Flushing School

FLUSHING PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Geoff Burgess OIN: 23708

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FLUSHING PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 25 th to 28 th February 2002

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FLUSHING PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 220862 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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FLUSHING 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. Flushing Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Coventry Road Flushing 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: Mrs Sue Treneer

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 2000 Flushing Primary School - 5

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Information about the inspection team

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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Information about the inspection team

23708 Geoff Burgess Registered inspector Foundation Stage SEN Results & achievements English: Teaching & learning Art: Design Technology Assessment & academic monitoring Music Leadership & management Religious Education School improvement 13911 Julie Gallichan Lay inspector Attitudes, values & personal development Partnership with parents Personal welfare & care 23330 Tony Burgess Team inspector Mathematics: EO Learning opportunities Science Information Technology Spiritual, moral, social & cultural development

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Information about the inspection team

4, Dodhams Farm Close Bradpole Bridport Dorset DT6 3EZ

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Information about the inspection team

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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Information about the inspection team

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Information about the inspection team

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE

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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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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

The school’s results and achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Flushing Primary School is tucked away in extended Victorian buildings in the heart of the waterside village. It serves a wide spectrum of families of mainly Cornish heritage but with a good sprinkling from much further afield, many connected with the sea. Many pupils now come from outside the village with several choosing to come from Falmouth via the ferry. More than a fifth of pupils are entitled to free school meals and much employment is of a seasonal nature. More pupils than usual join and leave the school mid-year but how many and when is never predictable. The number of pupils on roll is currently about 50 but this fell drastically last year when a large cohort of 17 finally left the school. Nearly a national average fifth of pupils are on the special needs register, one of whom has a statement of special need. Attainment on entry is usually similar to that found in most schools but with the small numbers involved, any one year can be better or

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school, very well led and managed, which has improved tremendously in the last eighteen months. Good teaching is helping boys and girls to achieve well throughout the school and personal standards are much improved. With its varied but generally average intake and average funding for a school of this size, it provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Good teaching is helping pupils to achieve well throughout the school and standards in English, mathematics and science are going up year on year § Boys and girls are encouraged to work hard. They enjoy their lessons and develop very good attitudes to learning § Pupils’ social and moral development has a high priority. They behave well, get on very well together and are growing into mature, sensible and responsible citizens § The school takes very good care to ensure the safety, welfare and happiness of all its pupils § It has established a good working relationship with parents and they in turn make a good contribution to their children’s learning and the life of the school • The head, staff and governors have shown admirable vision, judgement and determination in revitalising the school with its improved facilities and standards and re-established reputation.

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What could be improved

• The school does not have a planned programme for developing pupils, personal, social, health and citizenship education to ensure adequate coverage and consistency • Older pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to use their developing writing skills, knowledge and understanding to produce extended pieces of writing • The Key Stage 1 classroom is too small to make it possible for a full foundation environment to be provided at the same time as providing for the needs of years one and two. 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

An enormous amount of effort and thought has gone into resolving the many issues identified during the inspection in January 2000 and HMI were able to say that at least reasonable progress had been made in each by January 2001. Inspectors are now in a position to say that all have now been resolved successfully. All aspects of leadership and management are very good and standards are growing through the school with improved monitoring, planning, resourcing and teaching. Provision for children in their foundation year, information technology and religious education is very much better. The quality and use of assessment is now very good. Procedures for ensuring good attendance and behaviour are working very well. Overall improvement is very good. Flushing Primary School - 8

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests. compared with Key Performance in: all schools similar schools well above average A 1999 2000 2001 2001 above average B English B C E D average C Mathematics E D E D below average D Science C D E D well below average E

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STANDARDS

Although the number of pupils taking the tests in 2001 was enough to make comparisons fair, in most years this is not the case. In these years, small numbers of pupils eligible to take the tests make the school vulnerable to the ups and downs caused by the impact of individual pupils. However, in general, results in English have been above average and below in mathematics. The larger 2001 group was much affected by extreme disruption caused by staff absence over the previous two years and results fell drastically in both subjects and in science. The present year six also suffered from the difficulties at the school and several higher attainers left. As a result, although pupils in year six have made good progress this year, absolute standards are below average in English, mathematics and science. Boys and girls of all ages are achieving well in all the other year groups including the foundation year and pupils who find learning difficult are

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STANDARDS

making good progress. Standards in English, mathematics and science in years one to five are already at least average and growing steadily through the school, year on year. Standards in all other subjects follow the same general trend with a particular strength in art.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Boys and girls are very positive about school and join in wholeheartedly with all it has to offer. They are very keen to talk about their work, proud of their achievements and their school and work hard to complete tasks set. Attitudes to school and learning are very good Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Despite wet and windy weather and the limitations of the buildings, behaviour observed in and out of the classroom during the inspection was always good and often very good. Staff have worked very hard to help pupils to know what behaviour is appropriate at different times and they have responded extremely well. This is making it possible for teachers and pupils to do their best in a calm, happy environment. Personal development and relationships Everybody gets on very well with everybody else and visitors are made to feel very welcome. Adults act as very good role models in this respect, which helps to foster the friendly feel of the school. Pupils

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Aspect Comment

are growing into confident, sociable and sensible citizens who recognise their own worth and appreciate the contribution made by others. They work together very well and enjoy taking responsibility when it is offered. Their personal development is good. Attendance The school has worked very hard to raise awareness of the need for regular attendance and, with pupils thoroughly enjoying all they do, absence levels are now similar to most schools. The school has invested a great deal of effort on improving pupils’ personal standards to very good effect. Their very good attitudes and relationships together with good behaviour have helped to make teaching and learning much easier and made school a good place to be for everyone.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Flushing Primary School - 9 Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lessons seen overall Satisfactory Satisfactory 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 AND LEARNING

All teaching is at least satisfactory with most good and some even better especially in years three to six. Most better teaching is associated with the core subjects and with teachers taking subjects for which they have a special interest such as art, information technology and gymnastics. A particular strength is the management of pupils while boys and girls make a very good contribution to their own learning by their interest, powers of concentration and ability to get on unaided. Classroom assistants make a good contribution especially when working with pupils who need extra help.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum All pupils have equal access to a broad and varied range of learning experiences with literacy and numeracy suitably emphasised. With limited space on site, increasing use is being made of the local area as a learning resource and extra-curricular activities add depth and variety to pupils’ learning. However, the taught curriculum for the under fives is inhibited by the lack of sufficient inside space to set aside specific work areas for boys and girls to use freely. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision for pupils who find learning or conforming difficult is good and they make good progress towards their targets. Classroom assistants are closely involved with teachers in providing necessary support in and out of the classroom. Good procedures for identifying, monitoring and supporting such pupils have been established and all the necessary paperwork is in place. Pupils with very special needs

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Aspect Comment

are well catered for and included in all the school has to offer. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social & cultural development Staff make good provision for promoting pupils’ personal development especially in the development of pupils' social skills and attitudes and moral awareness. Curricular provision for pupils to study and appreciate their own cultural heritage and celebrate the cultural diversity of others is good with satisfactory attention given to helping pupils to reflect on the more spiritual aspects of their growth. How well the school cares for its pupils The school takes very good care of its pupils. All areas of their health and welfare are taken very seriously and governors and staff are constantly checking to ensure that all is well. Physical arrangements and procedures for ensuring pupils safety are well known by the whole school community. Good attendance has a high priority. Assessment

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Aspect Comment

procedures are now well established, especially in the core subjects and increasing use is being made of information provided by this and national testing to track pupils' progress and guide planning.

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Aspect Comment

Almost all parents are very pleased with the way the school is helping children to learn and mature. They feel comfortable in their dealings with school and make a good contribution to their children’s learning. General information provided for parents is useful and timely but, although annual reports say what pupils know and can do, they do not indicate whether this is good enough or better.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Flushing Primary School - 10 Aspect Comment

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher & other key staff The contribution that the head has made to the enormous recent improvements in the school is very good. She has shown admirable determination in managing the very full agenda she inherited and great resilience in coping with various knocks and hindrances along the way. Other staff have followed her example and leaders and managers in all areas of the school have become much more effective and influential. Staff receive very good support from the school secretary in the day to day running of the school which is very well led and managed. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Most governors are fairly new to the job but, with considerable help from the head and the local authority, the way they have worked to provide vital practical and moral support to the school community is very impressive. An extensive structured programme of visits ensures

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

that they now know their school very well and greatly improved procedures and systems help them to manage a very full workload successfully. They are incredibly supportive, determined that the school should prosper and willing to do all it takes so that it can. The school’s evaluation of its performance This is another area that has improved enormously in the past two years. With the head in the lead, every aspect of the school’s performance and provision is looked at carefully and evaluated to see how it can be improved. The whole school community is involved in the process and this leads to a good deal of informed discussion about the way forward. Action planning and the actions taken are very good. The strategic use of resources Much better use is being made of all resources including teaching and support staff, the accommodation and resources. An important consequence of much better improvement planning is the way all

