Trekenner Community Primary School

Inspection Report Trekenner Community Primary School

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111933 Unique Reference Number Cornwall LEA 278818 Inspection number 22 May 2006 to 22 May 2006 Inspection dates Denise Morris AI Reporting inspector

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

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Lezant School address Primary Type of school Launceston Community School category Cornwall PL15 9PH 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01579 370435 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01579 370435 Fax number 49 Number on roll Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr David Reardon Headteacher 4 December 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278818 22 May 2006 - 4 to 11 22 May 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Trekenner Community Primary School is a small rural school. All pupils are White British, and English is all pupils’ first language. Because the numbers are small, the academic profile and number of pupils joining each year varies widely in attainment. Overall, the long-term picture is of a broadly average intake. The pupils are taught in three classes in the morning and two classes in the afternoon. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is below average. The majority of pupils come from surrounding villages and farms. Socio-economic circumstances are at least average. There is a relatively small turnover of pupils. The school lacks a hall for assemblies or physical education but in other respects accommodation is sufficient. The outdoor area is very spacious.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Trekenner Community Primary School, 22 May 2006 to 22 May 2006

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school with some strengths and a few areas that require improvement. The inspection judgements differ slightly from the school’s own evaluation of its performance, consequently, school self-evaluation is satisfactory. The very good ethos created ensures that all pupils are highly valued and behave well. The personal development of the pupils is a notable strength with pupils showing outstanding enjoyment of their learning and very positive attitudes. These reflect the good quality of care, guidance and support given to all pupils. They also benefit from the good curriculum and some very good extra-curricular opportunities. Standards and achievement are satisfactory throughout the school. In the Foundation Stage, children make a sound start to their education. They work alongside older pupils and the quality of provision is satisfactory. However the pattern of achievement, through the whole school, shows that there has been a lack of challenge offered to

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Grade: 3

potentially higher attaining pupils and they do not make as much progress as they aught. The quality of teaching and learning are satisfactory overall with a few aspects of teaching requiring improvement. Opportunities for pupils to make decisions about their own learning are too limited. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The school has recognised the need to further improve teaching and standards and is already working closely with other local schools to do this. There has been sound improvement since the last inspection, for example, the good, new assessment system, show that the school has satisfactory capacity to improve further. Because of the small size of the school, costs are high. Taking this alongside the sound achievements and the good personal development, the school provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

•improve the quality of teaching and learning for all pupils through rigorous monitoring and increased training so pupils’ achievement improves •continue to further improve provision for potentially higher attaining pupils so that they achieve as well they should •provide increased opportunities to enable pupils to make decisions and become more independent in their learning.

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Grade: 3

Pupils’ achievements are satisfactory. They make at least satisfactory progress during their time at the school. The vast majority of pupils achieve the targets that the school sets for them. A few pupils make good progress and this is particularly true of those with learning difficulties who achieve well due to their good support. However the targets which are set for some pupils are not challenging enough. Higher attaining pupils, in particular, are not always sufficiently challenged in their learning, and 2 Inspection Report: Trekenner Community Primary School, 22 May 2006 to 22 May 2006 expectations of what they can achieve are sometimes too low. Pupils achieve well in sports due to good provision and the good links provided by the local secondary school. Because the number of pupils overall in the school is small, results in the national tests can vary from year to year, but the overall pattern shows that pupils generally attain

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Grade: 3

standards that are in line with the national average in English, mathematics and science. Children in the Foundation Stage achieve appropriately and reach the expected standard by the time they enter Year 1.

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Grade: 2

The personal development of the pupils is good with some notable features. For example, pupils’ attitudes and their enjoyment of their education are outstanding. Pupils enjoy coming to school and talk excitedly about their lessons. Consequently, attendance is good. The school’s very clear values of care and respect are evident by staff and pupils alike. Pupils say ‘Teachers are kind to us.’ They feel safe at school. Because of positive attitudes to learning, pupils’ behaviour is good in and around the school. Pupils are polite to others and care about those younger than themselves. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. There are many examples of pupils celebrating festivals from a range of different cultures, such as Chinese New Year, and the Hindu festival of Diwali. Pupils know how to stay healthy and are very aware of the need for a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. A high proportion of pupils take the cooked school lunches, and

