Goonhavern Primary School

GOONHAVERN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 16 th – 18 th May 2005

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GOONHAVERN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Goonhavern Primary School - 2 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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GOONHAVERN 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. Goonhavern Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Goonhavern Truro Cornwall Postcode: TR4 9QD

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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 Maureen Bulford

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 21st June 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Goonhavern Primary School is of average size, with 180 pupils on roll, aged between four and eleven. It is situated in a small village near Perranporth and draws pupils from the surrounding area. The vast majority of the pupils are of white British heritage, including 64 pupils who are identified as Cornish. One pupil is at the early stages of learning English as an additional language. Currently, there are more boys than girls at the school, especially in Year 1 and Year 3. The overall socio- economic profile of the pupils' families is broadly average, as is children’s attainment on entry to the reception year. About six per cent of pupils claim free school meals, which is below average. A broadly average proportion of pupils is identified as having special educational needs. Most of the needs are related to learning; some are physical. Five of these pupils have a statement of special education needs, which is above average for this size of school. A higher than average proportion of

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

pupils join and leave the school during any given school year. The school won a ‘School Achievement Award’ in 2002 and 2003 and was awarded a ‘Football Charter Mark’ in 2005. Since the last inspection, the building has been refurbished and significantly extended. Individuals and groups within the community are invited to make use of these facilities. Goonhavern Primary School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

23583 Mr Peter Kerr Lead inspector Mathematics Art and design Design and technology 19693 Mrs Sally Hall Lay inspector 10204 Mr David Vincent Team inspector English Information and communication technology Personal, social and health education Music Physical education English as an additional language 20230 Mrs Jenny Clayphan Team inspector Science Geography History Religious education The Foundation Stage curriculum Special educational needs

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Juniper House 23 Abbots View Abbotswood Cinderford Gloucestershire GL14 3EG

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Goonhavern Primary School - 5

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11-16

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

Teaching and learning The curriculum Care, guidance and support Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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SUBJECTS IN KEY STAGES 1 and 2

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 30 Goonhavern Primary School - 6

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school with some outstanding features. The pupils achieve well. Standards are high in English and above average in mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. Good-quality teaching and learning is sustained throughout the school. Leadership and management are good, overall, and the headteacher provides very good leadership. Recent improvements to the building have created an excellent learning environment and there are excellent enrichment opportunities. Governance is very good and the school gives good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• Pupils achieve very well in English to reach standards that are well above average. • Standards are above average in mathematics and science, but poor presentation limits pupils’ achievement in these subjects. • Consistently good teaching ensures good learning throughout the school; teaching assistants make a very good contribution. • The pupils like their school, work very hard, behave very well and show high levels of maturity. • Outstanding opportunities are provided for pupils to engage in creative arts, music and sports. • Very good leadership by the headteacher gets the best from staff, keeps the confidence of parents and fosters a very strong community spirit within the school. • Assessment is used very effectively to support slower-learning pupils, but is not as effective at extending more able pupils and tracking skills in all subjects.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Improvement since the last inspection is good overall. Reasonable progress has been made with the key issues: the very good improvements to the curriculum for information and communication technology have raised standards; assessment is now good in the core subjects, but still needs further refining to be fully effective overall; presentation and marking have improved, but are still not good enough in some subjects. The refurbishment of the school has greatly enhanced the learning environment.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

English A A B B Mathematics A A C C Science A C E E Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils achieve well. They achieve very well in English. Standards in Year 6 are well above average in English and above average in mathematics and science. The grades in the table need to be treated with caution because the school experiences an above-average movement of pupils into and out of the school between Year 2 and Year 6. The results in 2004 were also affected by the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs in that year group. The decline in science results, indicated in the table above, has been reversed and standards are now above average. The school’s targets for 2005 and 2006 in all three subjects predict a considerable improvement on the 2004 figures and, if achieved, will show a positive trend over a five-year period. Standards of achievement and presentation are not high enough in mathematics and science; pupils do not explain their work well enough. Pupils’ achievement is good in information and communication

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

technology; overall standards in Years 2 and 6 are typical for those year groups. Pupils achieve very well to reach high standards in music. In reading, writing and mathematics, achievement in Year 2 is good and above-average standards are maintained. In the reception class, children make good progress and reach the early learning goals, in all six areas of learning, by the end of the reception Goonhavern Primary School - 7 year. The children exceed the goals in their personal, social and emotional development. Pupils with special educational needs achieve very well because of the very good support they receive with personalised learning targets. Boys and girls achieve equally well because the school works so hard to ensure equality of opportunity.

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Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural

development, is very good . They are very well behaved, thoughtful and courteous, and have very positive attitudes. Attendance and punctuality are good.

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The school provides a good quality of education. Teaching and learning are consistently

good throughout the school. Some excellent teaching was seen in Year 1 and some very good teaching of drama and music was observed in Years 3 to 6. English and mathematics are taught well. Pupils learn well because lessons are very well prepared, and there is very good team work between teachers and teaching assistants. Teachers make very good use of their day-to-day assessments to adapt lessons for pupils who need to consolidate learning. They are not as successful in consistently challenging the more able pupils. The curriculum is very good, with excellent enrichment through music, art, drama and sport, both within and beyond lessons, allowing pupils with talents in these areas to excel. Very good care and guidance, very good support from parents, and an excellent community spirit provide security and support for all the pupils.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good overall. The headteacher provides very good leadership, establishing a very good ethos and a productive climate for learning. A very strong team spirit prevails and all staff are involved in school improvement. Management is good, but has not been effective enough in ensuring that standards of presentation are consistent throughout the curriculum. Governors have a very good understanding of the school and fulfil all statutory requirements. Financial management and administration are very good.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have very positive views of the school. They particularly appreciate the improvements to the accommodation. Pupils like their school and are very proud of it.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important the school should do to improve are:

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Improve the presentation of pupils’ work in science and mathematics. • Make more astute use of assessments to challenge more able pupils and to develop skills in all subjects. Goonhavern Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Overall, pupils’ achievement is good. Standards in English are well above average by the end of Year 6. Standards are above average in mathematics and science and in line with age-related expectations in other subjects. Pupils with talents in art, music and sport achieve very well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve very well in English and well in mathematics and science. • Children in the reception year make rapid progress in key communication and personal skills. • Many pupils excel in art, music and sports because of excellent extra provision. • Pupils with special educational needs achieve very well because of very good individual support. • More able pupils do not make the most of their skills in some subjects.

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Commentary

1. Children begin the reception year with broadly average attainment for their age, most having attended a local nursery. Their personal, social and emotional development was below expectations in some areas in 2004, but the teacher made allowances for this in her planning so that the children made very good progress and exceeded the early learning goals in this area of learning by the end of the reception year. The children achieve well in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development to reach or exceed the early learning goals by the end of the reception year. In physical development, children’s achievement is good overall, although some limitations on the progress they make are imposed by a shortage of large climbing equipment and wheeled vehicles for outdoor play.

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Commentary

2. Good progress is sustained throughout Key Stage 1 1 so that by the end of Year 2, pupils achieve consistently good standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Boys and girls achieve equally well.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores 2 in 2004

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results Reading 16.5 (16.3) 15.8 (15.7) Writing 15.5 (16.2) 14.6 (14.6) Mathematics 17.7 (18.2) 16.2 (16.3) There were 30 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

3. The school’s results in writing and mathematics were lower in 2004 than in 2003, because of differences in the two groups of pupils. When previous years are taken into account, the trend is upwards and standards remain above the national average. School-based assessments of science indicated the proportion of pupils attaining the expected level in 2004 to be well below average, but a proportion above average reaching the higher Level 3. The inspection findings are that standards are above average at this stage.

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Commentary

1 Key Stage 1, sometimes referred to as the infants, caters for pupils aged between 5 and 7 and refers to pupils who are in Years 1 and 2.