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

available funds are targeted at developments identified and agreed as priorities. Through this, staff now have the resources and facilities lacking at the time of the last inspection. The head made an outstanding contribution to helping the school community to come to terms with the situation it found itself in and by sheer hard work and determination has brought about all the necessary improvements and restored confidence and pride. With governors, staff and parents now much more involved, the school is in a very good position to move forward and thrive.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• their children enjoy going to school § teaching is good and their children are making good progress § the school is helping pupils to grow up sensibly and behaviour is good § pupils are expected to work hard and do their best • the school is well led and managed • The information about how well their children are doing • The work children are expected to do at home • The range of activities in addition to lessons

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with all positive statements made by parents. As noted above, improvements could be made in annual reports but homework is similar to that found in most schools and with such a small staff, the school provides a reasonable range of extra activities. Flushing Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. In most years, the number of pupils taking national tests at the ages of seven and eleven is too small to make fair comparisons with other schools or to see trends year on year. Although last year’s year six was big enough to match against other schools, it exemplified another factor in making the analysis of such data problematical. Of the 17 boys and girls who took the test, more than half were not at the school to take the tests as seven-year-olds. In fact, the amount of turbulence (pupils leaving and joining the school other than as four or eleven year olds) has been high enough for the school to receive extra funding. However, some general points can be made about test results over the past few years. • English results have been better than mathematics and science in both key stages • Seven-year-old boys have done better than girls in reading, writing and mathematics • Eleven-year-old girls have done better than boys in English, mathematics and science

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

§ Results in the 2000 tests for seven-year-olds and the 2001 tests for eleven-year-olds were seriously affected by very severe disruption caused by staff absences. • The impact of individual pupils with extra needs on these results is very significant. For instance, this year each year six pupil will count for 17%.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. This year's oldest group were in the same class as the larger group mentioned above and were seriously affected by the disruption and a decline in behaviour and attitudes to learning by their older classmates. Several higher attainers left because of this, completely altering the balance of the present year six group. Much improved arrangements for measuring and tracking the progress that individual pupils are making and the evidence of their work in books shows that they have made good progress this school year in literacy, numeracy and science. However, when compared with other schools, absolute standards in year six are below average. With the full implementation of the literacy and numeracy strategies and much improved planning and monitoring, boys and girls in years one to five are achieving well and making good progress in English, mathematics and science. Pupils with learning difficulties make good progress towards

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

their own targets. With the proviso that in the small groups, the presence of one or two such pupils or high flyers distorts the picture, standards are at least average throughout the rest of the school and building.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Good evidence of this can be seen in the top class where each of the three attainment groupings for work in literacy and numeracy have equal numbers of year five and year six pupils i.e. they are working at the same level. Other good indicators are provided by pieces of unaided writing completed when pupils start in the middle class in year three. A marked improvement in those completed by the present year three over the previous year's indicates how standards are improving in Key Stage 1. The enormous improvement in recent writing by the current year four from when they joined the class shows how this is being built on. Boys and girls in the foundation year working alongside their year one and two classmates mirror this much improved progress. However, aspects of their development, including their physical and social and personal development are inhibited by the constraints of the building in inclement weather.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. A similar picture can be seen in most other subjects with almost all pupils achieving at least the standards expected for their ages in years one to five and year six not doing quite as well, especially in those subjects which involve writing. This represents a good improvement in religious education and information technology which were weak at the time of the last inspection. Art continues to be a strength among the foundation subjects right through the school, as do aspects of physical education and music.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Flushing Primary School - 12 5. The school has now achieved greater consistency both in pupils’ attitudes to learning and behaviour. Attitudes to learning are very good overall and behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. Personal development has also improved and is now good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and analysis of the level of attendance for the current academic year shows an upward trend. Parents responding to the Ofsted questionnaire, feel their children enjoy school and behave well – they are right.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

6. Boys and girls in the youngest class (Class 3) enjoy learning and behave well during most activities. They are interested in the activities organised for them and willingly offer answers to their teachers’ questions. During a physical education session they followed instructions carefully and tried hard to copy the teacher’s demonstration of ‘machine movements’. On occasions pupils call out which can slow the pace of lessons. During a whole school assembly they listened carefully to the story and participated well in singing and the time of reflection. Their behaviour is good and they enjoy working and playing together as a group.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. In Classes 1 and 2 pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good. They are keen and show a great deal of interest in and enthusiasm for their work maintaining concentration well and listening attentively to their teachers and each other. During a mathematics lesson, Class 2 were very keen and eager to suggest suitable units of time in response to their teacher’s carefully focused questions. The lively variety of activities held pupils’ concentration and interest throughout. Pupils’ response in a gymnastics lesson for Class 1 held at Penryn College was excellent. They all participated well, followed instructions carefully and maintained good concentration, resulting in very good progress being made. Boys and girls responded to the high expectations set for them by an expert teacher. The inclusive nature of the school means all pupils take part with equal enthusiasm in all activities offered to them. Behaviour across the school is good and pupils

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

behave very sensibly when they move between the school site and the village club for physical education lessons or lunches. Despite the small areas available for outdoor play pupils get on very well and no conflict was seen during the inspection. Pupils are not concerned about aggressive or oppressive behaviour. Following several fixed-term exclusions other arrangements were made for the education of one child during the last year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Warm, easy relationships exist between teachers and pupils and between pupils across the age range. They work very well together and respect other’s views. For example, in a Class 2 art lesson, pupils collaborated very well to produce images that represented a journey. Pupils worked very constructively and took account of each other’s opinions. They discussed their work and were then able to justify their decisions. Personal development is good and pupils enjoy taking on responsibility for small tasks within their class or around the school as they get older. All year five and six pupils have a ‘job’, for example switching off the computers and covering them at the end of the day, helping to keep the library in order or, within their class, being responsible for handing out resources. Pupils are polite and friendly and enjoy talking with visitors and telling them about their school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Attendance is steadily improving. Although it was still below average for the last academic year, figures for this year look very promising and if the current trend continues the school is on target to achieve at least average attendance levels for this current year. Parents have responded well to the school’s encouragement to improve attendance and pupils arrive punctually in the mornings, keen to start the day’s activities.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

10. The last report said that there had been a decline in the quality of teaching from the previous inspection where no teaching was unsatisfactory. In 2000, the teaching of ‘children under-five’ and of religious education was criticised, as was the way group activities in literacy and numeracy were not matched to the full range of attainment in each mixed age class. Better teaching was noted in Key Stage 2 specifically in physical education, art and music. 11. Almost three-quarters of teaching throughout the school is at least good with two very good lessons and one excellent. No teaching is unsatisfactory. This represents good teaching Flushing Primary School - 13 overall and is a big improvement since the last report. An important factor in this is the contribution made by pupils to their own learning through their good behaviour, effort and enthusiasm for what they are learning especially in the two older classes. It is significant that well

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

prepared, stimulating whole class sessions in the youngest class are sometimes rendered 'only' satisfactory by over-enthusiastic pupils calling out and slowing down the pace for others.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

12. Teachers and classroom assistants work well with foundation children on organised activities and boys and girls have adapted well to the constraints of school. Overall provision for boys and girls in their foundation year is much improved. However, with three year groups in a relatively small room, it is very difficult and usually impossible for the two 'infant' teachers to provide the full range of learning experiences so that these children can make choices and work independently through constructive play.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

13. Although the quality of teaching is generally associated with the skill of the teacher involved, the good implementation of the literacy and numeracy strategies has had a beneficial effect on the teaching of these skills throughout the school. In response to the issue in the last report, teachers now plan a range of activities to challenge the various capabilities in the mixed age classes. Following an imaginative whole class session constructing an alternative 'Red Riding Hood' type story set in Flushing, young children worked enthusiastically with a classroom assistant discussing and then making a list of the contents of 'Little Grey Gap Cap's' shopping basket. Older, more capable pupils, with lots of support from another classroom assistant, wrote their continuation of the story, 'Suddenly as she was rowing across'. The oldest and most capable worked with the teacher using speech bubbles to write down the conversation between

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

'Little Grey Gap Cap' and the shark which took the place of the wolf using speech marks and other punctuation such as exclamation marks.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. An important 'spin-off' from the literacy and numeracy strategies is the consistent way teachers ensure at the start of each lesson that pupils know exactly what they are trying to learn and the way time is set aside at the end to reinforce this and check to see what learning has taken place. In a very good literacy lesson a key objective was the use of speculative language which the teacher very skilfully introduced while analysing explanations on various posters. Pupils soon understood that certain words indicate that the writer is saying what might be or what might happen and could find examples in the shared text. At the end of a very good numeracy lesson the teacher drew together all that had been learned about divisibility and made very good use of questioning to highlight facts and ideas which might come in useful later.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. A further factor in better teaching is the sharing of expertise as in art and information and communications technology (ICT) in the two Key Stage 2 classes and the use of specialist teaching as in gymnastics in the older class. The confidence and expertise of the art and ICT teachers made it possible for them to challenge pupils and involve them in high level discussions about what they were doing. Excellent teaching by a physical education specialist at Penryn College fully justified the time taken moving between the two schools. Very high expectations, expert knowledge, very good teaching points and excellent management skills all contributed to motivating pupils to excellent participation and maximum effort and concentration.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Classroom assistants make a good contribution especially in the area of special needs. They have formed good working relationships with teachers and the pupils in their charge and by enabling pupils to work alongside their classmates, they constitute an important teaching resource. When no ancillary support is available, work is usually matched to the needs of individual pupils and the teacher focuses on these pupils to give support and explanations. Visiting instrumental music teachers make it possible for a number of pupils, some with particular talents, to receive good quality specialist tuition.

