use their literacy skills in subjects such as history and geography The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in November 1997 and has made satisfactory improvement since that time. Standards attained by eleven year olds in English, mathematics and science tests have improved in line with the national trend. There have been improvements to the provision for physical education (PE) and the school has found some imaginative ways to compensate for the lack of facilities for this subject. More equipment has been provided for the youngest children in the reception year and they now have regular opportunities for outdoor activities. Provision for ICT has been improved, but there is still some St Levan Community Primary School - 7 work to do to raise standards and to make effective use of the equipment that is available. Opportunities for the oldest pupils to engage in collaborative and independent work are compromised by the limitations in accommodation.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by eleven year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

English A A C C well above average above average A B mathematics B B B A average below average C D science A A C C well below average E

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Key

The number of pupils in each year group is small and this means that results in standardised tests can vary considerably. However, over a three year period, eleven year olds have generally attained results that are above average and at times well above average levels. The targets set for pupils’ achievement in national tests have been exceeded significantly for the last two years; the targets for performance in tests to be taken this year and in 2003 are unambitious, given pupils’ previous performance.

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Key

Results attained by seven year olds have been varied. Results in reading have generally been above or well above national averages but pupils’ performance in tests in writing has been weaker. While the majority of pupils have attained average levels, few have reached higher levels in tests. Test results in mathematics have been broadly average.

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Key

Improving standards in writing has been a focus throughout the school and this has had a positive impact. Inspection findings are that standards in English and mathematics are above average and better than last year’s test results would indicate. Standards in science are broadly average.

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Key

The youngest children make a good start in learning and most are working in the early stages of the National Curriculum by the time that they start in Year 1.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are eager to learn.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils are sensible and considerate of others.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils work well together in pairs and small groups. The oldest pupils are mature and have well-established work habits.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Unsatisfactory. Attendance levels are below average.

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Aspect Comment

The school monitors attendance closely and carries out an early check on any absences. However, there are a number of pupils who have odd days off and some families take extended holidays in term time; this affects overall attendance levels. St Levan Community Primary School - 8 St Levan Community Primary School - 9

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Lessons seen overall Good Good Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

The overall quality of teaching is good and some lessons are very good. A particular strength in teaching is the good use made of individual teachers’ expertise; all teach classes throughout the school and therefore share their strengths in particular subjects. Teaching of literacy and numeracy is good and there is very good provision to meet individual children’s learning needs in these areas. There are some weaknesses in the teaching of ICT.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Throughout the school, teachers make good use of resources and plan lessons that engage the pupils’ interest. Support staff make a good contribution to supporting the teaching of small groups and individual pupils. The work of the nursery nurse with the reception year children helps to ensure that their learning needs are generally well met.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Assessment of pupils’ learning is often used well by teachers to adjust their planning. There is some good evaluative marking of the older pupils’ written work; there is scope to extend this practice to improve marking in other subjects.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is broad and generally well balanced. Provision for some subjects is compromised by restrictions in the accommodation.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils receive a good level of support and individual attention to meet their needs.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Pupils’ personal development is well supported through work in subjects such as art and religious education. Links with other local schools and good use of visits and visitors also make a positive contribution to this area.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. All staff make a good contribution to caring for pupils. Recent improvements to assessment procedures ensure that their progress is carefully tracked as they go through the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school does all it can to provide for all aspects of the curriculum, but the nature of the accommodation restricts some opportunities for learning. For example, provision for creative development for the youngest children is limited by lack of space and teaching of ICT is very difficult because computers cannot be grouped together and teachers cannot adequately demonstrate specific skills. St Levan Community Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good. Staff share a clear sense of direction and work hard to plan and lead improvements in the curriculum areas for which they are responsible.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors are well informed and give good support to the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. Data from a range of tests is used to compare performance with that of similar schools and to target areas for improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. Available resources are well-used. The budget currently has a large surplus; this is intended to be used to maintain current staffing levels.