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Commentary

2 Average Point Scores. The average point scores table compares the school’s performance with the national results. The calculations are arrived at by using the total of all test scores gained by pupils, and dividing the total by the number of pupils with a test result. This calculation is carried out for each subject tested. Goonhavern Primary School - 9 4. Good progress continues in Key Stage 2 3 in English and mathematics. Both subjects benefit from strong leadership and detailed guidance for teachers so that the pupils build systematically on their knowledge, understanding and skills. Pupils’ achievement in English is particularly good. The pupils not only acquire a very good vocabulary and good grammar and spelling, but also learn to write well. They write skilfully for a variety of purposes, including description, explanation, story-telling and poetry, and develop very clear individual styles.

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Commentary

Achievement is also very good in reading and in speaking and listening; the latter helped by creative use of drama. In mathematics, pupils also develop skills systematically, but do not apply them as widely and creatively as in English.

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Commentary

5. The school’s results in the Year 6 are likely to be well above the national average in both subjects this year, because of the high proportion of pupils predicted to achieve the above average Level 5. In 2004, there were fewer more able pupils in Year 6, which also experienced an influx of pupils from other schools, some with significant special educational needs. This lowered the school’s average points in the national tests to below average for mathematics and well below average for science, as shown in the table below. Although the school’s overall results have declined since 2002, other data shows that individual pupils who stay at the school from Year 2 to Year 6 make good progress.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 27.8 (28.5) 26.9 (26.8 ) Mathematics 26.8 (28.9) 27.0 (26.8) Science 27.4 (29.1) 28.6 (28.6) There were 31 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

6. If the school’s ambitious targets for 2005 and 2006 are met, they will bring the school’s results to well above the national average in all three subjects. The inspection evidence found that this is a true reflection of overall standards in English, but that standards in mathematics and science are above, rather than well above average. This is because the pupils are held back somewhat by an over-reliance on worksheets that limits the scope for more able pupils to develop their own methods of setting out their work. Conversations with the pupils indicate that they are capable of more extended problem-solving. The widespread use of a worksheet format in both subjects also makes presentation untidy and reduces the effectiveness of work samples as an indicator of progress; this was an issue at the last inspection.

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Commentary

7. Low standards in information and communication technology were a key issue at the last inspection. Substantial improvements in provision have brought attainment up to age-related expectations at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. However, because information and communication technology improvements are recent, their full impact on standards is yet to be felt. Pupils are now making good progress in lessons and achieving well. Standards are continuing to rise, keeping pace with developments nationally, and putting the pupils on course to bring their skills in information and communication technology skills up to those in English and mathematics. The governors have wisely kept a contingency fund in hand to ensure that equipment can be kept up to date to keep this momentum going.

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Commentary

8. The wide range of excellent extra learning opportunities in art, music and sport allows pupils with talents in these areas to excel, and raises expectations generally. Standards are above average overall in music because of the impact of specialist teaching in lessons. In art and design and physical education, standards are broadly in line with expectations overall, though a higher proportion of pupils than in many primary schools reach high standards because of the extra-curricular provision. In all other subjects, standards are at expected levels and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory.

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Commentary

3 Key Stage 2, sometimes referred to as the juniors, caters for pupils aged between 7 and 11 and refers to pupils who are in Years 3 to 6. Goonhavern Primary School - 10 9. The school’s strong commitment to educational inclusion and equal opportunities ensures that boys and girls achieve equally well across the curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs achieve very well because of the very good support they receive with their individual learning programmes and their full inclusion in all activities.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good. Their personal development, including their spiritual, moral social and cultural development, is very good. Attendance and punctuality are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers instil confidence in the pupils, encouraging them to become very enthusiastic learners. • The school’s strong moral code helps pupils to behave very well. • The school’s very good provision for social development makes pupils feel very much part of the school community. • The school works hard to improve attendance rates. • There are not enough opportunities for pupils to appreciate cultural diversity.

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Commentary

10. The very good attitudes, behaviour and personal development found at the time of the last inspection have been maintained. The adults who work in school are skilled at developing the pupils’ self-esteem. They create an atmosphere where pupils are willing to contribute their ideas and persevere with challenging tasks without fear of failure or ridicule. The pupils work with confidence and enthusiasm in this stimulating learning environment. Their very good attitudes to school have a positive effect on their learning. They listen very carefully, are eager to answer questions and work with sustained concentration. High-quality art displays and assembly celebrations make pupils proud of their own achievements and encourage them to appreciate the talents of others. Pupils value the extensive range of extra-curricular activities, and the after-school clubs are well attended.

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Commentary

11. The school’s strong moral code works well because of the consistent and high expectations of pupils’ good behaviour by adults working in the school. Pupils respond very well to the system of rewards; sanctions are rarely needed. Issues such as fair trade and preservation of the rain forest are debated in lessons, widening the pupils' environmental awareness, as well as helping them to apply moral judgements to a wider sphere. Pupils and parents say that isolated incidents of anti-social behaviour are dealt with well. Pupils can tell their teachers about their concerns through a note in the ‘worry box’, and there were no exclusions last year.

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Commentary

12. The school’s provision for social development is very good and pupils are developing into mature and confident young citizens. The school has developed a very strong sense of community amongst staff, parents, governors and pupils who hold the school in high regard. Relationships are very good because the school successfully promotes mutual respect. Pupils work very well together in pairs and groups and are courteous and polite to visitors. There are some good opportunities for pupils to take responsibility. Older pupils support younger ones in the playground and members of the school council are keen to improve school life. School productions and residential visits enable pupils to develop their social skills through teamwork. The new building has a very positive effect on morale, and the pupils show great respect for property.

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Commentary

13. Pupils’ knowledge of their own culture is developed very successfully through the curriculum, for example, through the study of the work of Newlyn painters, and the voyage of a fishing boat from Cornwall to Australia. Pupils gain valuable insights into the beliefs of others, through studying some of the world faiths, and the school makes the most of local residents with knowledge of other countries. However, there are not enough planned opportunities for pupils to consider contemporary issues that face young people living in a multi-cultural society in this country. Goonhavern Primary School - 11 14. The school has worked hard to raise levels of attendance, and holidays taken during term time are strongly discouraged. Any unexplained absences are followed up swiftly, and the school works closely with the educational welfare officer in cases where individual absence is a cause for concern. Attendance rates for the current year of 95.8 per cent show a marked

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Commentary

improvement on those for the previous year, although a third of absence is still due to family holidays. The vast majority of parents ensure that their children arrive at school on time and lessons start promptly.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.1 School data 0.2 National data 5.1 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a good quality of education. Teaching and learning are consistently good throughout the school. A very good curriculum is provided with excellent enrichment opportunities in art, music and sport.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Assessment procedures in the core subjects are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good teamwork, fostered by very good leadership, facilitates good learning. • Teachers establish very good relationships with the pupils and set high expectations for behaviour, enabling effective learning. • A stimulating environment is provided for children in the Foundation Stage and personal, social and emotional development is taught particularly well. • Assessment is used very effectively to ensure that all pupils learn basic skills, but is not used as effectively to track wider skills and to extend the most able pupils. • Some very good practical and oral learning occurs, but worksheets spoil presentation in some subjects. • The visiting music specialists provide high-quality teaching.