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PUPILS?

17. All of the issues and points for improvement raised in the last inspection have been addressed so that the school provides a suitably balanced curriculum, which fulfils statutory Flushing Primary School - 14 requirements. The local authority has provided the school with extensive support to develop the curriculum for the foundation stage, which is now soundly based on first hand experience, relevant to the needs of four and five-year-olds and planned according to the Early Learning Goals. The school, working with the local authority, has greatly enhanced provision for young children both indoors and outs but the small classroom inhibits teachers in their efforts to provide a full foundation curriculum each day.

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PUPILS?

18. The quality and range of leaning opportunities provided by the school is good. Pupils are given a wide range of interesting and stimulating learning experiences that cover all the required elements. There is a suitable emphasis on the teaching of English, mathematics and science and both the Literacy and Numeracy strategies have been effectively implemented. A real strength of the curriculum is the way in which the school has developed cross- curricular links. For example pupils use their collection of weather data to link aspects of geography, science, maths and information technology (ICT). The curriculum is also enhanced by visits to places of interest such as the Eden Project and Truro Museum for a Tudor workshop and by good use of the local environment. Members of the community, such as a Cornish bard also visit the school regularly. The range and quantity of extra-curricular activities provided by the school is appropriate for a

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PUPILS?

school of its size. These include clubs for art, design technology, drama, sport, ICT, sewing and music at different times of the year.

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PUPILS?

19. A ‘long term’ framework, which maps out the curriculum across the three key stages, has been introduced and national schemes of work have been adopted and implemented in all areas of the curriculum. The policies and schemes of work are reflected in the four-year rolling programme of topics, which provides a planning framework to ensure coverage and continuity. Since the last inspection, pupils have greater opportunity to increase their ICT skills by the provision of a new computer suite in the ‘old’ library area, comprising five computers with accompanying software plus two additional computers in the classrooms. The deficiencies in the curriculum for religious education have also been addressed. Thorough overall planning involving all the teaching staff has a positive impact on the teaching and learning. Teachers’ joint planning strengthens the delivery of the curriculum and encourages staff to share their ideas and

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PUPILS?

20. Provision for pupils' personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) is satisfactory. Many people from the local community are encouraged to come into school and talk to pupils about their role in the community. These include the police officer, who regularly visits the school to lead discussion on such issues as safety and drugs, and the school nurse who talks to the older children about sex education. Older children also have the opportunity to openly discuss personal issues during circle time or reflect on their feelings in their ‘Thinking Books’. However provision overall in this area is a little inconsistent and the school lacks a carefully planned programme of work in personal, social, health and citizenship education for all year groups and all classes.

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PUPILS?

21. The curriculum is generally well organised to meet the needs of pupils with special needs and boys and girls have equal access to the curriculum. Local primary schools share their expertise in sport, music and ICT and take part in many community and church events, providing musical entertainment, drama productions and sporting competitions through the partnership of schools. Children regularly enter poetry and artwork in the Gorsedd and Royal Cornwall Show. Older children take part in sailing activities locally and are taught gymnastics at Penryn College as part of the partnership. Later this year pupils from Flushing Primary School will be taking part in the Penryn Partnership musical production at the Hall for Cornwall at Truro. Pupils use the local churches for their Christingle Service at Christmas.

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PUPILS?

22. Overall arrangements for promoting pupils' personal development are good with strengths in the moral, social and cultural aspects. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. The school provides a friendly, calm and caring environment where all members of the community are valued. The ethos, which pervades every aspect of school life, encourages pupils to show respect for each other, for adults and for themselves. Pupils have a clear understanding of the values and beliefs that the school promotes. The constraints of the school buildings make it Flushing Primary School - 15 extremely difficult for staff to create a reflective atmosphere in assemblies. None the less, they ensure that the well-planned daily act of worship, often involving the local churches, makes a positive contribution to the development of pupils’ spiritual awareness. It provides an opportunity for pupils to be thoughtful and to share feelings with each other and the whole school community.

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PUPILS?

23. In lessons pupils are encouraged to reflect on life’s fundamental questions to help develop an insight into the values and beliefs of others. For example pupils in the infant class created a stained glass window of ‘Our Special World’ and reflected upon the splendour of the world by recording their thoughts and feelings, stating what they liked and why. In religious education lessons pupils acquire knowledge and insight into the values and beliefs of Christianity and other great world religions. Older children have the opportunity to discuss their feelings during circle time. Well-structured visits and lessons, such as the visit to the Eden Project, allow pupils to wonder at the beauty and diversity of nature. Discussion with pupils demonstrated just how overwhelming and awe-inspiring they found the magnificence of the plants they had seen and which was reflected in the high quality art work produced. However, although provision for pupils’

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PUPILS?

spiritual development is satisfactory, there are few planned opportunities for pupils to reflect across the curriculum during moments of stillness and quiet.

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PUPILS?

24. Provision for pupils' moral and social development is good. The school actively promotes moral values so that each child develops honesty, self-discipline and sound moral judgement. Pupils have a clear sense of right and wrong and are encouraged to show respect for each other and the environment. They respond well to the high expectation of good behaviour. Throughout the school pupils are encouraged to show consideration and respect for each other, work amicably together and to play fairly. Rewards and sanctions are clearly set out and followed which helps to promote fairness and consistency. The Praise Assembly and Praise Tree support self-esteem and are valued by pupils. Staff promote a very caring ethos based on respect and concern for one another. Pupils are involved in and regularly contribute to a variety of community events, such as Regatta Week and Cream Teas during the summer. Older boys and girls are

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PUPILS?

very good at accepting responsibility in class and around the school; for example they take responsibility for looking after the computer suite and library. Close links with other schools in the locality through the Penryn Partnership, provides an opportunity for pupils to further develop social skills by mixing with pupils from other schools. Boys and girls with very special needs are well integrated into the school and valued by their classmates.

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PUPILS?

25. There is a deep sense of community in the school and in the village itself. The exceptionally strong bond between the school and the village has a positive impact on the education provided. Pupils develop a very good understanding of their own local culture and heritage through their involvement in numerous activities and events which take place in and around the village, by studying and talking to visitors from the local community and by visits to places of interest. Each year pupils participate in a variety of local events such as entering poetry and artwork for the Annual Royal Cornwall Show, Stithians and Gorsedd. Since the previous inspection the school has strengthened opportunities for pupils to learn about the influence of other cultures in RE, history, geography, music and art and this is further enhanced by literature from or about other traditions.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

26. An enormous amount of time and effort has been invested in formalising procedures to ensure high quality care and attention to the welfare of pupils. Systems and procedures are now well established and applied consistently by all staff with the help of a well-written handbook. Pupils receive very good support, guidance and care during the school day. They are known very well by all staff who seek to meet their individual needs. Flushing Primary School - 16 27. Very good attention is paid to matters of health and safety. Audits have taken place and systematic risk assessments carried out. Reminders to pupils about safe practices are displayed in classrooms and lesson planning and teaching specifically mentions matters of safety where appropriate. Arrangements for first aid are also very good and pupils with specific medical needs are well known by staff. Appropriate members of staff hold first aid qualifications. Supervision of

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

pupils whilst on the school site and when they move to the village club is good. Firmly established child protection procedures meet requirements and teachers designated as responsible have received appropriate training to support them in their role.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

28. The monitoring and promotion of attendance is excellent with very good use made of the computerised attendance records to analyse and monitor absence. Letters are sent to parents if there are concerns about a child’s attendance or if there has been an improvement in the regularity of attendance following a previous low level. Pupils are discouraged from taking time off unless for sickness and awards to recognise consistent attendance have been introduced. The school’s work to improve attendance is beginning to result in much reduced absence and this year overall attendance levels should at least match the national average.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

29. Procedures to promote good behaviour are now very effective. Following additional training and revision of the school’s policy, a positive reward system, which encourages pupils both to work hard and behave well, is firmly established. The ‘Praise Tree’ to which bronze, silver and gold leaves are added with pupils' names on, is a prominent feature. Pupils are very clear about what they need to do to earn star points which then lead to the award of the leaves. The reward system is consistently applied across the whole school and is meaningful to all pupils. Sanctions are used less often now than was the case previously but clear procedures are in place if potential incidents of bullying are identified.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

30. The last Ofsted report said, “Procedures to check and record pupils’ academic progress are not as good as they might be…” and “Assessment of pupils’ work in order to inform the sort of work which gives sufficient challenge is not good enough.” Since the last inspection the school has made encouraging progress particularly by improving the collection and analysis of data to modify planning and check on progress. The head teacher and teaching staff have worked hard to maintain a sensible level of change and improvement over time in assessment and recording systems. As a result procedures for monitoring pupils' academic and personal development are very good.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. Much more methodical and thorough systems for monitoring standards and evaluating progress are now in place including the analysis of assessment data, matching of pupils' work to known standards and observations of learning. Following the last inspection, the school began the process of building up a more rigorous collection of assessment data, including details of national tests for seven and eleven year-olds and optional tests in years three, four and five. Staff are beginning to use an electronic database to monitor progression and look for trends. Recognising that data evidence can be misleading when dealing with such small groups of children, the school has sensibly used value added information to monitor each child’s and the school’s progress. Although this information is otherwise well used, at present the school does not set individual targets in the form of predicted National Curriculum levels in the core subjects. The evaluation of