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Aspect Comment

The school has a good level of staffing and is generally well-resourced. The governing body is retaining funding to cover staffing costs as the pupil roll falls. However, there is no strategic plan as to how this will be managed.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

All parents feel that: • Behaviour in the school is good • Teaching is good • They are well informed about their children’s progress • They feel comfortable approaching the school • Children are expected to work hard and are helped to mature • The school works closely with them • The school is well led and managed There were no areas of concern

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The above comments are based on the views of seven parents that attended a meeting prior to the inspection and the questionnaires returned by 29 parents (57 per cent). The inspection team is pleased to confirm that their confidence in the work of the school is fully justified. St Levan Community Primary School - 11

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Eleven year olds attain good standards in English and mathematics

1. Pupils make good progress as they move through the school and the majority of eleven year olds attain good standards in English and mathematics.

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Eleven year olds attain good standards in English and mathematics

2. Results of national tests taken by pupils at the end of Year 6 are generally above or well above average. Cohorts are small, so there can be considerable variation in results each year, but over a three year period results in English have generally been well above average, there was a dip in 2001 when overall performance was in line with the national average. Results in mathematics have been consistently above average and pupils’ work generally bears out the picture shown by the results. The majority of pupils in Years 5 and 6 are working at good levels in English and mathematics.

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Eleven year olds attain good standards in English and mathematics

3. The school ensures that by the age of seven, the majority of pupils have a good base of skills in literacy and numeracy. They read a range of simple books accurately and with understanding, using a range of strategies such as their knowledge of sounds and picture or contextual clues to make sensible guesses at words that they do not recognise. Pupils start to use books to read for information and write about what they find out for example, in describing the life of a ladybird. Their stories contain a variety of lively language – for example ‘I zoomed downstairs’ or ‘suddenly it started to sparkle’. In mathematics, pupils work confidently with numbers to 100, adding and subtracting two digit numbers and learn to double, halve and increase numbers by 10.

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Eleven year olds attain good standards in English and mathematics

4. In Years 3 and 4, pupils’ skills and understanding in English and mathematics are consolidated and extended to a good level. In English, they begin to appreciate and use the particular characteristics of different types of writing; their fantasy stories, for example show a good feel for creating suspense. Pupils read regularly and many understand the style of various authors and begin to express preferences for particular types of books. They begin to analyse text and to extract information by skimming and scanning. Written work improves as pupils use a greater range of vocabulary to create interest and begin to use punctuation to create impact. In mathematics, the majority of pupils work comfortably with numbers to 1000 and use their skills in solving everyday problems such as calculating change from a given amount. They measure accurately in metres and centimetres to one decimal place and can represent the information that

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Eleven year olds attain good standards in English and mathematics

5. By the age of eleven, pupils write in a range of forms, producing, for example, letters, accounts, reviews and stories. Higher attainers use a good range of vocabulary and punctuation for effect, writing, for example, “Where is it?” it hissed.’ Many pupils understand and effectively use different styles in their written work, for example, in scripting an interview with David Beckham or producing a brochure to advertise the attractions of Penwith. Reading habits are well established; pupils read independently and are given good guidance by their teachers to ensure that they experience a wide range of material, including non-fiction books and stories by traditional and modern authors. Spelling skills are generally good and pupils use a range of punctuation accurately. There is scope, however, to improve the presentation of written work, particularly through improving standards of handwriting. St Levan Community Primary School - 12

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Eleven year olds attain good standards in English and mathematics

6. In mathematics, pupils use the four operations to calculate and solve a range of problems. In one lesson, for example, many pupils moved easily from multiplying two- digit numbers to squaring numbers or calculating square roots as they tackled a series of problems to ‘find the final number’. The majority of pupils accurately convert fractions to decimals or percentages; they successfully apply the four operations in calculations with numbers to 1000 and often beyond. Average and higher attainers find the mode, median and mean from a range of information. Skills in data handling are good; for instance, pupils represent and interpret information on and from a line graph. They plot shapes using co-ordinates and calculate the area and perimeter of irregular shapes using a variety of methods.

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7. The overall quality of teaching is good and some lessons with the oldest pupils are very good. Very good use is made of the expertise of individual teachers; each teacher teaches a limited range of subjects to pupils throughout the school and this strategy brings a number of particular benefits. Teachers are confident in the particular subjects that they teach and are able to plan for continuity and progression in learning, in particular in English, mathematics and science.