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Commentary

15. The headteacher succeeds in getting the best out of the staff by enabling them to work effectively as a team. The fresh approaches and skills of new teachers are blended successfully with the experience and assurance of more established staff, to everyone’s benefit. Teaching assistants work closely with teachers to deliver well-planned lessons that build the pupils' confidence and skills. This is most effective in English and, to a lesser extent, in mathematics. In these subjects, teachers use day-to-day assessments very well to identify which pupils need consolidation and support with newly learned skills. The pupils are grouped on this basis, and teaching assistants give very effective help to those pupils who need to catch up. In English, the more able pupils have more opportunities to shine through expressing themselves in writing. In mathematics, they are more restricted because teachers’

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Commentary

confidence is not so uniformly high. The co-ordinators for these subjects set a very good teaching example to staff and monitor and support colleagues astutely to bring everyone towards the highest standard. Investigative skills in science are also taught increasingly well, with good support from the recently appointed co-ordinator. Good leadership is also helping to Goonhavern Primary School - 12 drive standards up in information and communication technology, through well-planned training for staff to enable them to deliver increasingly effective lessons with the new equipment.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 32 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Commentary

1 (3) 7 (22) 18 (56) 6 (19) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0)

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Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Commentary

16. The table above shows that teaching and learning were of at least good quality in most of the lessons seen during the inspection. In all lessons, very good relationships were evident within the classroom, between pupils, between staff and between pupils and staff. This facilitates effective learning because both staff and pupils feel confident enough to try things out and to make mistakes without fear of criticism. High expectations for pupils to behave well are inherent, but unobtrusive, throughout the school so that the pupils do this naturally because they understand why they should. The pupils' enthusiasm for learning and willingness to persevere with difficult tasks are sustained through to the end of Year 6 by this very supportive atmosphere. The pupils' very good attitudes to learning also contribute towards the effectiveness of the very good teaching provided by the visiting music specialists. Three

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Commentary

different practitioners were observed during the inspection, and in all cases the pupils' very good behaviour and eagerness to learn contributed to the effectiveness of the skilled teaching.

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Commentary

17. Very good features of teaching were observed in all three key stages. Children in the reception year learn very effectively in the personal, social and emotional development aspect of the Foundation Stage curriculum because of the insight and skill of the teacher and teaching assistants. From a below average start in some aspects of this area of learning, the children become confident and independent learners because of the well-ordered, stimulating and challenging environment that is provided. Some excellent teaching in Year 1 builds very successfully on this generally high level of maturity while at the same time giving the pupils the time and space to continue learning through experimentation and play as the need arises. The level of discussion and co-operation in this class is outstanding. In the final part of an art lesson, for example, one pupil described how the colour ‘faded’ as he dragged the sponge

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Commentary

along while printing with it. The other pupils waited and listened, as the pupil searched for the right words to express himself, which he had the confidence to do. The high expectations for self-expression and for listening to each other that have been established and met in this class are steadily built through the school, as was exemplified in a very good drama lesson in Years 5 and 6 in which the pupils interacted with great verve and confidence.

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Commentary

18. Similar examples of the skilful encouragement of learning, through practical activity and discussion, were seen in different subjects in various year groups. In Year 4, for example, very effective learning in mathematics was encouraged through practical group problem-solving that demanded a high level of discussion. In contrast to this lively and very effective learning, the pupils' work-samples in mathematics and science are dominated by worksheets. These have some advantages for staff and pupils in that they ensure that all the pupils cover the required ground. They also impose some limitations, however. More able pupils in mathematics, for instance, do not get the most out of the problems they tackle by setting out their solutions fully and clearly. Similarly in science, pupils are not challenged enough to find their own ways of presenting and explaining results of experiments. Standards of presentation in English are

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Commentary

often good, but still not consistent enough. This was a key issue at the last inspection that has not been fully addressed.

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Commentary

19. Good assessment procedures are used very effectively to support those pupils who have failed to grasp a lesson or who need more consolidation of a newly learned skill. It is less effective in identifying how best to challenge more able pupils to hone and apply their skills or to ensure that all pupils develop optimum skills in all subjects. For example, although there are many examples of very good art-work in the school, there is no way of knowing to what extent all the pupils are building on their skills. There is a danger of staff relying too much on the very good informal knowledge they have of the children generally. The school is aware of the need to Goonhavern Primary School - 13 continue seeking manageable ways of addressing this problem without over-burdening teachers. Currently, pupils play a fairly passive role in assessing and recording their own skills. This is an area for further potentially helpful development that was discussed during the

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The curriculum

The very good curriculum is enhanced by an excellent range of extra-curricular activities. Very good accommodation and good resources contribute to effective learning.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Excellent enrichment of the curriculum enables the development of musical, sporting, dramatic and artistic talents. • The delivery of the curriculum is supported by the very good accommodation and a good level of resources. • Continuing curricular improvement and innovation help to raise standards. • Thorough procedures are in place for ensuring that the curriculum is taught properly. • Provision for personal, social and health education is very good. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good.

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Commentary

20. The curriculum meets all statutory requirements for the National Curriculum and religious education. Planning for each subject provides for full coverage, but in some cases additional detail is required so that knowledge and skills are built more incrementally. The subject co- ordinators follow rigorous procedures for checking teachers’ planning, scrutinising pupils’ work and monitoring the quality of teaching and learning. These checks help to ensure that the intended programmes are delivered accurately and that agreed initiatives are applied consistently.

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Commentary

21. A positive and productive ethos drives very good curricular innovations, including attention to pupils’ learning styles, a focus on creative arts and drama and community projects such as ‘The Road to the Beach’. Everyone associated with the school, including pupils, where appropriate, are consulted and involved in these initiatives, which enhance pupils’ achievement and develop their personal qualities. Detailed deliberation, careful preparation and specific staff training ensure that each new initiative is introduced with thoroughness and professionalism.

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Commentary

22. The school is committed to providing an education which meets the particular needs of each of its pupils. The dedication and hard work of teachers and support staff create a purposeful and secure environment with equality of opportunity for every pupil. Staff are sensitive to the personal circumstances and characteristics of each pupil and everyone is valued. For example, the occasional pupil who arrives at the school with little or no English receives excellent support.

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Commentary

23. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. Clear procedures are in place for identifying and assessing their needs. Individual education plans are provided which are of good quality with clear targets to help pupils improve. The work provided for the pupils is well suited to their needs, and teachers and teaching assistants work very well together to support them. These pupils are involved in the full range of activities offered by the school and take part with enjoyment and high levels of confidence.

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Commentary

24. The provision for pupils' personal, social and health education is very good. A specific programme is given emphasis within the curriculum and is taught with sensitivity and challenge, but teachers also respond to relevant issues as they arise. Wide-ranging discussions embrace topics of interest and importance to pupils. Consideration of relationships, responsibilities and feelings are included in this approach, as exemplified in a discussion in Year 6 relating to survival. The values are apparent in the life and work of the Goonhavern Primary School - 14 school and in the very good relationships that exist. Considerable efforts are made to develop pupils’ self-esteem, to enrich their experiences and to develop them as capable, responsible adults.

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Commentary

25. There is a good match of teachers’ expertise to the curriculum and a very good complement of teaching assistants. The staff work very effectively as a team to meet the needs of individual pupils.

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Commentary

26. The governing body discharges its curricular responsibilities well. It has approved an appropriate policy for the teaching of sex and drugs education and matters relating to health education are given substantial emphasis.

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Commentary

27. An excellent level of enrichment of the conventional curriculum is provided through the efforts of staff, parents, friends and external agencies. This includes a very good range of after- school clubs which embrace artistic, sporting, musical and other interests. In addition, all pupils benefit from the regular visits to places of educational interest and by specialist visitors to the school. Productions, performances and school assemblies provide further opportunities for pupils to develop self-confidence and a range of talents. Pupils are very keen to participate in these activities, and approximately 70 pupils are learning to play a musical instrument.

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Commentary

28. The accommodation provides very good facilities to meet the needs of the curriculum and the building is extremely appealing aesthetically. The well-designed light and airy classrooms, and the separate library and computer suite, support the efficient delivery of the curriculum. The new hall, although not spacious, meets the shortcomings for physical education identified at the previous inspection. This, together with the playing field and hard-surfaced areas, constitutes very good facilities for physical education. Displays of excellent quality in classrooms and central areas, mostly of the pupils' art and design work, help to create an attractive and stimulating learning environment. There is a good range of resources to support the delivery of the curriculum.

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Care, guidance and support

Care, welfare, health and safety are very good. Support and guidance for pupils are good. Pupils’ involvement in the school’s work is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff provide a high level of care and respect pupils’ opinions and views. • Procedures for health and safety are good. • Induction procedures for new pupils are very good. • Educational guidance for pupils is not always clear enough.