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

assessment data is used well to inform strategic planning. For example, data information has been used to identify the effectiveness of teaching by measuring the ‘value added’ element of pupil attainment and targeting resources accordingly.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. Tests used as boys and girls enter the school provide a baseline on which to judge their future progress. Additionally individual targets are set for infant pupils using information obtained from using Quest. A number of planned teacher assessments are identified throughout the year, particularly in the core subjects alongside these more formal assessments. In numeracy and literacy, assessment grids to monitor pupil progress are based on the key objectives outlined in the National Strategies. Further tracking sheets are used to monitor other subjects. However, it must be said that not all these procedures are used consistently from class to class, and the school would further improve provision by adopting a whole school approach so that on-going assessment could be more effectively used to track pupils’ progress, reset targets and influence Flushing Primary School - 17 planning. The teachers keep appropriate records of pupil progress matched against national

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

programmes of study in English and mathematics, while more routine on-going, formative assessments are recorded in the teacher’s mark books.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The school is beginning to collect samples of children’s work, matched to National Curriculum levels, particularly in English. Work is regularly and consistently marked and often includes helpful comments and guidance to help the pupils recognise how they can improve. The school acknowledges and encourages pupils’ achievements in the praise assembly and 'Praise Tree' and by sharing examples of good work with other children in the class.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. Information from tests and from teacher assessments enables the school to identify pupils who require extra support and to set individual targets for improvement. Additional help is provided for pupils who find learning difficult. The number of support staff has increased to provide focused and targeted help and learning support assistants provide good support to pupils. Children who give concern are listed on the special needs register and good quality individual educational plans (IEPs) drawn up with the pupil’s parents to set targets for improvement, are reviewed termly. Careful records are kept by all teachers and support staff and these are used very effectively to support learning.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

35. Parents support the school well and have increasing confidence in many aspects of the its work recognising that it is improving. Views expressed through the Ofsted questionnaire and at the parents’ meeting were very positive. Parents conclude that their children are expected to work hard and achieve their best. They state the teaching is good and their children therefore make good progress. Most parents feel better informed about how their child is progressing and are comfortable about approaching the school if they have concerns. A small number of parents are concerned about homework and the range of activities provided outside of lessons. Inspectors agree with parents’ positive views, although reports still need some improvement. Homework is appropriate for reception through to year four and is very well organised for years five and six. Opportunities offered outside of lessons are satisfactory when the small size of the school and its

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

restricted accommodation is taken into account.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

36. Information provided for parents has improved in a number of ways. Parents receive advance notice of dates and letters about school events and activities, this together with the information provided on the notice board, keep parents well informed. The prospectus is well presented and, together with the governors’ annual report, gives a good overview of the life of the school, its expectations and procedures as well as its achievements. Parents are given the opportunity each term to meet with teachers and find out about their children’s progress. The much improved annual report comments on the child’s progress and attitude to work. It includes detail of the child’s work in all areas of the curriculum and makes a judgement on the effort the pupil has made and specifies personal targets for the pupil in the coming year. However, it does not indicate the child’s actual level of achievement matched against national standards.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

37. Parents support work at home well, particularly reading, and record books show many parents listen to their children read several times each week. This has a positive impact on the progress children make in their reading. However, as information about what is being taught each term is not supplied to parents, it is difficult for them to be more fully involved in supporting work in other areas of the curriculum. A number of parents with particular skills and talents come into school and support children’s work. Other parents help with swimming, sailing and out of school visits. The recently revitalised Parent Teacher Association, chaired by the headteacher, works extremely hard to support the school and raise funds to improve resources. Recently it has provided a considerable sum of money for the much-needed purchase of computers. Parents’ involvement in the life of the school and their support of children’s learning at home is much

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

appreciated by the school staff and has a positive impact on pupils’ learning.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Flushing Primary School - 18 38. The present head had only been drafted in from another school as acting head just before the last inspection. She inherited a situation where issues from the 1996 inspection some three years before were unresolved and where the work of the school and the governing body was not underpinned by procedures and systems for adequately managing the workload. Systems for monitoring and evaluating the work of the school were ineffective and the whole school community was unaware of just how much needed to be done. As a result, improving leadership and management was the first area for improvement identified with specific reference to delegation, developing classroom monitoring, implementing planned actions and evaluating their impact, and fulfilling all statutory requirements.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

39. All this has changed thanks mainly to the hard work and determination of the head who has put in place policies and procedures that have built professional expertise, self-confidence and rebuilt the reputation of the school. Through her efforts, the physical and professional environment has been greatly enhanced and a positive ethos focusing on high standards and improvement has been built up. An important factor in this has been the way the leadership roles of other members of staff have been developed in order that they can make their own contribution to the development of the school. This was an issue at the last inspection and is now a strength. Curriculum and other leaders are now positive influences for good in their areas of responsibility, which is beginning to have a noticeable effect on standards in these areas. A good example of this is the way provision for information technology has been boosted through the efforts of the

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

40. Before the last inspection the governing body were not really aware of their roles and responsibilities and did not have the information, opportunity or systems in place to fulfil them. As a consequence, the serious weaknesses identified came as a great shock to the whole school community. The way existing governors and the many new volunteers, supported by the head and the local authority, have combined to transform the governing body is outstanding. They have worked extremely hard to put in place all the systems, procedures and organisations needed in a remarkably short time and now have clear ways of working which have helped them to manage the very full workload they also inherited. Most impressive is their commitment to getting to know 'their' school in very practical ways by visiting and monitoring what is happening in their areas of responsibility. Their support for the school and willingness to invest time and energy to see it grow

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

41. A key reason why the serious weaknesses identified in the last report came as such a shock was the fact that the school did not have effective systems for monitoring or evaluating what it was doing or achieving and no means of measuring this against best practice. Monitoring and evaluation now have very high priorities in the school community with the lead taken by the head who keeps a very close watch on what is happening and feeds this back to the staff and governing body. Standards, classroom practice and the effectiveness of policies and procedures are kept under review by staff and governors responsible. Recent developments in using more detailed assessment procedures for ‘tracking’ individual pupils and similar groups through the school are already making this an even more rigorous process. Individual members of staff are encouraged to think about their own performance through professional discussions and

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

professional development through in-service training has a high priority. Current teaching and support staff have all the expertise needed to cover the full curriculum and particular expertise is well used for pupils' benefit. 42. Planning for improvement was an issue in 2000 and at the time the present head took over was at best, ineffective. With the very full agenda she inherited, the impact of actions already taken is obvious. As it becomes more manageable and staff and governors more used to the process, the school improvement plan has itself developed into a practical and useful management tool. Current priorities are appropriate and focussed on standards and provision and ways of building on the process are constantly being looked at. An important consequence of this is that much better use is being made of all resources including teaching and support staff, the accommodation and books and equipment. Every possible source of funding has been tapped

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

and all the resource deficiencies noted at the time of the last inspection, and a few more which became apparent as things improved, have been addressed and in most cases resolved. The new computer suite is a real asset; boys and girls now have a good range of books in good Flushing Primary School - 19 condition to read; younger children have places to play and things to do in their play area; staff have resources with which to interest pupils in religious education; and so on.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. The school secretary provides a very warm and welcoming reception for parents and visitors, very efficient support for the staff and, as a governor herself, very relevant up to date information for the governing body. She makes good use of information technology to keep suitable checks on day-to-day transactions. Most goods and services come from the local authority’s in-house suppliers and, therefore, represent the best value they can secure.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. It is very important for the community of Flushing that the school is nestled right at its heart and that the sound of children playing can be heard everywhere in the village. Almost all that can be done to make best use of the building has been done and very good use is made of the village club and playing field, and sports facilities in neighbouring communities to add to this. However, its very restricted site causes problems especially when the weather is cold or wet. Chief among these is the fact that the 'infant' classroom is simply not big enough to be able to create an appropriate foundation environment where young children can play on a large scale and make choices as they should, and cater for the majority of older children.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. Flushing School has come a very long way in the last two years not without some heart searching and problems along the way. With the whole school and village community having come to terms with the situation and actively involved, and concrete gains from all the effort and planning coming through, confidence and pride are steadily being restored. At the centre of this, the head deserves the greatest praise for having the courage, resilience and energy to motivate everyone to move the school forward to a position where it can thrive.

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

46. To build on the enormous improvements already made, the governors, headteacher and staff of Flushing School should:

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Develop a cohesive, planned programme for the development of pupils’ personal, social and health education and awareness of citizenship by: - auditing what already happens and bringing together all the policies, good practice and elements of planning already in existence - using these and national guidelines as the basis of a scheme of work which identifies who does what, when and how to ensure consistency. - evolving a manageable system for recording significant trends and landmarks in pupils’ personal development to judge the effectiveness of the above (Paragraph 20)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Give pupils more opportunity to use their developing literacy skills and knowledge to plan, write and improve extended pieces of writing on a regular basis by: - giving pupils regular opportunities and the time needed to write at length - using this extended writing as a key means of assessing their progress in the written element of literacy and evaluating the impact of current teaching (Paragraph 63) (3) Continue to do whatever is possible to create a rich learning environment for children in the foundation year so that boys and girls can make choices, use their initiative and have the opportunity to experience all six areas of learning every day. (Paragraphs 3,12, 17, 44, 48 & 54)

p.19

OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

• pupils have few opportunities to develop their spiritual dimension across the curriculum (Paragraph 23) • otherwise useful assessment procedures are different in different classes (Paragraphs 32 & 70) • pupils actual attainment is not included on annual reports and parents are not told what Flushing Primary School - 20 their children are studying each term (Paragraphs 36 & 37) • there is scope for improving the match of work for higher attaining pupils in mathematics and science (Paragraphs 68 & 76) Flushing Primary School - 21

p.19

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 24 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 8

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.21

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 four percentage points.