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8. Good provision is made for the youngest children in the Foundation Stage 1 , although the breadth of the curriculum that they are offered is compromised to some extent by the confines of the building. However, staff work hard to compensate as much as is possible for the restrictions. Particularly good use is made of the skills of a nursery nurse who has a good understanding of the learning needs of very young children. Careful planning ensures that time is well used to allow the reception year children to join in some whole class activities but also to experience some specific activities that are aimed at their age and stage of development. So, for example, when pupils in Years 1 and 2 are having spelling and handwriting practice, the youngest children use the playground for games or riding bikes and trikes so that there is appropriate provision for their physical development. The children experience a range of activities that provide

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well for development of their literacy and numeracy skills and extend their knowledge and understanding of the world. Particularly good use is made of the environment to raise their awareness of aspects of science such as conditions for growth and the function of different parts of a plant.

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9. Throughout the school, teachers make good use of resources to support learning. In an art lesson with Years 3 and 4, for example, the pupils had the opportunity to see examples of work by a local artist. The teacher drew their attention to the artist’s use of shape and colour to depict images; the pupils were particularly fascinated by an original sketch that prefaced an autographed book of his work. Using a range of materials, pupils tried out similar techniques and their completed work was quickly displayed so that they could share ideas. As their confidence grew, many became more adventurous in combining colours and creating a variety of shapes to enhance the impact of their later efforts.

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10. Teachers generally have high expectations of what pupils might achieve and older pupils in particular are given a good deal of responsibility for organising their learning. In a Year 5 and 6 science lesson, the teacher provided clear instructions on the task about presenting the findings of an experiment on sound insulation. However, the pupils had to make decisions on how this was to be done. This involved them in discussing scale and

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1 Foundation stage refers in this instance to all children in the reception year St Levan Community Primary School - 13 labelling of axes. All applied themselves well to the task and there was very good collaboration as they reviewed the work that they had completed so far and discussed how to present information. High expectations were also a characteristic of a mathematics lesson with the same class; an introductory oral session was conducted at a good pace with pupils engaged in a series of quick-fire calculations. Answers were quickly checked and pupils themselves saw where they had made errors; none was afraid to admit where s/he had gone wrong which demonstrated very positive attitudes to learning.

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11. In many lessons, teachers’ good subject knowledge is apparent in their accurate use of subject specific language. In a literacy lesson with Years 5 and 6, the teacher drew pupils’ attention to features such as the subject of the sentence and the use of punctuation to help the pupils to become aware of different types of clauses. The teacher gave a good demonstration of the use of subordinate clauses in formal writing, encouraging the pupils to critically evaluate the vocabulary used and identify where the style was inappropriate. In a mathematics lesson with Years 3 and 4, the teacher started the lesson by reinforcing the range of terms that could be used for addition or subtraction. Each pupil was then asked to complete a sum using one of these terms; this enabled the teacher to make the calculation more or less difficult according to individual needs and to assess pupils’ levels of understanding. The targeting of work to

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meet individual needs is a particular strength in planning for and teaching Years 5 and 6. When pupils are engaged in written work in English, for example, the teacher gives a range of objectives that relate to the particular task but also provides targets for individual pupils based on her assessment of their previous work.

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12. Very good relationships are a strong feature of lessons throughout the school. This is evident in the teamwork of staff and the commitment to supporting the learning of individual pupils. Support staff often provide effective, but unobtrusive, support for individual pupils in introductions to lessons to encourage their participation and ensure their understanding. Teachers are enthusiastic about their teaching, work hard to make lessons interesting and conduct them in a way that engenders a positive climate for learning. The outcome of this is pupils’ good attitudes to school; they enjoy their lessons and are positive about learning. The oldest pupils have well-established work habits and many have a high degree of motivation and commitment to the tasks that they undertake. They are well prepared for the move to secondary schools.

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There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs

13. The school has a strong level of commitment to supporting pupils with a variety of special educational needs. The local authority’s allocation for funding to support children with special educational needs is supplemented by the school in order to provide a good level of support staff to work with individuals and groups of pupils. Many of the pupils receiving support have complex and long-term difficulties; all of these have made good progress in relation to their levels of prior attainment and are achieving well.