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Commentary

29. This is an inclusive school and members of the school community show very good levels of care and concern for each other. Staff know the pupils well, and nearly all pupils feel that they can turn to an adult in the school if they are worried or concerned. Staff and governors endeavour to ensure that pupils work in a healthy and safe environment. Risk assessments are undertaken and appropriate arrangements are in place for testing of electrical equipment and emergency evacuations.

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Commentary

30. Arrangements for child protection are satisfactory, and staff know to report any concerns to the headteacher. The school recognises the need to train another member of staff in child protection to ensure coverage in the absence of the co-ordinator. First-aid procedures are very good. Good records are kept when pupils are ill or injured, and parents are kept well informed.

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Commentary

31. Parents value the way staff settle new children into school. Through close links with the pre- school group, which meets on the premises, the children quickly become familiar with school routines. Teachers track the progress of pupils’ personal development, celebrate their Goonhavern Primary School - 15 achievements and make valuable comments in the pupils’ annual reports. Teachers are skilled at encouraging pupils in their lessons. They give clear advice to lower attainers on what they need to do to improve their work, but offer less guidance to the more able pupils in this regard.

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Commentary

32. Very good support for pupils with special educational needs enables them to play a full part in the life of the school and to develop personally as well as academically. Parents are fully involved alongside the school in supporting their children. Excellent support is provided for the occasional pupil for whom English is an additional language. The lack of expertise among the staff is compensated for by very effective use of the skilled support and guidance offered by the local education authority.

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Commentary

33. Teachers listen to pupils and value their comments. Members of the school council gather the views of other pupils and report back to their classes on what action they intend to take. They are presently raising funds for more playground equipment.

p.15

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Links with parents are good. Links with the community are good. Links with other schools are very good.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school welcomes parents into school and encourages them to get involved in their children’s education. • Parents hold the school in high regard and support its work. • Annual reports to parents do not always give enough information about how their children can improve their work. • A good range of visits and visitors makes learning come to life. • Pupils benefit from working with teachers and pupils from other schools.

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Commentary

34. Parents feel welcome in school and staff are very approachable. The headteacher is often outside the school at the start and end of the day, and this gives parents good opportunities to talk informally with him, as well as making appointments with him.

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Commentary

35. The school gives parents good information about how they can help their children with their learning. Through information sessions, for example, on mathematics, and demonstration lessons, parents are encouraged to share their children’s enthusiasm for learning. They also receive useful information about the topics their children will be studying. The prospectus is a helpful document for new parents, and the governors’ annual report to parents is informative, but the latter does not contain all the required information. Newsletters keep parents well informed about future events. Termly consultations offer parents good opportunities to discuss their children’s progress with teachers. The pupils’ annual reports are satisfactory, but vary in quality. The best give parents clear information about what their children need to do to improve their work, whilst others only contain information about what the pupils can do.

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Commentary

36. Parents are very happy with the school, and those who returned the pre-inspection questionnaire, or attended the pre-inspection meeting, did not have any significant concerns. Nearly all parents attend the consultation sessions, and families are keen to support events, such as family bike rides. The active parent-teacher association works hard to raise funds and organise social events. Parents also provide valuable support in the classrooms and on visits. 37. A good range of visits and visitors enriches the curriculum. For example, a visiting puppet theatre helped pupils deepen their understanding of the importance of maintaining the rain forests. Paramedics and fire officers brought the world of work into the classroom. Through participation in ‘Road to the Beach’, a local community project, pupils gained new skills and confidence in dance and drama. The school is very much part of the local community. Local

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Commentary

Goonhavern Primary School - 16 groups rent the premises, and the school encourages pupils to take part in the annual village show.

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Commentary

38. The school works closely with the local secondary school to ensure that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Teachers from the local secondary school take science and mathematics lessons in Goonhavern, and the school also receives good technical support for information and communication technology from the secondary school. Pupils benefit from sports events arranged by the local cluster group, and there are good links with the local pre-school groups through the Foundation Stage network.

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good overall. The headteacher provides very good leadership. Management is good and governors do a very good job.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher sets a very positive tone for the school and gets the best out of staff. • Senior staff contribute very positively to building an effective staff team. • Leadership teams give meaningful opportunities to staff and governors to contribute to school improvement. • Governors have a very good insight into how the school works. • The school’s management has not ensured sufficient improvement in the quality of presentation of pupils' work. • Finances are managed very efficiently.

p.16

Commentary

39. Since the last inspection, the school has undergone a complete transformation, with extensive renovations and extensions to the building and grounds. The headteacher, staff and governors have managed this very well at the same time as maintaining the effectiveness of the routine work of the school. The new extensions and sympathetic improvements to the existing building have created a wonderful environment for the pupils to learn in and the adults to work in. Comments from all sections of the school community confirm this. The friendly atmosphere in the school and the high-quality displays in communal areas reflect the headteacher’s success in sustaining a productive climate for learning and promoting inclusion. All the pupils feel they belong to the school and that they are equally valued, and the staff feel that they are part of a successful team.

p.16

Commentary

40. The headteacher continues to provide a very clear educational direction for the staff and governors, and all share a common sense of purpose in promoting the pupils’ personal development, as well as their educational achievement. The recent initiative of involving governors, teaching assistants and teachers in leadership groups appears to be working very well. This innovative format enables a much wider section of the school to become involved at a very early stage in planning for school improvement. Those members of staff with whom it was discussed during the inspection felt empowered by it.

p.16

Commentary

41. The co-ordinators of the core subjects of English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology do a good job in setting high educational expectations, monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning across the school, and supporting colleagues. This is particularly true of English, which benefits from very good leadership and management and a high level of confidence among all teaching staff. Many examples of well-presented written work show that teachers continually challenge and support pupils of all abilities, both to develop skills and apply them widely. Presentation is not consistently good, however. It is not fully consistent in English and is not nearly as good in mathematics and science. The impression given by the work samples in these subjects is far less positive than that gained through lesson observations and discussions with the pupils. The school management

p.16

Commentary

acknowledges that presentation, which was an issue at the last inspection, could still be much better in these subjects. The impact that an emphasis on improved presentation could have on Goonhavern Primary School - 17 achievement, especially for the more able, has not been fully appreciated. In most other respects, management is very good.

p.16

Commentary

42. The governors fulfil all their duties very effectively and ensure the fulfilment of all statutory requirements. Apart from some minor matters that have been brought to the headteacher’s attention, they ensure that the school complies with best practices in health and safety. They gain a very good insight into the workings of the school through formal procedures, as well as informal connections. For example, a recent formal visit by governors focused on the effectiveness of targets in motivating pupils across the school. Their written report contained many pertinent observations, including useful pointers for improvement. This level of awareness of the strengths and weaknesses in provision provides a very firm basis for decisions on spending. For example, the decision to invest in extra teaching assistants, designated specifically for special educational needs support, has proved to be very good

p.17

Commentary

value for money, as they make a significant contribution to the overall success of the school.

p.17

Commentary

43. The special educational needs coordinator manages the teaching assistants very effectively, through good channels of communication, including weekly meetings, to collaborate on planning and deal with any problems that arise. Communication about other aspects of the school is not always so effective. The teaching assistants sometimes feel that information reaches parents and the wider community before they, as professionals within the school, are aware of it. This has been brought to the headteacher’s attention, and means of circumventing such occurrences without requiring the teaching assistants to attend meetings in their own time are to be explored. General performance management procedures are working well, and the school is very effective in recruiting and retaining staff and enabling them to continue with their professional development. The involvement of teaching assistants in this process is at a

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Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2004 to March 2005

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Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 472,982 Balance from previous year 56,357 Total expenditure 464,718 Balance carried forward to the next 64,621 Expenditure per pupil 2,526

p.17

Commentary

44. Financial management is very good. The governors keep a close check on spending which is related to a well considered medium-term plan. The current surplus shown in the table is being held mainly to complete improvements to the site and partly to enable the school to update computers as soon as is necessary without disrupting provision. The governors’ figures show that the surplus will reduce to around five per cent of the total budget over a three to four-year period.

p.17

Commentary

45. Financial control and administration are very good. The recently appointed school secretary is gradually updating procedures to provide an increasingly efficient service to the headteacher and governors. The school chose not to fully implement the recommendations (non- mandatory) of the last local education authority audit. The inspection informed the school that the procedures for auditing the school fund were not in line with current best practice. Goonhavern Primary School - 18

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

46. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good with some very good features. The strengths reported at the last inspection have been maintained. The teaching seen during this inspection was consistently good, due to the experience and skill of the teacher and her team who create a very welcoming, focused environment. They use a judicious mix of questions and information which interest and stimulate the children. The classroom accommodation has been improved and is now very good. The secure area outside is of satisfactory size and is used well as an extension of the classroom.