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR– Y6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 8

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 4

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 8

p.21

Attendance

School data 7.6 School data 0.01 Flushing Primary School - 22 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.21

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

The number of pupils on roll at the end of the key stage falls below the figure (ten) above which detailed results of national tests are published.

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 8 9 17

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Total 11 10 15

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

School 65 (88) 59 (56) 88 (75) Percentage of pupils at NC level 2 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 83 (81)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Total 17 8 8

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

School 100 (88) 100 (63) 100 (71) Percentage of pupils at NC level 2 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 1 Black – African heritage

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group Other minority ethnic groups 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.

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and classes: YR– Y6 Number of qualified teachers (FTE) 3.4 Financial year 2000

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 14.4

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total income 204026 Flushing Primary School - 23 Education support staff: YR– Y6 Total expenditure 187424 Total number of education support staff 4 Expenditure per pupil 3408

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 72 Balance brought forward from previous year 18947

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 35549

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1.4

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1.4

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0.4

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 33 61 3 3

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 35 56 3 6

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 21 59 15 6

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 47 35 18

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 53 41 6

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 68 29 3

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 47 35 18

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 50 38 9 3 Flushing Primary School - 24 The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 50 41 6 3

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 24 50 15 9 3

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

47. ‘Management of curriculum, teaching and classroom organisation (including resources) for children under five and those in reception’ was described as a serious weakness at the time of the last inspection. Children’s achievements in language and numeracy were said to be satisfactory but progress in their personal and social, physical and creative development and their knowledge and understanding of the world was below expectations. Specifically criticised were the quality and suitability of furniture and equipment and the way the classroom was organised, the outdoor curriculum, the lack of emphasis on practical and first hand experiences and the insufficient time spent on aspects other than language and mathematical work.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

48. Despite continued uncertainties about staffing, a great deal of effort has been put into improving provision for boys and girls in their first year in school. Unsuitable furniture and equipment has been replaced and, within the limits of the accommodation, the room has been set up to provide opportunities for young boys and girls to learn through play. For instance, role-play is provided for by creating a 'Victorian' room with appropriate furniture and 'old' equipment such as a very early vacuum cleaner. Outdoor facilities have also been substantially upgraded so that, when the weather allows, children can involve themselves in sand and water play and use the new equipment for imaginative and physical play. Work is now planned to cover all the areas of learning in a structured way and, by making much better use of initial and subsequent assessments, boys' and girls' achievements are monitored and their progress towards the early

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

learning goals monitored. However, the wet and windy week of the inspection demonstrated the difficulty the school has in providing for the complete range of areas of learning when children cannot go outside. In the small room, it is only possible to set up two, or at the most three, activities for children to use independently so of necessity, most activities are developments of work involving years one and two supported by the teacher or classroom assistants.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

49. The attainment of the children on entry to the school varies year on year but overall is judged to be similar to that of most schools which is confirmed by the initial assessments conducted with these children. However, by the time the children enter year one, sound teaching will have ensured that most attain the early learning goals in personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical and creative development. In mathematical development and communication, language and literacy, some children working alongside older classmates will exceed these goals.

p.24

Personal, social and emotional development

50. This area was very much underdeveloped at the time of the last inspection and is the area most affected by the limitations of the accommodation noted above. However, boys and girls come to school happily. They have learnt the rules, routines and conventions associated with school, playing and working well together. When they arrive in the morning, they sort out their belongings without fuss and take part confidently in class discussions, putting up their hands if they wish to speak and listening to the contributions of others. They are enthusiastic about their learning, as when acting out the story of Little Red Riding Hood with a classroom assistant. As noted above, they have fewer opportunities to work independently than hoped for but when they do, as on the class computers, they are very sensible and self-reliant. Adults provide very good Flushing Primary School - 25 role models for the children, always treating each other and the children with courtesy and

p.24

Personal, social and emotional development

kindness and encouraging them to think about others. Years one and two pupils in the same class also act as examples of the way foundation children are expected to operate. A very good feature of the whole week was the excellent way a young man who finds moving about difficult was included in all the activities and by all his classmates.

p.25

Communication, language and literacy

51. Children make good progress in this area and some will exceed the targets set for children of this age in this area of learning by the time they start year one. Most children speak clearly and confidently and are given a good range of suitable opportunities to practise and develop these skills. They are encouraged to explain things and to express themselves clearly. A good example of this came when the classroom assistant shared with them the contents of Red Riding Hood's basket. Boys and girls listen well to one another and to adults and clearly enjoy listening to stories, enthusiastically joining in with the familiar bits. They understand how books are organised and talk knowledgeably about the title, author and illustrator. Many children can recognise letters by name and sound and enjoy playing games that involve recognising and naming the initial sound of an object. Some can read some familiar words and enjoy looking at

p.25

Communication, language and literacy

books and talking about stories they know and enjoy. They are beginning to learn how to form letters correctly when copying and most write their names legibly.

p.25

Mathematical development

52. This area of learning is well taught and by the end of the reception year, most children will have reached the early learning goals for mathematical development. In lessons where the whole group takes part in number activities, children count and recognise numbers to ten and some are confident with numbers to twenty and beyond. They understand the idea of one more than and one less than, counting forwards and counting backwards. Working with older classmates doing mental 'maths', several show they understand questions aimed at years one and two but some find these sessions difficult to cope with even though the teacher is careful to target questions which they can answer. When they are working in small groups, activities are well matched to their needs, interests and abilities. Many other activities are exploited to extend children’s mathematical understanding. A four-year-old confidently used the mouse to operate a counting

p.25

Mathematical development

programme on the computer showed he could count up to 10 accurately and a 'just-five' happily showed the inspector how to count teddies using another programme.

p.25

Knowledge and understanding of the world

53. Children spent very little time working in this area of learning at the time of the last report. However, a simple rearrangement of the timetable ensures that literacy/ numeracy do not dominate the morning sessions when part-timers are present. By planning in suitable activities for reception children to match the early learning goals alongside Key Stage 1 work, they now have good opportunities to learn about the world they live in. While seven-year-olds talk about and compare Victorian home utensils, foundation children play with them in the role-play area. Reception children try to predict which vehicle will go the furthest when rolled down a slope while older classmates consider the way surfaces affect the performance of vehicles when everything else is equal. As already noted above, foundation pupils are given good opportunities to use computers and they are impressively confident and skilled when doing so.

p.25

Physical development

54. Other than more formal gymnastics and dance alongside older classmates, children had few opportunities for experimenting with and practising movements freely when the school was last inspected. This is another area where bad weather makes it impossible for foundation children to spend enough time testing themselves physically other than in planned sessions with their classmates. However, they do have much more outdoor equipment to be used for this purpose when the weather is appropriate and children say how much they enjoy using it. When joining in with a dance lesson in the village club, they need very little help to get changed and dressed again and respond well to the planned activity by moving around like a robot showing good awareness of their bodies and of the space available.

p.25

Creative development

Flushing Primary School - 26 55. Children’s creative development was sadly neglected at the time of the last inspection. Although boys and girls have few opportunities to choose to experiment with paints and other materials due to the lack of space, they do have regular opportunities to take part in creative activities alongside pupils in years one and two. Displays show how well they make use of colour using paints and pastels. Role play now has an important place in the infant classroom with the current Victorian room a source of interest and a place for creative play. In an infant music lesson, foundation children joined in enthusiastically and showed how well they could sustain a pulse while pupils in years one and two added more complex rhythmic patterns.

p.26

ENGLISH

56. Many aspects of provision for English were ‘areas for improvement ‘ in 2000 when the school was last inspected. Standards in writing were said to have declined since the first inspection in 1996 with insufficient emphasis on teaching the basic skills and pupils not having acquired the pace or ability to write at length or express their ideas competently. Provision for reading was said to be weakened by the lack of structured teaching of phonics in the youngest class and the unstructured arrangement of reading books which resulted in inappropriate choices of reading materials by many children. The way the literacy hour was being implemented was found wanting with the under use of classroom assistants and work not planned to meet the needs all pupils in the mixed age classes.

p.26

ENGLISH

57. Although for reasons discussed in paragraph two, standards in the present year six are below average, very good improvements to planning, resourcing and teaching have seen a real acceleration of progress throughout the school including year six. Taken across years one to five, standards are similar to those found in most schools and improving year on year. However, as noted previously, with such small year groups the impact of individual pupils means that overall attainment in some year groups is better while in others it is worse than this. With much improved arrangement for checking on pupils progress and capacity to use this information to measure this against expected gains, the school has very good evidence that over the past year, pupils throughout the school have improved by significantly more than the half national curriculum level expected. Good first hand evidence of this observed during the inspection is noted in paragraph

p.26

ENGLISH

58. All this has been achieved by the simple expedient of following through the well thought out action plan set up after the last inspection with enormous energy and determination. So:

p.26

ENGLISH

• using literacy strategy materials, all pupils are receiving a well-planned and coherent diet of challenging, highly structured language activities matched to their needs • pupils in Key Stage 1 are being taught phonics and other reading and spelling strategies systematically and this is carried through into the older classes • the range and quality of reading books has been greatly improved and they are now organised in ways which help teachers and pupils to choose books to match boys and girls interests and abilities • children are taught to form their letters properly in the foundation year; handwriting is taught, developed and practised regularly throughout the school; pupils are encouraged to take a pride in the way they present their written work which is regularly displayed • the rules, conventions and structures of writing are taught systematically and practised at the appropriate level • classroom assistants have been trained and encouraged to play a much more active role

p.26

ENGLISH

especially in group work and in supporting pupils who have problems with literacy

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ENGLISH

As a consequence of all this, there is a strong sense of purpose and direction in all literacy based sessions and teachers, classroom assistants and children are confident and well motivated in their work.