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There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs

14. In some instances, for example, pupils with challenging behaviour have benefited from the calm atmosphere in classrooms, individual support and the consistent expectations of staff who have a sensitive understanding of their particular difficulties. Pupils who were initially unable to listen in a class discussion or to work independently are now able to sustain their concentration for perhaps fifteen or twenty minutes and then to work on a practical activity without individual support. Other pupils with significant learning difficulties have made very good progress. One child, for instance, who found it very difficult to communicate with adults or peers when he started school now plays a full part in class and group activities; with the encouragement of his support assistant he St Levan Community Primary School - 14 answers questions and makes comments on the work in progress. For this child, progress in literacy and numeracy has been very good. He reads a series of simple

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There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs

books with very little support, recognises the sounds that letters make and is able to build three and four letter words. He can dictate captions for pictures and make a good attempt at copying under the adults’ writing. In numeracy, he has moved from matching numbers to groups of objects to simple addition and making pictograms to represent data.

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There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs

15. The school has very good links with a range of outside agencies and uses their expertise and guidance well to plan individual programmes for pupils with special needs. Pupils’ individual education plans (IEPs) outline their particular difficulties and, for the most part, include clear targets for the next stage in their learning. Parents have a good level of involvement in discussing their children’s progress; some of the parents of children with complex difficulties express a high degree of confidence in the work that the school is doing and are very pleased with their children’s progress. However, there are some weaknesses in procedures for record-keeping. Dates for the reviews of pupils’ progress are not always identified on their IEPs. Parents’ involvement is not always recorded, or there may be a note to say, for example, ‘frequent discussions at the school gate’; this needs to be formalised to ensure that consultation with parents is

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There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs

16. Learning support assistants give a good level of support to pupils in lessons, enabling them to play a full part in all aspects of the curriculum. In group activities in literacy and numeracy lessons, for example, they may follow up the teachers’ initial work with the class with a further explanation and provide practical support to pupils to help them with recording their responses. In a science lesson, for example, a support assistant worked with two pupils to help them to use their notes and accurately record their findings and observations from an experiment.

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There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development

17. Pupils’ personal development is very effectively supported. The school successfully instils good attitudes to learning within a framework of encouraging individual development. It is highly inclusive, encouraging all pupils, no matter what their abilities, to reach their full potential. The oldest pupils show a good deal of maturity and are well prepared to move on to secondary school.

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There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development

18. The tranquillity and beauty of the school’s rural setting is used very well to enhance pupils’ spiritual awareness. The youngest children, for example, toured the gardens before a music lesson to listen to the sounds of nature and admire the beautiful plants and flowers; this helped to put them in the right frame of mind to appreciate the atmosphere created by Celtic and South American music. Pupils are encouraged to grow vegetables and a parent is currently creating a herb garden to enhance work in science and also for the children’s enjoyment. Each Wednesday morning a minister from one of the local churches leads assembly and this is invariably started with a moment where the pupils are asked to close their eyes, listen to some music and hold special thoughts in their minds.

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There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development

19. The oldest pupils are fully involved in taking responsibility for their behaviour in lessons and around the school and this makes a positive contribution to their moral development. Staff have high expectations of self-discipline and consideration for others. Incidents of racial or any other form of harassment are taken seriously and dealt with effectively. Pupils agree to uphold school rules and sign a contract to show their commitment to this; they say the system of rewards and sanctions works very St Levan Community Primary School - 15 successfully. Relationships at all levels are very friendly and warm, demonstrating a good deal of mutual respect; pupils feel that they can easily approach any member of staff to discuss any concerns or worries. This instils a good deal of confidence with which to approach school life. Attendance and punctuality are carefully monitored and parents are always contacted if they have not advised the school that their child will be

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There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development

20. Displays around the school reflect a range of work that pupils have undertaken with local artists. The youngest children have recently worked with a local potter and all pupils appreciated the demonstration of various woodwind instruments by the county music service. These experiences and a wide range of visits, for example to Penlee House Museum and Gallery, the Minack Theatre and the Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Garden, make a positive contribution to pupils’ cultural development. Awareness of cultural diversity is also strongly supported, for example’ through work in religious education which gives pupils an insight into faiths such as Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism, in addition to Christianity. African and Ancient Egyptian art is explored and major festivals such as Diwali are celebrated.

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There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development

21. The ‘life skills’ curriculum 2 enhances pupils’ understanding of a range of issues such as healthy eating, personal safety and citizenship. The governors have decided that sex education will not be taught formally, but wider issues about healthy living are fully encompassed, such as the dangers of substance abuse. Pupils have also visited Penzance Fire Station to learn about fire safety. They are encouraged to take an active part in helping the smooth running of the day. For example, they work hard to transform the largest classroom into a lunch area where they eat and socialise comfortably, and then to change it back to a clean and well ordered classroom for afternoon lessons. The oldest pupils also take responsibility for distributing and storing play and PE equipment.