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

47. Children enter the reception class with a wide spread of attainment, but it is average overall. Children with special education needs are supported very well and make very good progress towards their individual targets.

p.18

PERSONAL SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is very good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good teaching enables the children to achieve very well. • Relationships between children, between adults and between adults and children are very good.

p.18

Commentary

48. Teaching in this area of learning is very good. Attainment in some aspects of the children’s personal development was lower at the beginning of the reception year than is usual at this age. The teacher took this into full account in planning provision for the class. The children learn and develop securely through participating in an interesting variety of activities. High expectations are set for good behaviour, creating an atmosphere conducive to learning. The children are enthusiastic and concentrate well on their tasks. They work unsupervised in some activities and generally start to share resources and take turns well. The children also build very good relationships with one another. Very good relationships between the staff and between staff and children generate very good learning. For example, several lower-attaining children, sensitively guided by a teaching assistant, enacted detailed scenarios in a vet’s

p.18

Commentary

surgery. The very good progress made lifts attainment to above expectations by the end of reception. Most of the children attain the early learning goals by the end of the reception year and many exceed them.

p.18

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY DEVELOPMENT

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good overall; the teaching of early writing skills is very good. • The teacher and support staff use every opportunity that arises to develop the children's speaking and listening skills.

p.18

Commentary

49. Good teaching enables the children to achieve well in communication, language and literacy. Overall standards are as expected by the end of the reception year, with strengths in speaking and listening and writing. Goonhavern Primary School - 19 50. Teaching is good in this area of learning, enabling the children to achieve well overall. The teacher understands the needs of young children very well and plans interesting activities that motivate them. The staff ask stimulating questions that intrigue children and encourage full, thoughtful answers. These, together with well-told stories and interesting information, ensure that children listen attentively and are eager to speak. The children begin school with skills typical for their age and by the end of the reception year most have reached above the expected levels in their speaking skills.

p.18

Commentary

51. This year children came into the reception class with very little knowledge of sounds and letters. Now, very nearly all the children recognise simple letter sounds and are eager to use them. Accuracy is developing well. During the inspection, the children wrote lists and labels and the most able showed that they are starting to understand the use of capital letters. The children thoroughly enjoyed anticipating rhyming words when they listened to a story and found several sensible possibilities. Most children will attain the expected goals by the end of the year and several will work confidently beyond them, representing good achievement over the year.

p.19

Commentary

52. The children enjoy reading. For example, they read to each other in the book corner and two children were recorded recently, making up a song as they did so. They are keen to read books and use pictures and their knowledge of letter-sounds to work out new words. They know the main features of books, such as title, author and illustrator, which is as expected for their age. By the end of the reception year, a typical proportion of the children will have achieved the early learning goals, which reflects satisfactory achievement.

p.19

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good planning enables good practical learning to take place.

p.19

Commentary

53. Children enter the reception class with typical mathematical knowledge and understanding for their age. The range of practical activities that is provided makes the learning of mathematics interesting and the children respond with enjoyment. Most of the class count confidently to 20. Higher-attaining children count beyond 20, understand pairs, and count in twos. Children's early mathematical skills are being developed well through opportunities to order numbers and record results simply or in the form of graphs. Children's understanding of shape and space is at expected levels. By the end of the reception year, most children will attain the expected goals and many will attain beyond them, representing good achievement.

p.19

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

54. Insufficient evidence was gathered to make a secure judgement on provision in this area of learning. During the inspection, the children asked searching questions about a visiting puppy and in discussion afterwards showed good knowledge for their age of various characteristics of dogs. For example, several children knew that a cold damp nose indicates good health and one child said that a puppy's claws do not retract. The children are very interested in the seeds they have sown, and displays indicate that they are aware that some things are alive while others are not. The children's computer skills are at broadly expected levels for their age. Children know and enjoy stories from the Bible. Goonhavern Primary School - 20

p.19

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good and children achieve well overall. • Achievement in some aspects of physical development is limited because there are few large wheeled toys and no permanent outdoor climbing frame.

p.20

Commentary

55. The children come into the reception class with broadly typical levels of skill for their age, though many were not as agile as is usually found. The teacher provides plentiful opportunities for children to develop good levels of control when using small tools such as paint and glue brushes, scissors and pencils. This is helping the children to develop clear, legible writing. A good variety of equipment enables children to improve their ability to manipulate and construct. During a gymnastics lesson in the hall, children showed confidence when moving in a large space and their skill in throwing, rolling and catching balls is developing at a good pace. Opportunities for children to climb up, over and through obstacles outside, and to manoeuvre wheeled vehicles, are limited, at present, but the staff make the best of the equipment they have. Most children will attain many of the required skills at the expected level by the end of

p.20

Commentary

the reception year; this represents sound achievement.

p.20

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children’s learning is enhanced by stimulating activities.

p.20

Commentary

56. The teacher provides an interesting variety of experiences and children respond well. The classroom has colourful displays of paintings, collages and three-dimensional models. Children enjoy singing and using both tuned and non-tuned instruments. They understand the function of a conductor, control their instruments well, and start to differentiate between different sounds and discuss their suitability to represent different animals. Staff involve themselves discreetly in children's role play and, in doing so, successfully promote the children's imaginative play and their speaking and listening skills. Most of the children reach the early learning goals by the end of the reception year, and many exceed them. This reflects good achievement when compared with the levels of attainment when the children start school.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching enables pupils to achieve very well and to reach standards well above average at the end of Year 6. • Pupils’ attitudes are very good throughout the school. • The co-ordinator provides very good leadership and management. • The good procedures for assessing pupils’ progress are put to good use. Goonhavern Primary School - 21 • Drama is used well to give the subject vibrancy as well as improve specific skills. • The subject makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual development. • The school has made good improvement since the last inspection, but the standard of presentation is still too variable.

p.20

Commentary

57. The school’s results in the national tests, taken by pupils at the end of Year 6, have shown a gradual decline since a very high result in 2001, but were still above average in 2004. The school’s targets for both 2005 and 2006 are much higher than the 2004 results and are likely to be achieved. The trend in results over the four-year period, from 2003 to 2006, will, therefore, be positive.

p.21

Commentary

58. Pupils begin Year 1 with typical language skills for their age. By the end of Year 2, standards have risen to above average, and further advances result in well above average attainment in Year 6. The pupils achieve equally well in speaking, listening, reading and writing.

p.21

Commentary

59. Pupils in Key Stage 1 achieve well in relation to their capabilities. This is because consistently good teaching ensures pupils are working at an appropriate level. Achievement in Key Stage 2 is very good. The quality of the curriculum is very good and the consistently good teaching is enhanced by stimulating innovations such as drama. In all parts of the school, lower-achieving pupils do very well in relation to their capabilities, due to the good use of assessment to match the work to their needs, and the sensitive support from teachers and teaching assistants. Other pupils, including higher achievers, are suitably challenged by the good use of assessment and also advance very well.

p.21

Commentary

60. The confidence and complexity of pupils’ spoken language develop strongly through the school so that, by Year 2, many pupils communicate ideas and information with above average competence. They listen carefully and often adapt what they say in response to the contributions of others. By the end of Year 6, nearly all the pupils speak with a high degree of confidence and clarity. Higher achievers are able to engage the listener, using creative ideas and a wide vocabulary. Pupils in Year 6, for example, used highly persuasive arguments in a discussion relating to the selection of personnel to survive a shipwreck. Almost all pupils listen attentively and thoughtfully.