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Grade: 2

pupils comment on how good they are. Pupils work safely in their lessons. They make a very positive contribution to the community. They regularly raise funds for charities such as ‘Children in Need’, ‘Red Nose Day’ and ‘Jeans for Genes’, and are beginning to develop good skills that contribute to their future economic well- being. The school council is having a positive impact on how pupils themselves can influence their own school life. They have been instrumental in the purchase of some new playground equipment and say that they would like to do more to improve the environment. They also say that they would like to take on more responsibilities and become more independent by being able to make more choices and decisions. In lessons, pupils were not sufficiently encouraged to help with organisation such as the giving out of resources and tidying up.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, although there are some good features that are gradually helping to improve pupils’ learning. There is a good ratio of staff to pupils. High quality relationships and pupils’ good behaviour ensure a very positive atmosphere in classrooms. The programmes of work that are planned for pupils are generally appropriate for each age group. However, they do not yet fully meet the 3 Inspection Report: Trekenner Community Primary School, 22 May 2006 to 22 May 2006 needs of all pupils. Teachers provide different work for each age group in the class, but not generally for each ability group. Consequently, the needs of the higher attaining pupils, in particular, are not always fully met and this has a negative impact on how well they learn. It also has an effect on the pace of learning, which is sometimes too slow; with the result that not enough is accomplished in the time allowed.

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Grade: 3

Questioning has been a recent focus for improvement, and pupils are frequently asked open-ended questions that encourage them to think carefully about their answers. This development is beginning to have an impact on independent learning, but there is still more work to do to increase pupils’ independence and self knowledge. The marking of pupils’ work is adequate, but it does not always help pupils to understand what they have to do to improve. Planning for those pupils with learning difficulties is good, and teaching assistants play a successful role in their good progress.

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Grade: 3

The overall curriculum at the school is good. It is broad balanced and relevant, and fully meets national requirements. It now meets most pupils’ needs well, although work still remains to be done on planning in order to fully meet the needs of the most able pupils. There is an effective personal, social and health education programme that is having a very positive impact on pupils’ good personal development. Enrichment of the curriculum is outstanding. Pupils benefit from a very wide range of clubs for such a small school. Pupils talk excitedly about the many visits to places of interest and they look forward to the residential opportunities in Years 5 and 6. The school has worked extremely hard to provide additional sporting opportunities to substitute for the lack of a hall space. This has led to very good links with other schools and some appropriate challenges, both in sports and in mathematics for some of the

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Grade: 2

The care, support and guidance of pupils are good. Pupils are well cared for and are safe at school. Formal arrangements for protecting pupils and safeguarding their welfare are good. Staff are well trained in child protection procedures. Parents report that their children are happy at school and are very positive about the school’s commitment to their safety. Advice and support from external agencies is used well and there are very good relationships with them. The regular consultation policy ensures that there is a clear partnership in support of pupils. Pupils receive good quality guidance about their future education and transition to secondary school is thorough and well received by pupils. They feel that there is always someone that they can talk to, and that ‘teachers listen to us’. The school has not developed guidelines to show pupils how to improve their work and this area is identified for improvement.

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Grade: 2

4 Inspection Report: Trekenner Community Primary School, 22 May 2006 to 22 May 2006

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory, although there are several strong features. The headteacher and staff are fully committed to school improvement and to providing the best possible education for pupils. In the three years since his appointment, the headteacher has created a high quality ethos of care and positive relationships that is welcomed by the whole school community. Staff consistently provide pupils with positive role models. The personal development of pupils is consequently of a high standard. The school is enterprising in establishing very good partnerships with local schools to broaden expertise available and to enrich pupils’ experiences. School self-evaluation is satisfactory. It is beginning to involve parents, staff and governors and appropriately assesses the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. However, the leadership and management have not done enough to raise standards

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Grade: 3

over the past few years and to improve achievement of all pupils, and particularly of those who are more capable. The good new tracking and assessment procedures are helping to identify potential for improvement. It is too early to say what impact these will have on achievement and standards, but there are positive signs in Years 3 and 4 where trials are taking place. Governors are regularly involved in the school and are supportive of its work. They make a satisfactory and improving contribution to the running of the school. The school is aware of the need to improve teaching and planning, particularly for higher attaining pupils, and plans are already in place to increase monitoring. 5 Inspection Report: Trekenner Community Primary School, 22 May 2006 to 22 May 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: Trekenner Community Primary School, 22 May 2006 to 22 May 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 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 3 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 3 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 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 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 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 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 2 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 2 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 3 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 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

Thank you for all the help you gave me on my recent visit to your school. I really enjoyed meeting you and talking to you. You were very helpful and told me all about the things you do at school. Your behaviour is good and you really enjoy your lessons. Your school is a very happy place to be. You get on well with your teachers and you told me that ‘they listen’ and ‘they are kind’. The inspection judges that the school is satisfactory. Lots of good things are on offer, but there are a few more things that would make it even better. Your school council told me that you would like more opportunities to take on simple responsibilities, and make more decisions for yourself. I agree with them and I have asked the school to help you do this. I have asked the headteacher, governors and staff to make sure that teaching improves so that you can make better progress. It is also important that those of you who are capable of achieving

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

high standards should be set harder work to challenge you to do your best. All of you can play your part by working even harder. Thank you again for all your help and for making my visit so enjoyable.

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