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ENGLISH

59. Speaking and listening skills are well developed throughout the school even by those pupils who find the written word difficult to cope with. Discussions are lively and animated; questions result in a forest of hands and often surprisingly thoughtful answers; collaborative work Flushing Primary School - 27 is carried out with a lot of sensible negotiation; and in activities such as shared reading, pupils are more than happy to express opinions and make points. Good examples of speaking and listening came in assemblies involving pupils from each class. In each, the audience listened with rapt attention to older infants acting out the story of Noah, pupils in the middle class reading their story to illustrate the theme of same/different and the top class recounting what they knew about Judaism. The unplanned, but very enjoyable journey through the Old Testament in words and actions making use of classroom features was a real bonus in speaking and listening terms.

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ENGLISH

60. Most pupils achieve standards in reading similar to national expectations but it was very noticeable that pupils in year five are reading much more challenging books, such as 'Lord of the Rings', than pupils in year six. Teachers promote the value and enjoyment of books very effectively and pupils clearly gain pleasure from them. The recently re-sited and upgraded library has a good range of books and, with older pupils actively involved in helping to run it, boys and girls are steadily making more use of the books it contains. They read texts from a wide selection of books with good levels of accuracy and understanding. Shared reading as a class using common text from a class book and guided reading in small ability groups, not only teaches the necessary skills of reading but enhances pupils’ enjoyment of reading and focuses on such terms as author, illustrator, title, fiction and non-fiction. For example, in a year five/six lesson, the middle

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ENGLISH

group practised skimming and scanning as a note making technique using 'Peacemaker' while less fluent readers looked for examples of parody in 'Holmes No Luck' with the classroom assistant. Boys and girls are heard to read regularly in school and at home as part of the homework policy and records of their progress are well maintained.

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ENGLISH

61. Improvement being brought about in writing as a result of the school's actions noted above is strikingly evident in the work in pupils' books. A lower attaining year six has progressed from writing a series of simple sentences to much more complex writing including 'so he rolled each animal in a sprinkling of colour' in his myth. However, it is taking longer for poorly developed handwriting skills to be improved and most year six pupils have joined but irregular and sometimes poorly presented handwriting. At the other end of the scale, some year two pupils are already writing fluently and well using 'joined-up' writing, full stops and capital letters and even speech marks when writing down a conversation between 'Little Grey Gap Cap' and the shark in a Flushing style re-writing of 'Little Red Riding Hood'.

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ENGLISH

62. The way this is being built on in years three and four is exemplary. The work of year fours has progressed from a very simple half page of mainly printed writing when they joined the class in year three to pages of well-formed, structured and mainly accurate writing even for the lower attainer. This culminated in the higher achiever writing ' May the rough sea be the dark of dawn, may the grey rocks shelter us' while the lower attainer improved from 'and scerd a dolphin' to ' The small, Mediterranean biome has lots of fruit and vegetables' describing the Eden Project. Year three were much better prepared when they joined the class and from well-formed accurate writing they have moved on to develop their use of language and vocabulary and write, 'May the stars be the wishes you want, then weave a garment of sunlight'.

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ENGLISH

63. To achieve this, the hard work of the teaching staff and their willingness to take on board new ways of working cannot be underestimated. Although these are still early days, the impact of the way the literacy hour has been implemented is obvious. In each class, with levels of challenge and rigour in the work pupils are expected to do increasing as they move through the school, they are making up lost ground. Their technical knowledge of language in areas such as grammar and punctuation, their handwriting and their awareness of different ways of and reasons for writing are greatly improved. Careful monitoring by staff and pupils themselves with individual targets being set will ensure that this continues. However, with so much emphasis on the more technical elements of writing, confident, capable and fluent writers have very few opportunities to actually use all they have learned in extended pieces of written work.

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MATHEMATICS

64. As a result of good teaching and the successful implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy, attainment has improved since the last Ofsted inspection, when standards were said to be ’well below most schools in mathematics.’ Planning is now more rigorous, with an appropriate Flushing Primary School - 28 progression to the development of the subject through the school. The new planning framework ensures a consistency of approach and the requirement that the work is suitably matched to the children’s ages and abilities. This with a greater emphasis on mental mathematics, direct whole class teaching and a planned daily mathematics lesson has provided the impetus for improvement. Inspection findings of the attainment of the present year six pupils are largely consistent with the results at Key Stage 2 in 2001, which were below average. However, the evidence obtained during the inspection from lesson observation, talking to children and looking at

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MATHEMATICS

work indicates that pupils are now progressing well and achieving standards close to, and sometimes above, the national average in the rest of the school.

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MATHEMATICS

65. In Key Stage 1, pupils are introduced to mathematical vocabulary through a range of practical activities, which promote understanding of patterns, number and shape. Pupils in year one recognise that when counting in tens, each number ends in a 0 and that multiplication means ‘lots of’. By the age of seven pupils can, typically, show multiplication in the form of an array and recognise that multiplication is ‘commutative’ (i.e. 3x7 and 7x3 both equal 21). They identify half past, quarter past and quarter to on an analogue clock and are able to sort items by their properties and use a simple Carroll diagram to present their information. In mental maths seven- year-olds double and halve numbers, count on in fives and tens starting from a given number, identify odd and even numbers and speedily recall number bonds to 20.

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MATHEMATICS

66. Pupils build on and extend their mathematical skills and knowledge in Key Stage 2. Year three pupils show a good appreciation of the different measurements of time and use clock faces to work out the time taken between two events. They recognise simple fractions, such as ½, ¼, ¾ and 1 / and are beginning to identify equivalent fractions. They identify lines of symmetry and are improving their understanding of simple division and multiplication. By year four pupils identify points on the compass and recognise a complete turn is 360 degrees. They work out the number of seconds in five minutes and explain the strategy they have used. Year five pupils identify tests of divisibility and identify the lowest common multiple of 2, 3 and 5. They change improper fractions into mixed numbers and recognise coordinates in all four quadrants. Year five pupils are achieving particularly well in mathematics and in many cases their attainment is higher than their

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MATHEMATICS

year six classmates. Many of them know their tables well and show a good understanding of most of the important mathematical concepts. Attainment of the oldest pupils is not so good and although they are improving, several pupils struggle with basic computation, such as subtraction and simple division. Throughout the school the standard of presentation of the pupils’ work is generally satisfactory and improving.

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MATHEMATICS

67. Overall, pupils’ attitude to mathematics in lessons is good and sometimes better. However, although most pupils in the infant class behaved well, one or two of the pupils were over-fussy, adversely affecting the pace of learning. The vast majority of boys and girls, nevertheless, are fully engaged in their work, interested and work hard. They respond enthusiastically, particularly in the mental / oral maths and are eager to volunteer answers or explain the strategy they are using. The changeover from mental / oral activity to the main activity is usually achieved with a minimum of fuss so that the pace of the lesson is maintained.

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MATHEMATICS

68. The teaching of mathematics is good in both key stages. This is an improvement on the last inspection when ‘although most of the lessons were well taught there were parts of some that were not taught effectively.’ Following the last inspection the school has received very effective mathematics support from the local authority (LEA) and the staff have received intensive training and monitoring from the LEA. Planning is now thorough with learning outcomes clearly identified in each lesson. The subject knowledge of the teachers is secure and often good. Pupils are encouraged to develop different strategies to work out problems in their head and there is a consistent approach to the way pupils are taught to carry out operations, for example the way they are taught to multiply. Pupils are well managed and clearly know what is expected of them. Although each class contains at least two year groups teachers try hard to ensure work is

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MATHEMATICS

matched to the ability of the pupils in lessons where, quite often, the teacher provides three levels of work. However, occasionally there could be greater variation in the demands made on the different ability groups within a class to ensure all pupils are properly challenged. The school recognises the importance of the 'plenary' summing up at the end of the lesson and during the Flushing Primary School - 29 inspection it was well used to draw together what pupils had learnt. Resources such as white boards are used to ensure as many pupils as possible participate in the lesson. Displays in rooms and central areas are used to help reinforce learning, such as the year six display on bread.