p.21

Commentary

61. In reading, a higher than average proportion of pupils in Year 2 read texts of moderate difficulty, understand what they have read, and use letter sounds and context to identify unfamiliar words. By Year 6, most pupils read difficult texts fluently, analyse plot and character, and make inferences beyond the literal meaning of the text. They discuss what they have read with obvious enjoyment and often with insight. This was exemplified in a discussion between pupils in Year 6 in which an exceptionally wide range of authors was covered and perceptive and subtle analysis formed the basis of a lively exchange.

p.21

Commentary

62. Grammar, punctuation, handwriting and spelling are all systematically developed, as pupils move through the school, and these aspects are balanced by a strong emphasis upon creative work. There is some variation in the quality of pupils’ presentation and, occasionally, the work presented does not convey a sufficient sense of pride. The school is aware of the need to achieve a higher degree of consistency in presentation. The pupils write for a wide range of different purposes, with a very good ability to use descriptive language. A pupil in Year 6, for example, wrote of a ‘…beckoning and irresistible face’ whilst another described ‘…hair, thick with blackness’ . The pupils also have a very good ability to organise and develop narrative in a logical and sustained manner. The emphasis on interpretation of text, the ‘feeling’ that words can convey, and the use of expressive prose, make a very good contribution to the pupils'

p.21

Commentary

63. Teaching is good throughout the school. It is typified by its consistency and by the very good relationships that are apparent in every class. Teachers ensure that pupils are working at a level that is properly suited to their capabilities. They have a good knowledge of the subject, manage the pupils well and employ a range of interesting techniques in their lessons. This motivates the pupils and promotes good progress within the lesson. Good-quality planning Goonhavern Primary School - 22 ensures that understanding and skills are built on methodically. In all parts of the school, the teachers and teaching assistants work very effectively as partners and provide sensitive and helpful support. The marking of pupils’ work by teachers is good. It focuses regularly upon particular points within pupils’ writing and provides helpful and constructive comments that suggest clear ways in which the work can be improved. The lively teaching of drama and

p.21

Commentary

expanded opportunities for pupils to engage in other forms of verbal interaction, as well as the widening opportunities for creative writing, boost pupils’ learning and achievement in Key Stage 2.

p.22

Commentary

64. The pupils’ very good attitudes have a powerful impact on learning throughout the school, with almost all displaying interest, concentration and maturity. The pupils clearly enjoy their work and constantly strive to do well. Their productive collaboration makes a very good contribution to their social and moral development.

p.22

Commentary

65. The co-ordinator provides very good leadership and management. She uses her considerable expertise well to identify strengths and weaknesses in provision, and to introduce imaginative initiatives, for example in drama, to continue raising standards and improving provision. Overall, improvement has been good since the last inspection.

p.22

Language and literacy across the curriculum

66. The pupils make good use of their literacy skills to support their learning in most subjects. In history, for example, pupils speak and write with empathy and imagination about events in the past, such as life in the Aztec civilization. The pupils' very good literacy skills are under used in mathematics and science; they have too few opportunities to explain in writing how they have solved problems and carried out investigations.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well to reach above-average standards by the end of Year 6. • Basic skills are taught effectively. • Day-to-day assessments are used very effectively to adapt lessons to enable slower learners to catch up, but are not used as well to stretch more able pupils. • Pupils' work is not presented to the best advantage.

p.22

Commentary

67. The school has sustained good standards and provision since the last inspection. Pupils achieve well overall. The school’s results in the national tests taken by pupils at the end of Year 2 show that the pupils reach consistently high standards in all aspects of mathematics. Good progress is maintained throughout Key Stage 2 so that, by the end of Year 6, standards are above average. The test results for Year 6 in 2004 slipped to around average because of the influx of a number of pupils with special educational needs. The school’s targets for 2005 and 2006 are much higher than the 2004 results. Although they are ambitious, the staff are confident that they are realistic. Even allowing for some slippage, test results would edge towards well above average levels again, as there are higher proportions of more able pupils in these classes. The inspection findings show that a good proportion of the pupils in Year 6 are

p.22

Commentary

working towards or already achieving the above-average Level 5. For example, the pupils use fractions, decimals and percentages in a range of practical contexts, with a clear understanding of the relationships between them. These pupils have very secure mathematical skills and knowledge, which they use competently in discussion to solve new problems. Their work samples, however, indicate that they are seldom challenged to think more deeply about their work, especially with regard to formulating generalisations from the particular examples on which they have worked. Goonhavern Primary School - 23 68. Teaching is good overall and basic skills are taught well. Regular introductions to lessons build on the pupils' knowledge of basis number facts, such as place value and the times tables. Teachers use a good variety of methods and apparatus to reinforce the pupils understanding in these sessions, and give them opportunities to use this knowledge to solve a variety of

p.22

Commentary

problems. Some teachers have the confidence and skills to challenge the pupils to think mathematically and collaborate to solve more complex problems. For example, very good learning occurred in a lesson in Year 4 in which groups of pupils collaborated very effectively to decide how best to stack a set of different-sized boxes underneath a table or shelf. The fact that the task was open-ended, allowing for a variety of solutions, made the pupils think about alternative strategies for solving the problem. The way they interacted with each other, and with the teacher, showed that they were used to having to think in this way. They are clearly developing a very good appreciation of how mathematics is applied to everyday life. Very effective teaching was also seen in Year 1, where pupils were challenged and supported to explain how they would deicide which of two containers held more water. The teacher and

p.23

Commentary

teaching assistants not only guided the pupils very skilfully, where necessary, but also allowed plenty of experimentation and play for those who still needed it to make the learning enjoyable and secure. Extra challenge was provided for the more able to move towards using one container to compare and measure the capacity of others. Not all lessons offer the pupils such good quality opportunities to flex their mathematical muscles. In some, completing the planned activities becomes the objective of the lesson rather than the development of particular mathematical skills. In some of the lessons observed, more able pupils found the set tasks easy but had to complete them anyway. The work-samples show that this happens too often.

p.23

Commentary

69. Assessment is much improved since the last inspection and is now good. It is used very effectively to ensure that all the pupils in each class keep up with what is being taught. A number of lessons were seen during the inspection in which the plans had been modified to take into account the difficulties some of the pupils had with the previous day’s lessons. The teaching assistants give excellent support in this role, demonstrating very good teaching skills when they take charge of groups of pupils to reinforce previous learning. Pupils with special educational needs, and those whose first language is not English, make very good progress towards their learning targets because activities are tailored to suit their needs. More able pupils are often given more difficult work than the rest of the class, but are not challenged to the same extent as other groups.

p.23

Commentary

70. The leadership and management of the subject are good. The co-ordinator has a good insight into what needs to be done to continue improving provision and supports colleagues well along this road. The staff have been provided with a secure system of supporting lesson plans through the use of duplicated worksheets related closely to the National Curriculum. This ensures that all year groups cover the required ground, and makes lesson planning more efficient. The pupils keep their work in loose-leaf files. This has some advantages, but also significant drawbacks, especially in the contribution made to improving standards of presentation. Much of the work looks untidy and uninspiring. The pupils' answers are sometimes written on the worksheets, which offer little scope for improving presentation. When the work is presented on separate sheets, these are often missing important ingredients, such as a note of the problem, and seldom contain a full and clear explanation of the solution.

p.23

Commentary

This limits the contribution that the subject makes to the development of the pupils' literacy skills as well as to their mathematical understanding. In addition, it is not always clear which worksheet the pupils' answers relate to. In contrast, examples of good work on display in some classrooms demonstrate high standards, both of mathematics and of presentation. The teachers’ marking is sometimes good, indicating how the pupil could improve as well as recognising effort and success; however, this is not a consistent enough feature of provision across the school. Goonhavern Primary School - 24

p.23

Mathematics across the curriculum

71. The links between mathematics and other subjects are satisfactory. The pupils use their mathematical skills as and when required, for example to take accurate measurements in science or to display data in information and communication technology. The links between mathematics and the creative arts are not fully exploited. There is little evidence, for example, of explorations of the mathematical aspects of patterns in the pupils' artwork, or the development of pieces of art or music from specifically mathematical ideas.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Systematic teaching ensures that all pupils make secure gains in their knowledge and understanding of basic scientific facts and procedures. • Recent good leadership is improving the quality of investigation procedures. • An over-reliance on the worksheet format in several classes limits the quality of presentation and the development of some more advanced skills.

