Parc Eglos School

111831 Unique Reference Number Cornwall LEA 278789 Inspection number 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006 Inspection dates Hazel Callaghan AI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Church Hill School address Primary Type of school Parc Eglos Community School category Helston, Cornwall TR13 8UP 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01326 572998 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01326 565941 Fax number 368 Number on roll Mr Glen Rogers Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr J A Vipond Headteacher 20 November 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278789 11 July 2006 - 4 to 11 12 July 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Parc Eglos is a large primary school. The majority of pupils are from families of White British descent and none is learning English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is below average. Children start school with an average range of knowledge and skills. The school supports the extended provision provided in adjacent buildings and plays a leading role in providing a breakfast club and after-school care facilities. This provision has been extended to offer holiday care and pre-school education, and also offers a number of community support and advice clinics.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Parc Eglos School, 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006

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Grade: 2

Parc Eglos is a good school with many outstanding features. This view is also held by staff, governors and parents. Relationships at all levels throughout the school are excellent and underpin pupils’ outstanding personal development and exemplary care, support and guidance. An exciting and extensive curriculum provides an outstanding range of additional activities that enriches pupils’ learning. Along with good teaching, this stimulates the pupils’ excellent attitudes to work. The pupils’ progress is good and standards at the end of Year 6 are above the national average. Standards and progress in English are better than in mathematics because of the effective strategies in place to improve pupils’ language skills. The school has identified the need to focus on mathematics. The provision for children in the Reception classes is good and they make a positive start to their education. Leadership and management are good. The

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Grade: 2

strong leadership provided by the headteacher is reflected by the effective senior management team. All staff are enabled and empowered to take an active part in school improvement. Consequently they are an enthusiastic team who work well together. Based on the school’s record of positive improvement, there is a secure capacity for it to improve further. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards and achievement in mathematics to equal those in English by developing effective strategies to extend pupils’ knowledge and skills.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good and standards when pupils leave the school are above average. Standards in English are usually higher than in mathematics and are often well above the national average. Pupils make overall good but inconsistent progress from the time they start in the reception class to the end of Year 6. In most areas of learning, children achieve well in the Reception classes. Their personal and social skills are promoted well and they are well prepared for the work in Year 1. The significant time and effort placed on improving children’s early reading skills are now raising standards. Achievement in Years 1 and 2 is usually good. Over the last three years, achievement across Years 3 to 6 has been satisfactory rather than good. This has been due partly to the number of staff changes in different year groups and also because teachers were not sufficiently engaged in setting the pupils challenging targets. In reading and writing, the pupils’ progress is now good across

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Grade: 2

the year groups. This is because a good range of strategies has led to pupils’ improved language skills, and teachers have higher expectations for the rate at which pupils progress. The school has not yet had the same success in mathematics so that achievement remains satisfactory in Years 3 to 6. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress towards their individual targets. The most capable 2 Inspection Report: Parc Eglos School, 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006 pupils are extended well and the school usually meets its targets for them in both mathematics and English.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are outstanding. Their moral and social development is particularly strong. Their spiritual and cultural development is good. They have a very good awareness of their own culture and of other cultures around the world. Their visits to France, for example, give pupils a good insight into the similarities between nations. Pupils’ recognition of England as a multi-cultural society is satisfactory. Pupils behave extremely well. They are friendly and polite, and show great care towards one another. Pupils enjoy their lessons, especially when a lot is expected of them, and they have excellent attitudes to their work. Attendance is above average. Pupils’ good basic skills of communication, mathematics, computing, perseverance and teamwork prepare them very well for their future education and economic well-being. Through their positive responses to activities such as raising funds for charities and developing

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Grade: 1

the facilities in the school, pupils learn to be good members of a community. Pupils understand well how to lead safe and healthy lives. Most choose to eat and drink healthily. They speak enthusiastically about keeping fit and participate with enjoyment in a wide range of sports and other activities. They well understand various dangers around them and know how to avoid them.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good, with some outstanding features. A characteristic of many lessons is the high level of enjoyment and enthusiasm among the pupils. The teachers use information and communication technology (ICT) very effectively, both in the preparation and delivery of lessons and to enable pupils to learn more effectively across the curriculum. For example, Years 5 and 6 pupils were highly motivated to design and build effective models by using a computer programme to control the movements. In many subjects, teachers use an extensive range of resources to facilitate enjoyable and effective learning through practical activities. Good use of teaching assistants and other helpers, including students, enables teachers to plan lessons that involve pupils working individually and in small groups. This is particularly beneficial to pupils with special educational needs, who learn consistently well because of the