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MATHEMATICS

69. Pupils acquire and consolidate mathematical knowledge and skills and learn well during lessons. Through the successful introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy and the commitment of the staff and local authority to raise standards in the subject the pupils, including children with special educational needs, are now making consistently good progress throughout the school and are achieving well. Pupils work purposefully and try hard. They learn to use correct mathematical vocabulary as they move through the school. Their understanding of mathematical operations develops, as does their ability to use different methods of working out a problem in their head. During lessons pupils are becoming increasingly confident in their own ability when faced with a problem. They willingly ask for help when needed and most are motivated to improve.

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MATHEMATICS

70. The curriculum is now based on the systematic approach of the National Numeracy Strategy Framework. A new commercial scheme has been purchased and this serves as the core scheme, although work is also selected from a variety of other sources to ensure it is suitably matched to the abilities of all the children. Well-focused homework particularly for the older children enhances the quality of provision. Assessment arrangements are good. Following 'baseline' assessment on entry to the school, information obtained from National tests (SATS), optional QCA tests in year three, four and five and records of achievements matched to key objectives is carefully analysed to assess standards and identify trends and incidents of underachievement. Work is regularly scrutinised and teaching observed by the subject leader and by representatives of the local authority. Satisfactory records of on-going assessments of pupils’

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MATHEMATICS

progress are kept by teachers, either by informal notes or records kept in the teachers’ assessment file. However, the impact of these assessments would be considerably improved by a more consistent approach throughout the school. Pupils’ work is regularly and consistently marked, although only rarely did it include more helpful guidance to help the pupils recognise how they can improve. Good use is made of information technology to support the subject. For example, all pupils use RM Snapshot to assess their mathematical knowledge.

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MATHEMATICS

71. Mathematics is led very effectively by the headteacher. Well targeted training to improve subject knowledge and the monitoring of teaching and learning are already helping to raise standards. The school’s improvement planning ensures resources are targeted at agreed priorities. Resources for mathematics are good, with enough equipment etc to properly resource the full implementation of the Numeracy Strategy. Good cross-curricular links have been established with other subjects. For example pupils of all ages help to collect weather data and use the computers to present the information in graph and chart form.

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SCIENCE

72. Inspection evidence drawn from analysis of work, observation of the lessons and talking to the children shows that standards in science are close to average in both key stages. Pupils throughout the school are provided with a comprehensive programme of science activity that enables them to acquire knowledge and understanding of the world around them, materials, and physical processes. Pupils develop good investigative skills and are able to record and measure their observations. They make simple comparisons, identify patterns and relationships and offer explanations based on their knowledge and understanding. Pupils are confident in making predictions and have a good understanding of fair testing.

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SCIENCE

73. Boys and girls in Key Stage 1 undertake practical investigations that provide first hand experience and reinforce learning. Year one pupils consider what would be a fair test and understand that the angle of incline or slope affects the distance a vehicle will travel. Seven-year- olds understand that the distance vehicles travel is influenced by the surface. When looking at different materials they sort and use different materials and ask such questions as “Will it bend?” Flushing Primary School - 30 “Is it transparent?” and “Will it hold water?” and use this information to determine which is the best material to use for the dog’s bowl.

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SCIENCE

74. Key Stage 2 pupils consolidate and refine their scientific knowledge. Year three pupils know that some materials can exist as a solid and some as a liquid. They recognise that there are liquids other than water, such as cooking oil, golden syrup and tomato ketchup and that liquids take the shape of the container they are in. Year four pupils know solids do not drip, but solids consisting of small pieces can behave like a liquid, such as sand being poured. Children are introduced to concepts such as viscosity to describe the thickness of a liquid. Year three pupils name parts of a plant and identify what plants need to grow. A visit to the Eden Project is used to enhance their learning. Year four pupils study materials used in building and use their knowledge to make a collage of their school, describing the materials used.

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SCIENCE

75. Years five and six pupils recognise muddy water can be made cleaner by filtering using sieves or filter paper and use correct vocabulary such as absorb, separate, dissolve and filter. They understand the concept of healthy eating and a balanced diet and linked their work with art to create good anti-smoking posters. Recorded evidence shows that pupils are given sufficient opportunities to be involved in scientific enquiry and to use their investigative work to identify trends, interpret information and draw conclusions. The presentation of pupils’ work is generally satisfactory, although the school recognises the need for the staff to adopt a common approach to the way pupils are taught to record their findings when writing up an experiment.

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SCIENCE

76. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. The subject knowledge of teachers is generally secure and lesson plans detail the learning objectives and the proposed activities. Explanations to pupils are clear and resources are well organised and appropriate for their investigations. Work is generally appropriate for the age of the child but not always matched to the full range of ability. Greater emphasis needs to be given to ensuring all children are challenged. At present not all children are and this may account for the low proportion of children achieving higher levels in national testing last year!

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SCIENCE

77. In the best lessons activities are well structured and good quality discussion is promoted to refine and extend pupils’ knowledge. Boys' and girls' understanding is questioned and the response to their ideas encourages valuable discussion so that, for instance, year three and four pupils were able to provide good reasons for the properties they had chosen to classify liquids and gases. Teachers assess pupils' progress at the end of each unit of work and this informs the end of year assessment. Classroom assistants provide effective support for pupils with special educational needs. Learning is supported by homework activities that are linked to the work in the class. Pupils are encouraged to bring food scraps from home on’ Worm Wednesdays’ to help support the wormery.

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SCIENCE

78. Pupils are enthusiastic in science lessons and they enjoy practical investigations such as when year six pupils investigated ways of cleaning muddy water by filtering. From the early years in Key Stage 1, pupils eagerly discuss the work they are doing and applaud the efforts of friends. In most lessons observed they co-operated well with each other and shared resources willingly as when an investigation into predicting vehicle movement led them to decide that cars and lorries travel more easily on smooth surfaces than a rough one. Occasionally younger pupils can be a little too enthusiastic and so disrupt the pace of learning. Otherwise pupils work at a good pace, concentrate, listen attentively and are keen to answer questions.

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SCIENCE

79. Coordination of the subject has recently changed hands. The previous subject leader observed science lessons, analysed National test data and monitored records of end of unit science assessments. On going records are kept by the class teachers. Science displays around the school include questions and provoke thought. For example a display in the infant class uses the school’s immediate environment to help understand different forces (e.g. the lifeboat pulls the ship to safety, the wind pushes the oyster boat). Flushing Primary School - 31

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OTHER SUBJECTS

80. Though on the three days of the inspection, pupils in at least one key stage were observed learning in most foundation subjects, the total number of such observations per subject was inevitably small. Where possible, evidence from the total of ten lessons observed was supplemented by the analysis of teachers’ planning, work completed this school year and last, and by discussions with pupils.

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OTHER SUBJECTS

81. To avoid repetition and provide a solid base for judgements about teaching and other aspects of provision, art, design technology, geography, history, Information technology, music, and physical and religious education are reported on as a group, with strengths and weaknesses pinpointed.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, MUSIC, PHYSICAL AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

82. Boys’ and girls’ achievements this year are appropriate for their ages in most of these subjects in both key stages with art better in both key stages and standards in information technology growing through the school but lower at the end of Key Stage 2. Boys and girls are making sound progress through both key stages in most subjects including information technology with good progress in art and some aspects of music and physical education. Pupils with special educational needs are routinely included, well supported and making satisfactory progress, especially in the more practical aspects of the above subjects.

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ART AND DESIGN

83. Art was said to continue to be a strength of the school in the two older classes at the time of the last inspection but not enough time was spent on art in the younger class so that attainment was ‘average’. Attainment in art and design is good. The quality of work in the pupils’ portfolios and around the school is of a high standard, which reflects the quality of teaching. By the age of seven most pupils confidently explore ideas and investigate and use a range of materials to communicate their ideas and meanings. They try out tools and techniques and apply them to materials and processes. In Key Stage 1 pupils pretend to be a camera by looking through a viewfinder to draw what they see and then comparing their work with an actual photograph of that view. They use paint and crayon effectively to create pictures of the Great Fire of London showing good awareness of the impact of colour.