p.24

Commentary

72. The school’s results in the tests taken by pupils at the end of Year 6 declined sharply, following the very high results in 2001, and were well below average in 2004. This can be partly explained by the influx of pupils into Years 5 and 6 with special educational needs and with a poor grounding in science. The school has also worked hard to identify and address any school-based factors that may have contributed towards the declining results. A principal feature of the improvements has been the adoption of a systematic format for carrying out experiments and recording results. This has worked to the extent of ensuring that all the pupils in the current Years 5 and 6 have a good knowledge and understanding of the science they have covered. The school’s targets for 2005 and 2006 are much higher than in 2004 and, if achieved, will take the test results to at least above average. The inspection confirms that

p.24

Commentary

standards are currently above average in Year 6. The pupils have covered a broad range of topics and are accustomed to carrying out investigations. They have good understanding of scientific principles and show good levels of knowledge and explain their thinking logically in discussion. However, their skills in setting out their procedures and explaining them in writing are under-developed. The worksheets have improved their basic skills in recording experiments, but their universal use is limiting the development of more advanced skills. They restrict the opportunities and challenge the pupils have to fully explain and reflect on their findings as their understanding grows, and suggest possible further questions that arise.

p.24

Commentary

73. Standards are above average at the end of Year 2. Pupils show good understanding of the wide variety of topics they have studied and are beginning to think and to reason clearly. Last year, a significant number of pupils in Year 2 did not attain the average Level 2, but many more attained the above-average Level 3. More pupils are likely to attain at the expected level this year and a good number will attain at a higher level.

p.24

Commentary

74. Teaching and learning are good. Samples of pupils' work indicate that they maintain good progress throughout the year. Lessons are planned carefully and learning objectives are shared with pupils so they know what they are going to do. There is good emphasis on scientific investigation. Activities are interesting and pupils respond by concentrating well. For example, in a lesson in Year 5, pupils had sown seeds in different condition, for example, in the shade or light, and followed their growth with enthusiasm, recording their findings and predicting sensibly what might happen next. Teachers use questioning well to stimulate pupils to extend their thinking and to give reasoned explanations of what they observe. In Year 4, where pupils were deciding the criteria to use when constructing branching databases about leaves, good questioning by the teacher revealed good knowledge by pupils about leaves, as

p.24

Commentary

Goonhavern Primary School - 25 the result of acute observation over time. The use of worksheets helps pupils set out their findings clearly, but restricts the more able pupils in their explanations, so that their written work does not reflect the quality of their thinking and discussion in class. Pupils' work is ticked systematically, but there are few instances where teachers challenge pupils to think further.

p.25

Commentary

75. The subject is led and managed well. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and has high aspirations. Assessment is thorough but, as at the time of the last inspection, procedures are cumbersome and it is not easy to get an overview of standards or check pupils’ progress, either during the year or from year to year. Good use is made of the local environment for scientific study and a conservation area and solar system garden are to be constructed shortly as part of the plans for continuing improvement.

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is good .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good improvements to provision since the last inspection have brought standards up to age- related expectations in both key stages. • Pupils are making good progress and have very good attitudes to information and communication technology. • Teaching is good in both key stages. • Planning and assessment do not yet fully ensure that pupils learn skills systematically.

p.25

Commentary

76. Standards are rising at a good pace and pupils’ achievement is now good. Pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 have expected levels of skill for their age in most aspects of information and communication technology. This rapid improvement since the last inspection has been achieved relatively recently with the installation of the new computers and the provision of staff training. Pupils in Year 2 have reasonable levels of proficiency in word-processing and basic keyboard skills. They save and retrieve information with support and use 'painting' programs with appropriate skill. They give sequential instructions to control programmable devices, enter and present data, and have an adequate understanding of how information and communication technology is used in the home and more widely.

p.25

Commentary

77. Pupils in Year 6 have good word-processing skills and most reach reasonable levels of competence more generally. They save and retrieve stored information independently, and almost all combine text and pictures to the expected level and print the finished product. Pupils have a sound knowledge of how to create, test, modify and store sequences of instructions to control on-screen events. They sort and classify data and present the findings by means of a range of graphical representations. They have not yet learned how to use information and communication technology to monitor variable measurements, such as the temperature of a room. Their awareness of the application of information and communication technology outside the school is satisfactory. The school has installed Internet access and most pupils confidently log on and use the search facility.

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Commentary

78. Leadership of the subject is good. The school has recently invested heavily in staff training, resources and facilities. The modern computer suite, with enough machines for most pupils in the class, makes an important contribution to the effectiveness of learning, since it allows direct teaching of skills to be followed by immediate, practical experience for all pupils in the class. Plans for further improvements are focused sharply on raising standards.

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Commentary

79. Teaching is good in both key stages, enabling good learning and rapid progress to be sustained. The good-quality training that teachers have had has enhanced their expertise, enabling them to make increasingly effective use of the new resources. Lessons are purposeful and consistently stimulate and challenge the pupils. In every lesson observed, Goonhavern Primary School - 26 there was very good balance between direct, whole-class teaching and opportunities for pupils to consolidate and extend the newly-learned skills by working on computers.

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Commentary

80. Pupils in both key stages display very good attitudes. They behave sensibly and sustain concentration over time. Pupils actively strive to achieve the desired outcome and interact well with each other and with staff. They clearly enjoy their information and communication technology work and are making full use of the new resources to hone their skills.

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Commentary

81. The curriculum for information and communication technology provides a satisfactory basis for teachers to plan coverage of the whole syllabus, but needs further definition in order to ensure that lessons build systematically on the pupils' existing skills. Assessments do not yet feed effectively into this process, but refinements are planned.

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Commentary

82. Improvement since the last inspection has been very good. Information and communication technology was an issue then, with standards, teaching and progress all unsatisfactory at Key Stage 2. The school is now well placed to maintain momentum and keep pace with the continual rapid developments in information and communication technology in the outside world.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

83. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to use information and communication technology as a tool for learning in other subjects, improving their computer skills at the same time. They practise word processing in English, for example, presenting and analysing data in mathematics, use the Internet for research in history and geography, and create designs in art.

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HUMANITIES

Geography, history and religious education were not inspected in depth and, therefore, no judgement is made on the quality of provision in these subjects.

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HUMANITIES

84. Samples of work in geography show that pupils reach broadly typical standards by the end of Year 6, over a range of skills. Good use is made of visits and practical experiences, wherever possible, to enrich and enliven pupils’ learning. Pupils are offered a satisfactory range of experiences in history and standards are in line with those expected in Years 2 and 6. No lessons were seen, but samples of work completed during the year indicate that pupils cover a wide range of topics and that, in several classes, history is used well to develop pupils' literacy skills.