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Grade: 2

good level of support they receive. Teachers assess the pupils well to identify their daily progress and to inform the planning for the next lesson. They promote more consistent progress across the school by setting more challenging targets for pupils’ future learning. 3 Inspection Report: Parc Eglos School, 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006

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Grade: 1

The school provides an excellent curriculum that meets the needs of pupils very well. The school has a strong tradition of promoting the arts and sport. In addition to all the required subjects, the pupils have opportunities to participate in an outstanding range of activities and pursuits within and beyond the school day, including sport, music, drama, art and foreign languages. Great dedication by staff and volunteers, including the school caretaker, contributes enormously to this aspect of the school’s provision. The rich curriculum instils in them a love of school and helps to make them enthusiastic learners. The curriculum successfully promotes self-confidence, maturity and skills, which prepares the pupils exceptionally well for the next stage of their education. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is good. A broad range of activities stimulates children’s interest and curiosity whilst promoting their academic

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Grade: 1

skills and knowledge. There is a satisfactory balance of adult-led tasks and opportunities for children to learn through independent, self-chosen activities. Involvement in a great variety of physical activities and a strong school focus on a balanced diet ensure that all pupils have a very secure platform on which to build a healthy lifestyle.

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Grade: 1

The school provides outstanding care, guidance and support. Pupils are highly valued as individuals and so feel very secure and cared for. All members of staff are active in identifying and meeting the needs of individual children and building their self-esteem and feelings of self-worth. One parent wrote, for example, “My son is treated as an individual but has learnt how to be a valued member of a group and has gone from strength to strength.” Effective systems and strong relationships ensure pupils feel confident to talk about their successes and about any difficulties. The attainment of all pupils is properly tracked and targets for them to aim at are having a positive impact on raising their achievement. In particular, the older pupils have a very good understanding of what they need to do to improve their work. The achievement of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is systematically monitored and

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Grade: 1

additional support provided as necessary, helping these pupils to achieve well. The school takes its pupils’ well-being very seriously and provision for aspects such as child protection and health and safety is very strong. There are good links with outside agencies that are drawn on as required. The school’s development of provision before and after school is just one aspect of its ‘wrap-around care’. The school also provides a wide range of support groups for parents, seeing them as fundamental to children’s well-being and progress. 4 Inspection Report: Parc Eglos School, 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher’s strong sense of purpose and vision for the school is shared by all staff and also gives clear educational direction. This united approach is responsible for the exceptional quality of care and support given to all pupils and their outstanding personal development. Management procedures are comprehensive and efficient. There are thorough systems for monitoring pupils’ standards and progress. Data is used well to identify pupils’ learning needs and to identify areas of weakness so that effective support is provided for pupils of all abilities. The analysis of pupils’ progress from reception to Year 2 is not as secure as that used in Years 3 to 6 but this is being developed. The school is continually searching for ways to improve, so that pupils find learning a rewarding and exciting experience. Senior staff are effective leaders and manage their

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Grade: 2

responsibilities well. Other staff are keen to develop their professional skills and the school provides a successful and supportive centre for trainee teachers and students. The well-informed governors are clearly involved in all elements of the school’s strategic planning. They monitor and challenge the school’s effectiveness and provide good leadership. The pupils and parents are consulted and, when change is considered, their views are taken carefully into account. For example, the school is about to respond positively to parents’ requests for more opportunities to discuss their child’s progress. Based on the good teamwork and evidence of past improvements, the school’s capacity for further improvement is good. 5 Inspection Report: Parc Eglos School, 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Parc Eglos School, 11 July 2006 to 12 July 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I am writing to say thank you for making us feel welcome in your school and for helping us with our questions. We really enjoyed chatting to you and found everything you said very interesting. I thought you would like to know what we found out about your school. What we liked about the school: •You are very happy at school and really enjoy your lessons. •You get on very well with each other and the adults in the school. •You behave extremely sensibly and are very kind to each other. •You make good progress in most of your lessons. You want to do well and teachers know what you need to do to improve. •You are given lots of opportunities to take responsibility and you do it very well. •All the adults look after you extremely well and help keep you safe and happy. •We think you are very good at making sensible choices about keeping healthy and safe. •We think your headteacher and staff make your learning exciting and fun and there is

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

an outstanding range of activities for you to enjoy. What we have asked the school to do: •To help you make as much progress in mathematics as you do in your reading and writing so that your work improves Thank you again for being so polite and helpful.

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