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ART AND DESIGN

84. Older pupils use their knowledge and experience to develop their ideas further. Year three and four pupils create a visual representation of a journey, first in sketch form, then in a more detailed and grander scale. They visit the Eden Project and take part in an art workshop run by a local artist, Nicola Buxton and use paint, oil and chalk pastels, to bring to life their memories. Year five and six pupils use their sketches of headgear to create a maquette or 3D model in paper and card. Given the limitation imposed on materials used the results are impressive and surprisingly robust. They look at ways colour is used and applied by a group of painters called Abstract Expressionists including Jackson Pollock. Pupils imitate these artists by applying their colour in drips and swirls to produce some striking artwork. There is a strong artistic tradition in the school and the pupils successfully enter artwork in the Gorsedd and Royal Cornwall Shows. Appropriate

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ART AND DESIGN

links are made with other subjects of the curriculum, for example in the year three/four class, pupils made a high quality collage of the school focusing on the materials used to build the school, such as granite and clay, which are found locally.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

85. The introduction of the national scheme of work has ensured that pupils in each class experience the full range of the designing and making process and that this constitutes a progressive programme. Good photographic records illustrate this as in years three and four Flushing Primary School - 32 where pupils are shown using pneumatics to make monsters move, handling well-constructed and imaginatively decorated photo-frames and making containers for a variety of purposes. During the inspection in the same class, pupils concentrated very hard and learned a great deal about the properties of materials while making bags using a variety of temporary and more permanent fixings such as pins and stitches. With pupils at very different stages in their capacity to use the specific skills necessary, very good intervention by the teacher and the classroom assistant meant that a lot of learning took place. Older pupils, in the process of actually making

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

their own bread having studied various types, were able to identify the common elements of the various recipes they were given and to add to them the extra chronological steps required for health and safety reasons such as tying up long hair. Good use of the real resource of grown up recipe cards and the stimulation of the planned baking gave pupils a good reason for planning chronological instructions including health and safety factors.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

86. Using a four year rolling plan in history and a two year rolling plan in geography the school ensures that all the statutory elements of the programmes of study are covered. Within the planning, opportunities arise for other areas of study, such as art, design technology and religious education to be included.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

87. In Key Stage1, pupils are beginning to develop knowledge and understanding of places, patterns and processes. They consider why cars are parked in Flushing and use a chart to show how long cars are parked. In their topic on ‘Homes’ they make tepees, igloos, and string prints of round houses and consider the materials used. They use a map to follow the travels of Barnaby the Bear around the world to places with close links to pupils in the class such as Gambia, Holland, New Zealand and South Africa. In years three and four pupils investigate their local area, while older children conduct a survey to gather information about the locality. The school has developed links with the Maritime Museum through their involvement with the educational working party. As their part in the project the school will be focusing on Packet Ships, recognising that many of the captains of these ships once lived in Flushing. The school makes good use of the

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

locality, visiting the ponds and woods on the Trefusis estate and some of the local beaches.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

88. Pupils develop and refine their skills and knowledge in history as they move through the school. As part of their study on ‘Homes’, Key Stage 1 pupils compare present day homes to Victorian homes. They use visits to a house in the village and an excellent collection of artefacts to build up a picture of what it was like in Victorian homes. Boys and girls are able to identify artefacts, such as flat irons, warming pan and bellows and provide a basic explanation of their function. Last term infant pupils studied The Great Fire of London and tried to imagine what it would be like escaping on a boat etc, while younger juniors considered what life was like for rich and poor and children in Tudor and Stuart times. In the oldest class pupils drew information from a variety of sources to write a biography of Henry VIII and looked in more detail at some of the constitutional issues from that time, such as Henry’s difficulties with the church etc. To further

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

enhance their studies on the Tudors and Stuarts pupils visited a local museum. The school has improved the range of artefacts to help develop pupils’ knowledge of other cultures, for example in India a ‘toran’ says welcome.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

89. The last report suggested that pupil’s attainments in ICT had declined and stated that management was insufficient and that pupils were not receiving their full entitlement. All of these criticisms have been more than adequately addressed by the setting up of the computer suite, the identification of a coordinator with expertise in the subject and the implementation of the national scheme of work. Levels of activity and challenge have greatly increased and as well as focussed teaching in the subject, the frequent references to the use of information technology in other subjects throughout the rest of this report show how much ICT has become an integral learning tool throughout the school. From reception children practising numeracy skills with a maths game; Class 2 pupils using a range of fonts in different colours and sizes to word process their poems; older pupils using a search engine to find information about Henry VIII on the internet,

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

boys and girls, and teachers, are becoming increasingly confident and ambitious in their use of ICT. Flushing Primary School - 33 90. This was further illustrated during the inspection with pupils in Key Stage 1 learning how to programme an intelligent toy to follow directions to a chosen destination while others used graphics programme on the class computers to make a picture. Learning in Key Stage 2 is greatly assisted by the coordinator taking both classes. With the help of a digital projector, she helped years three and four to understand how to use focussed questions to eliminate possible answers when interrogating a database. Pupils in her own year five and six class used large thermometers and sand timers to show how inconsistent results could be before looking at the way digital technology could produce much more reliable results which could be analysed and presented much more quickly and clearly. This showed up the fact that although year fives are

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

well on their way to achieving expected levels, the backlog for year six pupils is too much for them to make up this year and their attainment is below that expected.

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MUSIC

91. Pupils have opportunities to experience, learn about and perform music in many ways. These include class lessons, assemblies, performances and individual tuition in stringed instruments. Good use is made of visiting specialists to enhance provision in music. A peripatetic teacher instructs pupils in the violin and the viola each week and the school benefits from visits from the specialist music teacher at Penryn College who teaches years five and six for half a term. Assemblies give pupils regular opportunities to sing together which they do enthusiastically, and instrumentalists, strings, brass and woodwind, to play.

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MUSIC

92. In the one lesson observed, pupils were building on their previous work on pulse. They were able to use their hands and a range of instruments to build up quite complex rhythms. Seven-year-olds were able to suggest and demonstrate an accompaniment to a known song.

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MUSIC

93. The school takes part in many community and church events providing music for such occasions as the Christingle Service and the Summer Concert. Later this year pupils are participating in the Penryn Partnership production of Yanomamo performed with other feeder schools at the Hall of Cornwall in Truro. Good links are made with other subjects of the curriculum. For example, pupils used the computer programme Music Explorer to transfer a piece of music onto a score. The school makes good use of teacher expertise by allowing the coordinator to teach more than her own class in the subject. While for most pupils, the general provision the school makes for music is sound, pupils who receive additional tuition get a very good grounding in the more technical and performance elements.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

94. Despite having almost no accommodation on site suitable for physical education, the school does a very good job in ensuring that pupils are able to experience a sufficiently wide range of activities over the school year and achieve sound and sometimes even better standards. Most of this is achieved by making very good use of off-site facilities in the village and further afield. During the inspection week, it was the turn of years three and four to travel to Falmouth to make use of the local swimming pool. With the sea so close, the life skill of swimming is still a high priority in the school and this is a considerable investment by parents and the school. Years five and six travelled to Penryn College to make use of their gymnasium and the excellent teaching of the partnership teacher. Here pupils respond very well to the very skilled instructions and high expectations by producing high quality work and intensity levels well above those seen in

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

much other work. Pupils in years one and two made the much shorter journey to the village hall where they thoroughly enjoy moving as machines or robots. They show how well coordinated they are and follow instructions very well. Although not in use during the wet and windy inspection week, pupils also have the use of the local playing field (the Bowling Green) for games in the winter and athletics in the summer.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

95. This was said to be a weakness of the school at the time of the last inspection with standards well below the expectations of the local agreed syllabus, disinterested pupils and poorly presented, undervalued work. Although no lessons in religious education (RE) were observed in the three days of the inspection, the evidence of work completed during the year and from Flushing Primary School - 34 discussions with pupils shows that RE now has a much higher profile in the school with pupils of all ages covering all that is expected of them in the local agreed syllabus. The subject is obviously valued and work in books is substantial, well presented and taken very seriously by staff and pupils.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

96. Pupils in Key Stage 1 have studied various aspects of the new testament story including, appropriately for Flushing, the disciples Peter and Andrew as fishermen and Paul and the shipwreck. In addition they have looked at the Hindu religion, know about Rama and Sita and have talked about Mahatma Ghandi. The topic during the inspection week was the story of a local saint, St Piran. Years three and four also considered aspects of Christianity ranging from festivals such as the harvest festival and advent and epiphany which they compared with Divali, to some of the Ten Commandments. They also looked at moral issues such as class rules and responsibilities and individual and group behaviour and learned about the Sikh religion. In the top class, pupils had made a close study of the Christmas story and looked in depth at the beliefs, ceremonials, festivals and symbols of Judaism.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

97. All in all, this is a very much better picture than that painted by the previous report and pupils are interested and engaged with their learning about and through religion.

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TEACHING AND OTHER PROVISION IN THE FOUNDATION SUBJECTS

98. Teaching in all these subjects is mainly good especially in Key Stage 2. It was ‘mostly satisfactory’ in most subjects with the ‘best teaching’ in physical education, art and music in Key Stage 2 at the time of the last inspection with religious education unsatisfactory so this represents a good improvement. Several factors have contributed to this. Very good use is being made of particular expertise by ‘swapping’ classes such as in art and information technology in the two older classes. Some subjects did not have adequate subject planning guidance or were not being sufficiently well managed in 2000. Teachers are now making very good use of national and local guidance in the forms of schemes of work to ensure progression and challenge in their planning. In subjects such as geography, history and religious education, constructive use is made of programmes of study where topics are repeated every two or four years to prevent duplication in

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TEACHING AND OTHER PROVISION IN THE FOUNDATION SUBJECTS

the mixed age classes and ensure coverage. Each subject now has a coordinator so that they are all being managed, organised, resourced and monitored on the same sound footing. Arrangements for assessing and recording pupils attainments in all the foundation subjects have been developed by coordinators and the information they provide is being accumulated and evaluated.

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TEACHING AND OTHER PROVISION IN THE FOUNDATION SUBJECTS

99. The new computer suite has made it possible for teachers and other staff to actually teach the skills of information technology (IT) and for pupils to practice these skills together. Some use of this is being made in other subjects but there is scope for even more use to be made of the technology and pupils’ growing skills and understanding to enhance learning across the curriculum. The range and quality of other resources right across the curriculum is much improved and gaps noted in the last report, such as in religious education and reading, have been filled.

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