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HUMANITIES

85. Scrutiny of work in religious education indicates that standards are at broadly expected levels. In addition to meeting the requirements of the locally Agreed Syllabus for religious education, the school ensures that the oldest pupils have some knowledge about Islam before they leave the school. It was only possible to observe one lesson during the inspection. Pupils in Year 2 showed a well developed ability to reflect on the meaning of Bible stories, as they answered searching questions about helpers, after listening to the story of the Good Samaritan. In discussion, pupils in Year 6 explained some aspects of the Christian, Jewish, Islamic and Sikh faiths and suggested some similarities and some differences between them. Goonhavern Primary School - 27

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

86. Insufficient evidence was available to judge the quality of provision in a rt and design, design and technology , and physical education did not form part of the focus for the inspection Although the subjects were sampled through the observation of a small number of lessons, discussions with staff and pupils, and the scrutiny of documentation and pupils' work, it is not possible to make a substantive judgement about provision.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

87. Art and design contributes significantly to the excellent displays that brighten up the school and draw it together as a community. Drawings, paintings, collages and models by individual pupils are displayed very professionally and effectively alongside larger pieces that have been generated communally over time, both in lessons and in after-school clubs. The message given to the visitor is clear: this is a school in which the artistic achievement of individual pupils is greatly valued. The effect on individual pupils’ self-esteem is evident, and was exemplified during the inspection, when one boy in Year 4, with a drawing on display, proudly showed his current work to inspectors.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

88. The art club adds an extremely worth-while dimension to the work of the school. During the inspection, a group of pupils was observed painting individual contributions to a large canvas for display. The picture is an enlargement of a design created by one of the pupils on a computer in response to discussions about similar work by professional artists. This illustrates the very effective use of artists’ work to stimulate and extend the pupils' creativity. Large works of art depicting a wide range of natural, industrial, historical and cultural features of Cornwall make an excellent contribution to the pupils' social development and the community spirit within the school, as well as to the pupils' awareness of their cultural heritage.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

89. Although the headteacher provides good leadership and management for the subject, overall, the monitoring and evaluating of standards and teaching are largely informal and are not sufficiently effective in ensuring that all the pupils develop an appropriate range of skills in lessons. In the lessons seen during the inspection, it was not always clear which specific skills were being taught. For example, some of the pupils observed drawing in Years 3 and 4 used soft drawing pencils skilfully to sketch outlines or to create light and shade, while others seemed unaware of these possibilities.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

90. Photographic and documentary evidence shows that pupils experience a sufficient range of design and making activities to cover the requirements of the National Curriculum in design and technology. There was insufficient annotated pupils' work available to judge standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils consider the users’ requirements of products before making them, and work with a good range of tools and materials. A strength of the provision is the use of resistant materials such as plastic and wood, along with the tools required to cut and fix them. Good links are also made with other subjects to make the pupils' learning in design and technology more relevant to the pupils' own needs. For example, pupils in Years 4 and 5 used wood and metal to construct frames for their miniature ‘greenhouses’, which they planned to use to shelter the young plants they had germinated in science lessons. Leadership and

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

management of the subject are satisfactory. The co-ordinator has identified the need to develop a manageable and effective way of tracking and supporting specific design and technology skills throughout the school.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

91. Standards in those aspects of physical education that were observed are similar to the range generally expected for pupils of similar age. Physical education has an important place in the curriculum and all elements of the required programme are included in planning. Good progress was seen in a very good lesson in Year 1 in which the pupils were encouraged to devise and play ball games. They were clearly developing skills at a good rate, both individual dexterity and accuracy, and the ability to work as a member of a team. Lesson plans follow a systematic programme to build skills and confidence. The school has very good outdoor facilities, including hard-surfaced areas and a grassed playing field. The last inspection reported on the limiting effect of a suitable hall. This shortcoming has been addressed with the new building; the accommodation and facilities for physical education are now good. The hall

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

is not spacious, but is satisfactory for gymnastics and dance. Goonhavern Primary School - 28 92. The programme for physical education is augmented by an excellent range of additional activities. These currently include cycling, rounders and soccer, but other sports are included throughout the year, including cross-country running, and pupils are very keen to participate. There is also extensive involvement in district and area sporting events. These worthwhile activities are made possible by the considerable time and energy devoted by staff and volunteers and constitute an extremely valuable enhancement of the physical education curriculum and of pupils' personal development.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• A significant number of pupils reach high standards because of the quality and extent of specialist tuition. • The pupils derive great pleasure from the excellent range of musical experiences provided, which enrich their experience and raise their confidence and self-esteem.

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Commentary

93. The good provision reported at the last inspection has been steadily improved upon. Achievement is very good overall because of the very good quality lessons provided by the visiting specialist teachers and the impact of instrumental tuition. Pupils in Years 2 and 6 achieve very well overall to reach good standards. In addition, a very significant number of pupils benefit from the extensive range of additional opportunities to learn to play guitar, violin, woodwind, brass, keyboard, recorders and drums. These pupils, who account for almost half of the school, reach above or in some cases standards well above average in their chosen instruments. The pupils have very positive attitudes to music. They participate with obvious enjoyment and discuss their work with animation and enthusiasm. Behaviour is very good and almost all strive to perform well. They sing accurately, tunefully and expressively.

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Commentary

94. A very rich musical curriculum is provided and the quality of teaching and learning is very good. Singing is taught well, with musical points being brought out as the pupils learn a well-thought- out repertoire of songs. The lessons build systematically on the pupils' skills and engage their interest and enthusiasm. The same is true for music appreciation. The pupils are guided through a rich diet of different kinds of music and taught how to listen with an increasingly discerning ear. For example, they discuss the images suggested by a piece of music and analyse and copy the rhythmic patterns. Extra-curricular activities include a choir, hand-bell playing, percussion and drama. The school regularly organises productions that include a large number of pupils and embrace singing, dancing and instrumentalists. These performances enrich pupils’ experience and raise their confidence and self-esteem. The

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Commentary

beautiful song ‘Just Friends’, specially written for the school and recorded and accompanied by pupils and staff, has been recorded. It exemplifies this enrichment and deserves a wider audience.

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Commentary

95. The subject is led and managed very well and all the pupils have equal opportunities to benefit from all the activities on offer. Goonhavern Primary School - 29

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

No lessons were seen in personal, social and health education . However, the range of documentary and incidental evidence indicates provision is very good.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

96. Pupils’ personal development is supported very well over the school as a whole. Children make very good progress in the reception year in becoming confident, independent and sociable learners. Their health and social development is supported in many ways throughout their time at the school. The many excellent extra-curricular opportunities for pupils to engage in sport and other exercises encourage positive attitudes to good health. The cycling club also contributes to the pupils' independence and awareness of environmental considerations. These activities also open doors to life-enhancing leisure and relaxation opportunities. The pupils are encouraged to have an active interest in the natural environment, through science lessons and gardening activities. Current plans for the development of the site include a science garden to add to this resource. Science lessons also contribute to the pupils'

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

awareness of the importance of a good diet, which is reinforced through the provision of healthy meals at lunch-times. Education about sex and the dangers of the misuse of drugs is incorporated into the curriculum and, overall, the pupils are well prepared at a personal level for the next stage of their education.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school fosters the principles and values of citizenship well. • Citizenship makes a strong contribution to the ethos of Goonhavern Primary School and its ideals are present in every aspect of school life.

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Commentary

97. The principles and values of citizenship are developed to a good degree. A strength of the programme is that the associated values are integral to the life and work of the school. They are manifest in the very good relationships that exist and in the very good role models that adults present. Real responsibility is given to pupils in this process. They formally exchange views through representatives on the School Council and are genuinely consulted about initiatives and proposals. They help to make real decisions, such as those relating to playground equipment, the design of the science garden and charitable efforts. This involvement helps to foster a knowledge that this is ‘their’ school as well as building a sense of responsibility. It enhances their understanding of democracy and why society operates within a structure of rules and laws.

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Commentary

98. Not only do the values of citizenship flow through the life of the school, but they are apparent in the defined programmes for English, religious education and for personal, social and health education. Pupils express opinions and consider the views of others. Their awareness of responsibility towards others and to the community is strongly developed. They develop a sense of self-worth through identifying and expressing feelings and, in this way, begin to understand how their actions affect themselves and others. A group of pupils in Year 5, for example, discussed the emotions involved around conflict in the playground. They did so with an openness, sensitivity and maturity that suggested thoughtful understanding of the problems and responsibilities encountered by individuals and groups.

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Commentary

99. Overall, pupils have a very good understanding of the values, responsibilities and choices encapsulated in citizenship. They are developing a worthy and sensitive appreciation of the ideals, feelings and respect involved in personal and community relationships. Goonhavern Primary School - 30

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities (ethos) 2 Attendance 3 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 2 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 1 Accommodation and resources 2 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 3 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 2 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

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