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There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development

22. Good opportunities are provided to raise pupils’ awareness of environmental issues. They are involved in planting and maintaining their own gardens; older pupils work with CADE (Cornwall Association for Development in Education) which has strong links around the world and a particular focus on ecology. This makes pupils aware of issues related to fair trading in products such as coffee and bananas; the association has also arranged for the school to be visited by an African musician and storyteller.

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There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development

23. Links with the community make a strong contribution to pupils’ personal development. The annual carol service is held in the local Methodist Church and is considered to be one of the highlights of the school year, providing an opportunity for the children to celebrate Christmas with members of the local community. Last year the focus was a performance of dances from around the world. Participation in a national programme to promote sports in schools gives the pupils the opportunity to benefit from specialist coaching; a link with a nearby small school means that there are now enough children to form teams to enter local competitions. Despite being such a small school, there is a good range of extra-curricular activities, often run with the help of parents, to enhance pupils’ social development. These include football, towerball (a form of netball), chess and recorder.

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The partnership with parents is strong and they have a high degree of confidence in

24. Parents have a good deal of confidence in the school and appreciate the warm, family

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The partnership with parents is strong and they have a high degree of confidence in

2 The ‘life skills’ curriculum is the programme for pupils’ personal, social and health education St Levan Community Primary School - 16 atmosphere, which makes them feel very welcome. A high, and overwhelmingly positive, response to the inspection questionnaire shows their commitment to both the school and their children’s learning. They rightly feel that this is a caring, confident school with happy children who are enthusiastic about learning. They think that their children are particularly well prepared to move on in life; there is a high degree of praise for how well pupils with particular physical or learning needs are supported and fully included in school life. Parents value the individual nature of the school and the high degree of dedication shown by all the staff. Many make a conscious decision to send their children here even if it is not their nearest school. Parents know that, because of

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The partnership with parents is strong and they have a high degree of confidence in

the school’s location, there are some limitations to the range of activities that can be offered, but feel that the quality of education their children receive more than makes up for this.

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The partnership with parents is strong and they have a high degree of confidence in

25. Parents are kept well-informed about events in the school through regular, informative newsletters, community news reports and a school website. Communication at the end of the day between parents and teachers is frequent and friendly. These informal links ensure that their views can be taken into account when school policies and procedures are developed and parents feel that their opinions are taken seriously. Formal consultations in the spring and summer terms keep parents informed about how well their children are getting on. Annual reports give them a good indication about the progress their child has made over the year and set individual targets for improvement. However, parents are not given sufficient information about their child’s curriculum at the beginning of the school year to enable them to support their work more fully if they wish.

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The partnership with parents is strong and they have a high degree of confidence in

26. Before the youngest children start school they visit once a week with their parents. This gives them the opportunity to become familiar with their new surroundings. Children who are currently in the reception year show that this system works well, as even the newest entrants are clearly happy and confidently cope with the daily routines. Parents are given the opportunity to become familiar with the school site and domestic arrangements so that they know their children are well looked after. An informal ‘buddy system’ is used to help pupils who join the school in other year groups to settle quickly and their parents are urged to share any concerns with the staff. The close links with other local primaries and the comprehensive school reassure parents that their children move on to secondary education with confidence, having already met some of their new teachers and school mates.

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The partnership with parents is strong and they have a high degree of confidence in

27. The school successfully encourages parents to support aspects of their children’s learning. Expectations of homework are clearly shared; pupils say they know this work is valued because their teachers regularly mark it and give them helpful comments about how to improve.

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The partnership with parents is strong and they have a high degree of confidence in

28. Until recently all fundraising has been organised by the school. Social activities such as the summer fete have been well supported by parents and the local community and are successful in raising considerable additional funds. The governors’ annual report keeps parents informed about how these funds are used to subsidise the cost of transport to swimming lessons in Penzance and trips to local places of interest such as the Minack Theatre. A number of parents have recently committed themselves to help set up a Friends Association to increase the level of involvement in fundraising activities. The school’s ‘open door’ policy encourages many parents to help with reading, after school clubs or in the library. Some parents are also developing the gardens to enhance work in science. This level of support makes a significant contribution to the children’s achievements. St Levan Community Primary School - 17

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Standards in information and communication technology (ICT)

29. There have been significant improvements in provision for ICT since the last inspection. The number of computers has been increased and equipment has been upgraded so that, for example, there is access to the Internet and provision to use programs such as Powerpoint. However, the school is still not fully equipped to teach all aspects of the subject; there is, for example, no equipment for teaching control technology. Teaching of ICT is also constrained by cramped accommodation which means that computers cannot be grouped together for focused work on the subject and teachers are very limited in their ability to demonstrate procedures by, for example, using an interactive whiteboard. Even within the current limitations, however, there is still some way to go before pupils’ skills in ICT are up to expected levels and ICT is not yet used effectively to support work in subjects across the curriculum.

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Standards in information and communication technology (ICT)

30. All pupils have some opportunity to use computers for word-processing. Although they can find their way around the keyboard, they lack confidence in, and need a good deal of support with, basic procedures. So, for example, Year 3 pupils working on basic addition facts in a mathematics lesson were unable to load a program and needed help to save their work. Older pupils are often unaware of how to edit text and therefore are unable to use word-processing to draft and improve their work.

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Standards in information and communication technology (ICT)

31. Staff have had training to improve their skills in teaching ICT and this has had a positive impact. However, most are not yet sufficiently confident to introduce the use of ICT to support work in other subjects. This, together with limitations in pupils’ own skills, is restricting the development of the subject. In a science lesson with Years 5 and 6, for example, there was a good opportunity for pupils to present the findings of an experiment in graphical form. However, their skills in data-handling are not yet at a level to enable them to do this and the teacher, understandably, was focusing her time on work related to the teaching of science and was unsure herself about teaching the necessary skills in ICT.

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geography

32. By the age of seven, the majority of pupils have a secure base of literacy skills and are able to use these effectively in work across the curriculum. They begin, for example, to record their observations in science and to label diagrams, for instance to identify the different parts of a plant. In history they write a short account of the life of George Stevenson and in geography they note observations of the features of different types of houses.

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geography

33. These sorts of opportunities are not progressively built upon as pupils move through Years 3 to 6 and the good skills that pupils demonstrate in their work in English are not evident in subjects across the curriculum. In science, for instance, pupils draw a ‘healthy meal’ but there is no commentary on why particular foods might be beneficial, or any identification of different food groups. In history and geography, there is over-use of simple worksheets and tasks such as completing sentences by finding missing words. This means that there is little scope for pupils to demonstrate what they have learned by, for example, making notes of key facts or researching and writing their own accounts of events such as the Spanish Armada. St Levan Community Primary School - 18

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise standards in information and communication technology (ICT) by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- continuing with the programme of staff training to ensure that staff are confident in teaching all aspects of the subject - planning for the progressive development of pupils’ skills as they move through the school - extending the range of opportunities to use ICT to support work in subjects across the curriculum - ensuring that the school is equipped to teach all aspects of the subject

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Extend the range of opportunities for pupils in Years 3 to 6 to use their literacy skills in subjects across the curriculum St Levan Community Primary School - 19

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 8

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than eleven percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 49

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 9

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 11

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 4

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Attendance

School data 6.8 School data 0.6 St Levan Community Primary School - 20 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Levan Community Primary School - 21

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 1 4 5

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 (91) 100 (91) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 (91) 100 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 7 5 12

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 92 (93) 92 (86) 100 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 92 (86) 92 (79) 83 (86) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Levan Community Primary School - 22 Separate boys and girls results are not included as there were less than 10 boys or girls taking the tests. St Levan Community Primary School - 23

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 1 Other minority ethnic groups

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 3 Financial year 2000/01

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 16.3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 166,524

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Expenditure per pupil 2,921

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 96 Balance brought forward from previous year 24,120

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 33,994

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1 (17.5hrs)

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1 (15hrs)

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Levan Community Primary School - 24 St Levan Community Primary School - 25

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Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 81 15 4 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 77 23 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 81 15 4 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 85 15 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 92 8 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 88 12 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 88 12 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 88 12 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 81 19 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 38 46 8 0 8

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